THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SELF SERVICE KIOSKS AT CROATIAN AIRPORTS

Transcription

1 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SELF SERVICE KIOSKS AT CROATIAN AIRPORTS Ružica Škurla, B.Eng., Andrija Vidović, B.Eng., Sanja Steiner, DSc., University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering Vukelićeva 4, Zagreb, Croatia Abstract Increased use of self service kiosks across airports is one of the significant technologies available to airlines and airports to reduce the cost and time of checking in passengers. Self service kiosks enable passengers to check in, check baggage, print boarding cards, select or change seats or change flights. In order to improve the check-in services for the continuously growing number of airline passengers, IATA and its industrial partners have developed a new standard enabling kiosks to be shared by the participating airlines. With CUSS (Common Use Self Service), a worldwide standard has been set, thus allowing passengers to access many different airlines' self service check-in applications from a single kiosk. Examples of the use of these kiosks at world airports and perspectives for their implementation at main Croatian airports are analysed in the paper. Key words self service check-in kiosks, biometrics, airports, CUSS standard I. INTRODUCTION With more than 3 billion people flying each year and air traffic forecasted to grow at an average annual rates of 5,1 % [1] for the next two decades, there is no denying that airports are getting more crowded. Congestion in the airport is primarily found at the check-in lobbies and security checkpoints. The challenge of running today's airports is further complicated by the additional security requirements, both in the air and on the ground, mandated since September 11, Airline and airport self service kiosk solutions are designed to boost customer satisfaction by letting passengers quickly and easily check-in at the airport, select or change seating, and print out a boarding pass. Kiosks can let customers avoid waiting in long lines, maximize terminal space and employees' time and efforts. II. THE BENEFITS OF SELF SERVICE KIOSKS Airlines and airports of the world share a common vision: getting passengers and their baggage onto aircraft more quickly, conveniently, safely and economically. Check -in area is the main component of passenger service areas in airports. The convenience for passengers at this area is essential in order to gain more customers using the airports. This is measured by the waiting time for the service and the space available for passengers. New advances in information technology are playing a vital role in processes that would help relieving airport congestion, improve passenger convenience and enhance security. Self service check-in kiosks allow customers to bypass the ticket counter and check-in for a flight, change a seat assignment, pay for upgrades to First Class, check baggage and receive a boarding pass, add a frequent flyer number to a reservation. Kiosks can offer services for interline e-ticketing and for alliance ticketing. To use the kiosk, passengers simply enter their confirmation number or insert a major credit card to begin the self service check-in process and follow the instructions on the touch screen. A potential inconvenience to a passenger using self service kiosks could happen if he selected an exit row, because many local regulations require authorized person to verify that a customer is qualified for exit row seating. He will be advised to check-in at the kiosk and continue to the kiosk agent to receive his boarding pass. III. STANDARDIZATION ISSUES Air travelers have embraced self service, because kiosks offer more convenient travel, with faster service and shorter check-in lines. Self service kiosks are not a new idea; they are used for a lot more transactions than just passenger check-in. The problem is that they are, in almost all cases, airline specific, both in design and functionality. Passengers wishing to make use of the kiosk need to find the correct one for their flight to check-in. In these days of code sharing and alliances, that may not be so straightforward. Also, when several airlines install their own kiosks, total costs are high and the airport floor space becomes too crowded. It became clear that there was a requirement for a common user kiosk. Airports with open platform on which airlines can easily run any CUSS compliant

