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Hawaiian Airlines is redesigning its two ticket lobbies at Honolulu Airport in a $6 million project that will expedite the check-in process and eliminate the need to wait in line for a separate baggage agricultural inspection.
The renovation, which already is under way, is being funded by Hawaiian and is not part of the state’s 12-year, $2.3 billion renovation program. It is expected to be completed in June.
Hawaiian, the only occupant of the interisland terminal, is removing its traditional check-in counter in favor of six check-in islands in the middle of the lobbies. Each of the six islands has eight agent-assisted, self-service check-in stations for a total of 48. The stations can be used to check in for all interisland, mainland and international flights.
The check-in stations also provide for the weighing of luggage, payment of any fees for upgrades and other services, and printing of destination luggage tags with assistance from Hawaiian’s customer service agents.
When the check-in process is complete, customers will place their checked luggage at one end of a single conveyor belt that is located behind the old check-in counter. That belt will incorporate U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection, baggage security screening and the loading of bags onto the customers’ flight. The single belt eliminates the current requirement to have luggage being checked to destinations outside Hawaii pre-screened by USDA before starting the check-in process.
Each lobby also will have two special service desks that will be staffed for special needs or transactions.
“Hawaiian is bringing a dramatic transformation to the check-in process at our Honolulu hub that Hawaii residents and visitors alike will find to be a faster, easier and superior experience,” Hawaiian President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said. “We have made it a priority to provide a standard of service that leads the airline industry, and this new lobby design is a quantum leap forward from the traditional check-in process that travelers are used to.”
Hawaiian said the new design resulted from two years of industry research and motion studies that it conducted to find a solution to long lines and bottlenecks during busy periods and speed up the check-in process.
“Our design is patterned after one that was recently introduced by Air New Zealand in New Zealand,” Hawaiian spokesman Keoni Wagner said. “The company spent two years studying the best practices and doing time and motion studies of the foot traffic in our own terminal in order to come up with the best design.”
Even though check-in time will be faster, Wagner said the airline still encourages customers to give themselves ample time to complete the process and to allow for contingencies.
“With the open floor plan, customers have basically 48 options,” Wagner said. “They walk up to the first available station and then they’re off and running.”
In the current configuration, customers have to line up for a particular flight and wait their turn to use anywhere from four to six kiosks for that flight.
“In the new design, any of the 48 is available to you,” Wagner said. “It’s just a matter of walking up to the first available station.”
