By CATHY ARONSON
Air New Zealand passengers flying domestically without luggage will be able to check-in more quickly with a new do-it-yourself Machine.
New kiosks called ExpressCheck will be installed at Auckland, Christchurch and possibly Wellington airports when the airline's budget Express Class starts in November.
It will also start a text
alert service, to text flight delay information to cellphones if planes are delayed 30 minutes or more.
The self-check-in kiosks will allow passengers with hand luggage only to enter a flight number, change a seat and receive a boarding pass.
Air New Zealand said the check-in could take as little as 30 seconds.
Passengers would need an e-ticket and an airpoints card, Star Alliance frequent-flyer card or credit card to use the kiosks.
Air New Zealand acting chief executive Andrew Miller said ExpressCheck would save time for frequent flyers and business travellers, who accounted for a quarter of domestic passengers. It would also reduce queues at check-in counters.
Passengers with luggage can use the machines by early next year but the airline is unsure when the service will be used for international flights.
First it has to secure an agreement with Wellington Airport. Mr Miller said it was negotiating the cost of renting space at the airport and where the machines would be located.
Wellington Airport operations general manager Graeme Ware said it had been negotiating with Air New Zealand for a month.
"We'd like to have the kiosks in place. They are an important service."
Other Star Alliance partners, including Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and Lufthansa, have used the technology for three years.
Air Canada checks-in up to 8000 customers a day. Lufthansa has 300 check-in kiosks for international and national flights and 4.7 million check-ins a year.
Last month, Qantas introduced four kiosks at Sydney and Melbourne airports for domestic flights. It will have four more at Brisbane airport and will have luggage check-in by the end of the year.
Spokesman Simon Rushton said Qantas was considering installing the kiosks in New Zealand for domestic flights.
Air NZ will have 10 kiosks per airport.
Mr Miller said the kiosks would not replace check-in staff.
Engineers union national secretary Andrew Little said his members, who include luggage and check-in staff, were not concerned about the kiosks.
