By B.R.
THE job of the check-in desk, it seems, is becoming ever more redundant. A big majority of business travellers, I would hazard a guess, now check-in online or, if we are flying at short notice, at least use automated machines at the airport. We now use our mobiles (or even watches) as boarding passes and we leave our luggage at bag drops, at least at the big airports.
Many travellers will already be used to scanning their passports at check-in machines within the terminal. Now United Airlines has launched an app that allows customers to scan passports with their smartphones a day before they fly. It is the first American carrier to offer the service. The airline says:
…customers will have the option of verifying their existing stored passport data or scanning their passport. The app uses the mobile device's camera feature to capture travelers' passports, similar to a mobile banking deposit. Jumio Inc., a credentials management company, will then verify the passport for additional security. Once the verification process is complete, customers may obtain a boarding pass. Customers requiring additional travel documentation, such as visas, will continue to check in at the airport.
Would anyone miss the check-in desk if it disappeared? Probably not. Check-in staff tend to be cheery, chatty people. And you would still need the odd human on hand for when things go wrong. But that heart-dropping sight, when you arrive at the airport to find a queue that looks like someone is just about to win a game of snake, is something not even cheery banter can hope to relieve.
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