JetBlue today opened a new self-service check-in lobby at JFK’s terminal 5 today featuring over 70 interactive self-service kiosks. The area is certainly more spacious, infact, there is a 75% increase in space, with JetBlue crew members on hand to help out passengers.
The concept is inherently JetBlue. The contemporary lobby features clean lines and glowing surfaces and now feature redesigned Mint and Mosaic Check-in areas as part of the refurb.
It’s a technological mecca with hand-held scanners, bag tag printers and kiosk LED lighting that really come into play at night. It’s been a collaboration between the airline and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Gentler and Embross kiosk manufacturers.
The idea is simple, and being adopted by many carriers. It simplifies the check in process, and while slightly less personal, it means passengers who want to check-in without bags, can quickly and efficiently use a self-service kiosk without having to wait in line.
For those actually checking in bags, there is the added benefit that passengers feel like they are making progress with their check in, compared to waiting in a long queue before the initial parts of the process are complete.
It also helps for the airline to monitor loads and passengers boarding at the gates, as it allows the airline in real time, to monitor last minute check-ins and make informed calls on whether to accept late passengers, reducing delays and the impact on each aircraft’s rotation.
But most importantly, the design helps to reduce the stress levels of passengers who arrive at airports usually with heightened anxiety.
It’s a paired-back design for a check-in lobby, but the simplified airport signage is an emerging trend (such as Cathay Pacific‘s de-cluttering), where brands now talk to passengers with friendly, simple signs that help navigate rather than confuse the passenger experience.
TheDesignAir 