2 check-in application can maximize their efficiency and savings by adding self service kiosks, extending the benefits of common use to all parties - passengers, airports, and airlines. A. CUSS standard The International Air Transport Association (IATA) developed a world standard for shared kiosks the IATA Common-Use Self service (CUSS) 1.0 software standard. Common Use Self service (CUSS) is an IATA / ATA initiative governed by Recommended Practice RP 1706c / ATA specifications and standards for Common Use. One of the first implementations is for passenger self service check-in using shared terminals or kiosks. CUSS standard, specifies the hardware and software specifications for a CUSS compliant kiosk solution. The hardware section of the specification describes the basic components but leaves the choice of hardware and manufacturer to the integrator of the kiosk. Similarly, the CUSS software platform does not specify an operating or application development environment. What is provided in detail is the software interface between the hardware and application. Most importantly, the standard addresses many of the critical issues faced by competitors who share computing equipment. BY definition, a CUSS kiosk has access to information like passenger names, destinations and even pricing. CUSS version 1.0 outlines the regulations for how this valuable data is treated. B. CUSS kiosks CUSS kiosks are connected to multiple airline application servers. The passengers simply choose their airline and are immediately connected with their specific airline check-in application. The solution not only saves airport floor space and lowers operating costs, but also accommodates new patterns of passenger movement easily. This can be a critical advantage for airport managers, who must constantly anticipate changes to their passenger security procedures and physical facilities. Airports with open platform on which airlines can easily run any CUSS compliant check-in application can maximize their efficiency and savings by adding self service kiosks, extending the benefits of common use to all parties - passengers, airports, and airlines. The major benefits of CUSS kiosks are: - customer interaction with airline application at a single point of contact, - secure data access, - optimum use of airline/airport facilities in common use areas, - shared running costs, - permits delivery of a proprietary check-in product without deploying proprietary devices and infrastructure (and the associated costs). C. CUSS architecture The elements of a CUSS project are: 1. CUSS Platform - the defined hardware and software environment, which supports one or more CUSS applications and conforms to the standards as described in the Recommended Practice; 2. Application Provider - an entity that is responsible for the provision and management of their applications accessible from a CUSS Kiosk, e.g. an airline; 3. Application Supplier - an entity, that writes the application software for the Application Provider, e.g. in-house software developer or vendor; 4. Platform Provider - the entity that is responsible for ongoing provision and management of the Platform, e.g. airport or third party; 5. Platform Supplier - one or more entities contracted by the platform provider to supply any component(s)of the Platform; 6. CUSS Application - a single certified business application that can run on any compatible CUSS certified platform; 7. Service Provider - the entity that is responsible for maintaining the operational service performance of the platform, e.g. platform supplier, platform provider or contracted third party [2]. Figure 1 illustrates how a CUSS kiosk appears from a software standpoint. The kiosks include CUSS middleware software that creates an open platform where multiple airline applications can reside on a single kiosk, independent of the Operating System used. Platform Manager software enables both the hardware and airline applications to be monitored and controlled [3]. CUSS Kiosks will enable many more airlines to offer self service facilities to passengers, and airlines currently using self service to offer more locations. At any airport where there is a service provider supplying CUSS Kiosks (this could be the airport, an airline or an independent service provider) all airlines with a CUSS compliant application will be able to plug-in. This means no matter how small their own operation is, the facility for self service applications will be available.

3 Figure 1 Three-layered kiosk architecture according to IATA CUSS Specification IV. EXAMPLES OF SELF SERVICE KIOSKS IMPLEMENTATIONS Self service check in kiosks were first implemented in USA by Alaska Airlines in Many of the US majors have deployed kiosks throughout their system in a very short time. Northwest began self service check-in 1997 at its Minneapolis/St Paul hub, and now has 645 check-in devices at 150 airports and plan to have 109 more by year-end. Delta Air Lines now has some 100 check-in kiosks at its hub Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport.At Continental, with almost 700 kiosks, about 62% of passengers within the USA, use self service kiosks [4]. Working with IBM Global Services in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, Air Canada now has 142 kiosks across 8 airports in Canada where passengers can check-in, change their seat, request a seat for an earlier flight departure, and perform various other functions-without ever interacting with a service representative. Results have been impressive. Up to 50 percent of Air Canada' s passengers are using the kiosks during peak periods, enjoying an 80 percent reduction in check-in time. And, employees are more productive in other areas, which helps cut operational costs. For the fourth straight year, passengers surveyed by IATA have rated YVR one of the top 10 airports in the world. Today, kiosks are spreading rapidly through Europe and Japan, and more recently to the Middle East, mostly for domestic travel. Gulf Air became first Middle East airline which introduced self service check-in kiosks at Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Muscat s International Airports. British Airways, IBM, Swissair (Represented by Atraxis), and Materna Information & Communications have completed a successful interoperability trial of self service kiosks in July, The tests demonstrated that different airlines can share kiosks designed to the IATA Common Use Self service (CUSS) standard, and pave the way for the wider use of the increasingly popular self service method of check-in. Following CUSS standard, ARINC introduced the world s first IATA CUSS kiosk system ARINC SelfServ. ARINC also deployed the world s first CUSS-compliant kiosk installations at Canada s Vancouver International Airport and Tokyo Narita Airport in late The CUSS kiosks were built by IBM who also provided technology including the kiosk platform, common launch application, remote management tools, integrated LCD signage, and Air Canada software development. ARINC is responsible for project management, on-site integration and testing, and network connectivity to Air Canada's application, as well as ongoing maintenance. ARINC SelfServ technology can service passengers with electronic tickets or ATB2 magnetic-stripe tickets, with or without baggage for checking. For assisted baggage service, kiosks are deployed near the existing baggage acceptance points, or a shared acceptance point may be set up for convenience. Shared costs make SelfServ the right solution for remote check-in at airport car rental and parking facilities, and for off-site check-in at hotels. SelfServ technology can also be configured to handle auxiliary devices such as passport readers, smart card readers, security cameras, and biometric systems. In order to improve further its customer service, Emirates Airlines, one of the fastest growing airlines of the world with more than 200 international honors since its formation in the year 1985 started operating 12 check-in machines equipped with the CUSS software of MATERNA. MATERNA company, which is based in Dortmund, is an IATA registered supplier

