Alaska Airlines says it is removing check-in kiosks at its hub airports on the West Coast: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Anchorage.<\/p>\n
The machines will be replaced by bag tag stations with iPad tablets. Most airports will transition to the new bag tag stations by the end of 2023, the airline said.<\/p>\n
Customer service agents will be available to check in customers, but Alaska is encouraging them to use the Alaska Airlines app to check in and secure a boarding pass before coming to the airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bag tag stations are part of a three-year investment in the airport experience totaling $2.5 billion. Alaska’s goal is to get customers through the lobby and to security in 5 minutes or less. Airports have already begun changing to the new tablets.<\/p>\n
Beginning in spring 2024, the lobbies in Alaska’s hub airports will have technology that will enable flyers to drop off their bags with just a few quick scans. The machine will scan a customer’s face, government-issued I.D. and bags. From there, it will take bags on a belt to be loaded onto the aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n