Smart phone technology helps drive self service

Self-check in at airlines has met its technological match and it's called smart phone. Kiosks will remain a strong force in the sector, but eventually many consumers will switch to getting to their plane with the help of their phone.

"Airport check-in (via kiosk) is a very mature market sector. You will see incremental increases and updates of products. Smart phones will change the long-term dynamics," said Francie Mendelsohn, a veteran kiosk consultant and president of Summit Research Consultants,

Here's how: Travelers will download a barcode to their smart phone when they conduct pre- check-in thru the Web before going to the airport. With the barcode loaded, the traveler will go to the airport and head straight to the security stop, bypassing the airline's check-in kiosk to pick up a paper boarding pass. A device at the security stop will read the barcode displayed on the smart phone and the traveler is good to go.

Ms Mendelsohn says that several major carriers, including American, Delta and United have begun offering this smart phone application at select airports.

"In time you will see less use of kiosks at the check in," said Mendelsohn, who notes that this approach is more common in Asia, the global leader in smart phone applications. "Kiosks won't go away. They are deployed at check-in all over the country. If you want to go anywhere any time soon you will use them.".