4 and a member of the IATA's CUSS management group since Vienna Airport is the first European airport, which implemented the conversion to CUSS. The planned 16 check-in machines, some of them with integrated luggage check-ins, started operations in March The CUSS implementation at the Vienna airport is handled in a joint project by MATERNA and Flughafen Wien AG. The development of the software platform and the customization of the airline's check-in software for the airlines mentioned above are carried out by the Dortmund-based company. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has introduced a new self service check-in system, based on IBM kiosk technology, at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in April The new "KLM e-check-in" system prints boarding passes, allows passengers to choose seats, update their frequent flyer status and obtain receipts for e-tickets. The specially designed e-service centers are also equipped with an integrated passport reader, which allows passports and visas for passengers travelling to the US and Australia to be processed directly. KLM e-check-in supports six languages and was developed and installed together with IBM, which is also responsible for its maintenance. Passengers can receive boarding passes for up to four people traveling together. Furthermore, they can check-in for up to four flight segments simultaneously. It also allows all four passengers to be seated together. KLM has installed 10 e-service centers at Schiphol Airport, and plans to add additional units in the future. IBM designed the solution so that e-check-in in other cities around the world can be managed from a central location in The Netherlands, since KLM plans to install e-service centers at several other airports. The KLM e-service centers have a 15" ultra bright LCD screen on the outside and IBM ThinkPad personal computer technology on the inside along with an AIT passport reader and a Thales ATB-2 printer. V. SEECURITY ISSUES The aviation industry has always depended on IT to fundamentally improve the way in which people travel by air. Recently this dependency has increased as the industry searches for methods to cut costs and enhance security. One area that has great potential to deliver benefits to all parties is the expansion of shared use systems like CUSS kiosks. However, after the events of September 11th, IT priorities have shifted to focus on security in response to passengers needs. While IT is still a key element in other vital areas of airport activities such as operations or e-business, the immediate need is to enhance security and restore the passengers confidence to get them back onto aircraft. However, these security demands and identification processes have exacerbated the check-in process causing more passenger inconvenience. In short, the two major forces influencing the direction of airports today are the use of IT and new technologies firstly to enhance security, and secondly to reduce congestion, improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs. Airports must provide safe and efficient terminals, airlines must be able to do their jobs effectively, and the customer must get through the airport process without breaking stride. The industry will need to standardize the method of using biometrics to secure air travel, and this is likely to be established via governing bodies such as IATA and ICAO. CUSS kiosks can also be adapted to work in a wireless format and be positioned wherever needed to streamline the passenger s journey to and through the airport. CUSS kiosks are designed to use various optional devices, according to the requirements of the users. Biometric devices, such as cameras for facial recognition or iris scanning, can be readily accommodated. By integrating self service check-in kiosks with the same network supporting the rest of the air transport industry, a kiosk could easily share the necessary information to help improve security as well. CUSS can be operated without biometrics technology (the identification of passengers by facial, iris, hand or fingerprint scanning) with credit card as an usual form of identification, but the system would be much more secure when linked to biometricsenabled passports. VI. PROSPECTS FOR IMPLEMENTING SELF SERVICE KIOSKS AT CROATIAN AIRPORTS Croatia has expressed its strategic intention to join the European Union in the foreseeable future. That course of action will intensify competition between airlines and airports in the region. A short research of check-in facilities at Croatia airports have been conducted in order to ascertain what level of modern technical solutions have been adopted as well as to make some recommendations as to what directions should Croatian airports adopt in the field of check-in facilities improvement. No airport has self service check-in kiosks installed, nor plan to introduce any in the near future, the only exception being Split Airport with two self service check-in kiosks planned to be implemented in Also, besides 12 check-in counters at Split airport, there are two check-in counters for passengers with hand baggage only. Since there is no floor space for new check-in counters at the existing check-in area at Split airport, implementation of self service check-in counters could be a solution in a case of traffic growth because those kiosks can be placed anywhere in the land side of airport or even outside the airport. Zagreb airport has 18 check-in counters with no extra floor space for adding new ones so it is justifiable to consider self

5 service check-in counters, at least for business travelers. VII. CONCLUSIONS Increased use of self-service kiosks in the airport environment is one of the significant technologies available to airlines and airports that optimizes the use of existing floor space, limits the need for new construction, speeds check-in and gives passengers more control over the travel experience. In order to improve the check-in services for the yearly growing number of airline passengers, IATA (International Air Transport Association) and its industrial partners have developed a new standard allowing a joint utilization of hardware and software by the participating airlines. Each airline defines its individual screen presentation so that the user can use the application as usual. The potential for airlines to save money by sharing common-use kiosks is expected to drive the rapid adoption of the new CUSS standard. The new kiosks can also alleviate some of the space constraints airports are facing today as a result of new security procedures and equipment requirements and airports can achieve a better utilization of the available space by using the standardized machines. The lack of extra floor space for new check-in counters at the existing check-in area at Split and Zagreb airports, justify the consideration of the implementation of self service check-in counters in a case of traffic growth at least for business travelers with hand baggage only. Those kiosks can be placed away from check in area somewhere in the common use part of passenger building, or even outside the airport. LITERATURE [1] Current Market Outlook 2002, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Seattle, SAD, July [2] [3] [4] Field, D.: Outside the box, Airline Business, 08/2003, p [5] Dempsey, P.S., Gesell, L.E.: Airline Management: Strategies for the 21 st Century, Coast Aire Publications, Chandler, Arizona, [6] Doganis, R.: Airline Business in the 21 st Century, Routledge, London, 2001.