Friday, April 11, 2008

Cutting Down Queuing Times at Manchester Airport

We have all experienced the nightmare of the check-in desk when travelling from any airport let alone Manchester. The long queues, slow check-in personnel and the family in front that have numerous children who are all excited about going on holiday and who"s parents cannot find their passports without emptying hundreds of bags first!

None of this helps to get your holiday off to a stress free start like you deserve. Manchester Airport is one of the biggest airports in the UK and along with the likes of Jet2, BMI Baby and various other airlines they have come up with various ways to reduce check-in times. Read on to find out how to beat the queues at Manchester.

Online Check-in

Online check-in normally opens 24 hours prior to flight departure and is available from various airlines that fly out of Manchester Airport, a list of which can be found in the resource section at the bottom of this article. This service is only available for passengers travelling with hand luggage only, and all the usual security restrictions still apply.

Express Check-in

Online check-in is the brainchild of the airlines whereas Express Check-in is Manchester Airport's contribution to speeding things up. This system is advertised by Manchester Airport as "no queues no hassle". All sounds too good to be true but in reality this service is a lifesaver and a long time in coming.

Express check-in kiosks can be found scattered all around the departure lounges at Manchester Airport and are brightly coloured for easy spotting. They are all touch screen and extremely easy to use. All you need to do is input your passport, e-ticket or credit card number, follow the on screen instructions and produce your own boarding pass. All that is left for you to do then is drop your luggage off at the designated drop off point and head straight for security.

Sounds too simple and puts a lot of people off as they are required to process their booking themselves. Fear not. The kiosks are designed with simplicity in mind and are all touch screen with clear and easy to follow instructions. A dedicated member of staff is always at hand to assist you in the use of these machines so there really is no need to worry about making a mistake.

Online and express check-in has categorically reduced waiting times at Manchester Airport and will continue to reduce them as long as people continue to use them. These services are not advertised nearly enough by Manchester Airport or the airlines so it is important to spread the word.

Long queues plague the airport industry globally. The UK is lucky enough to have a handful of some the best and most efficient airports worldwide, Manchester being one of them. Anybody who has travelled back from another European airport will no doubt agree with this.

I'm sure there are variations on Express and Online check-in throughout the world so let's hope that all airports take a leaf out of Manchester's book and adopt them sooner rather than later.


Source: http://www.therealarticles.com/Article/Cutting-Down-Queuing-Times-at-Manchester-Airport/154302

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