More than half of people taking a flight now check in online, according to London City Airport (LCY), which cites Dublin as its second busiest route.
Research conducted at the airport found that in June, 53 per cent of passengers had checked in online and printed their boarding pass at home or downloaded it to their mobile phone, up from 43 per cent the previous year.
Meanwhile, just 1 in 5 travellers (20 per cent) used a manned-check-in desk at the airport – a big drop compared to the same period last year when more than 1 in 3 sought (36 per cent) the reassurance of a member of staff handling check-in for them.
The airport claims the findings illustrate the impact of technology on the customer experience, the desire of some passengers to save time and the increased confidence of individuals in taking control of their journey without needing the reassurance of human interaction.
Declan Collier, CEO of London City Airport said: “These findings show that 4 out of 5 people catching a flight from London City Airport are now checking themselves in, whether online or via a self-service kiosk in the terminal.
“What really stands out to me is the obvious confidence travellers now have. You can provide all the technology money can buy, but your customers must want to use it. Much like shoppers using self-service check-out tills, or even self-service check-in booths at hotels, technology in travel and aviation is giving people choice – choice to own your journey and the processes needed to complete it. It is clear that air passengers have found the confidence to take control of their journey, save themselves time and do it their way in this digital age – a kind of digital DIY.”
Business travellers are the most likely to check-in online. Almost two thirds (61 per cent) of business passengers printed their boarding pass at home or downloaded to their mobile, compared to less than half (45 per cent) of leisure passengers.
