Self-service bag drop reduces check-in times by 30 percent and increases productivity of check-in staff by 10 percent.
BRUSSELS – Unisys Corporation‘s Belgian subsidiary has successfully expanded the capabilities and performance of the check-in desks at Rotterdam The Hague airport (RTM) with its Fast Bag Drop Application, part of the Unisys Airport Passenger Processing System (APPS). Almost a quarter of the world’s air passengers now check into their flights using Unisys’ airline and airport systems.
The Fast Bag Drop Application was implemented at RTM in 2014 to reduce check-in times, increase productivity and improve customer satisfaction. This was achieved with a 30 percent drop in time spent in a check-in line, a 10 percent reduction in the working hours required for passenger processing and a seven percent increase in overall customer satisfaction.
Since 2009, RTM has seen passenger growth of 83 percent – with 1.7 million travelers using the airport in 2014, expediting the need for more efficient passenger processing. Unisys was selected to transform the check-in experience working alongside Aviapartner, the ground handling agent for RTM, and Type 22, a self-service bag drop hardware provider.
The innovative solution allows RTM to provide common self-service bag drop services for passengers, regardless of the airline they are traveling with. As a result, the airport is able to broaden operations to accommodate new carriers and provide greater passenger processing capacity, without increasing costs or the requirement for additional counter space.
The solution provides a multi-user, multi-host system that can dynamically switch between multiple airlines’ departure control platforms. This expands the distribution of the bag drop facilities across all check-in positions within a common-use system, minimizing the number of interactions for passengers and check-in agents to ensure a fast, efficient bag drop.
Toon Martens, CIO and COO, Aviapartner, said, “By offering self-service bag drop, our passengers not only save time at check-in due to the speed and convenience but also get more attention and better customer service when they need it. We now have a modern solution that allows us to easily integrate new carriers as the airport grows. Our partnership with Unisys has been very successful and has delivered a solution that enhances the end user experience which is why we use APPS at more than 20 airports worldwide.“
Albert van der Veen, Aviapartner’s station manager at RTM, said, “To continue to deliver a high quality of service to our customers during a time of phenomenal growth, we needed to work with a partner that could help us optimize our terminal space and streamline our check-in processes, without increasing operational or expenditure costs. Unisys has a proven solution that has delivered some fantastic results.“
“The self-service bag drop solution is another example of how Unisys works closely with its customers to quickly bring innovative, practical solutions to the clients we serve,” said Haakan Andersson, director of airports, Unisys Global Transportation. “Airports are constantly looking for ways to enhance the passenger experience, and this new technology provides valuable time savings and increased satisfaction to both the passengers and airport personnel.“
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
