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In the near future, Frankfurt Airport’s passengers will be able to obtain baggage carts within only one minute thanks to a new depot concept with a refundable deposit system. Baggage carts at FRA will still be free while availability and ease of finding them will greatly improve. Fraport AG will start rolling out the new service at Terminal 2 on January 27. All of the approximately 2,000 baggage carts in the public areas of FRA’s terminal complex will be adapted to the depot/deposit system by April 2011.
More than 100 depots will be available in all of the public areas: particularly in the check-in and baggage claim halls, at the Terminal 1 and 2 forecourts, and at the parking garages. Users will be required to pay a two euro deposit, which is refunded in cash when returning the cart to one of the depot stations. Fraport expects implementation of the depot/deposit system to improve greatly the quality of passenger service at Frankfurt Airport and to increase customer satisfaction.
Based on baggage cart procedures implemented at other airports worldwide, Fraport’s new system has been significantly optimized and customized in terms of functionality to meet the needs of Frankfurt Airport customers. For the conversion to a deposit system, FRA’s baggage carts are being modified with a special adapter that allows the returned carts to be fed into the guide track at the depots. Users can pay the deposit in cash or by credit card or EC/Maestro card at automated payment machines located directly at each depot. When returning the baggage cart to one of these collection stations, the user’s deposit is refunded in cash.
Cart availability at each depot is monitored by computer, allowing staff at the control center to keep a close eye on requirements and to respond accordingly. Improved passenger flow and guidance in the terminals is another benefit of the new system. Thus, logjams of baggage carts in front of escalators, staircases, counters and in major traffic corridors will virtually disappear in the future.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
