Low-cost carrier
Ryanair is to open self-service check-in kiosks at London Stansted airport
later this month.
When Business Traveller passed through the airport today (Tuesday September 10), there was a bank of around 50 self-service kiosks located in pairs (see photograph) in zone G next to Ryanair’s manned check-in desks.
Ryanair has yet to give an exact date for the opening of these kiosks, with the screens currently saying, “Coming September 2008 – Ryanair Self-Service. Faster check-in for all passengers.” No further details are yet available from Ryanair, with a spokesperson saying they will launch “later this month”.
It will be interesting to see whether Ryanair charges passengers for checking in using these new machines – travellers currently pay £4 each way to check in at the airport using the manned counters.
It’s not surprising that the carrier has opted to introduce self-service kiosks. Almost all of its ticket sales are paid for online using credit or debit cards (which could easily be used as the identifier at the kiosks), and in the long term it should enable the carrier to make further cost savings through the decreased use of manned check-in desks.
For more information visit ryanair.co.uk.
Report by Mark Caswell
