Back to Regional e-Newsletter LAC H1 2009
Self-service is coming to stay
Guillermo Fuenzalida
Account Director,
Chile, Peru & Ecuador
Self-service is exploding, especially in Latin America. In an industry which is shifting from a transportation-centric to a traveler-centric model, airports and airlines have much to gain from implementing self-service tools which improve the passenger experience at every step of the journey.
Check-in is being revolutionized by self-service -- at kiosks, online, or even via mobile phone. It's good for passengers, cutting down time wasted standing in line, and it helps airlines and airports drive down costs. It's also a potential source of new revenue, offering airlines to "upsell" upon check-in, either by offering more flexibility on the ticket, or a chance to upgrade the ticket class. Some airlines have an aggressive self-service target of 80 percent or more for kiosk and online check-in, freeing their counter agents for other tasks. For the airports, common-use self-service kiosks are a way to expand their business without requiring more space.
In Latin America & Caribbean, SITA self-service technology is available in Cancun, Buenos Aires, Aruba, Bogota, Caracas, and recently Sao Paulo and Santiago. Arturo Merino BenÃtez International Airport, the initial 20 self-service kiosks will facilitate passengers at the airport which handles over 9 million travelers per year.
A major carrier which has been using a dedicated kiosk has now adopted the common-use self-service technology successfully in those airports where SITA is offering this solution, such as Ezeiza and Aeroparque.
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