Queues at airports are as much a part of flying as bad airline food. Air New Zealand says it has got the ticket for passengers who can not stand waiting.
The airline is spending thirty million dollars installing advanced new kiosks and ticket readers at twenty six airports around the country. At Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington they are doing away with check-in counters altogether, leaving passengers to do it themselves
The new kiosks have the same functions as present ones and they will also read barcodes that can be downloaded onto most cell-phones. Air New Zealand was still fixing the odd glitch in front of reporters today
High-end passengers will also be offered e-passes, a small chip that can be stuck onto phones or wallets and swiped at the kiosks or at the departure gate so you will not need to check-in at all
This new technology means passengers will be able to turn up twenty minutes before their flight, swipe their phones, and board.
It might mean less time waiting around in airports but it will also reduce contact with staff, something customers are not keen on.
The airline says there will still be plenty of staff around to help, they just will not be serving queues of grumpy passengers.
3 News