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Woman v. Airline Ticket Kiosk
Author: Jeannie Walters
December 14, 2007
American Airlines Kiosks at LaGuardia Airport, NYC
While Chicago’s O’Hare Airport might be one of the busiest, New York’s LaGuardia has got to be one of the most chaotic — based on my experience on a recent busy Friday morning.
First, an aside, I couldn’t find a decent cup of coffee to save my life. What gives? Starbucks — please invade LaGuardia as you have everywhere else. Thanks!
I should mention that my mental state was not good. The previous night, I stayed at the worst hotel of my life for $350 per night (gotta love Manhattan) and I hadn’t had my usual morning cup of joe. Let’s just say I wasn’t a happy camper.
The check-in kiosk itself didn’t offend me. The airline industry has surpassed others in adopting self-service, so as a customer I find the whole process very intuitive. I like that I can start with any old credit card to identify myself, then we’re off to the races. I also like the brilliant cross-sell strategy I’ve seen lately — would you like to upgrade for a mere $110, Ms. Walters? Why, yes, sometimes at that moment I would. I know most people use self-service check-in whenever they can once they discover how quick and easy it really is.
Airports, however, weren’t designed for this. A mass of people waiting in line for agents blocked the marooned self-service kiosks. Most were occupied, so my travel companion and I waited for a free one. I was nervous we were in the wrong spot. I don’t like to cut people off or shove in front of my rightful place in line. I’m still not convinced we didn’t jump to the front, but it was nearly impossible to determine what was going on. Why not station an agent there to assist passengers as they attempt to find a free kiosk? I’ve seen this in other airports.
We checked baggage, which is always a little bit of a toss-up as far as experience goes. I’ve learned by now that once I check bags at the kiosk, my luggage tags and claim tickets print … somewhere. So we walked up to the counter, bypassing the hundred or so people waiting in line for a counter agent, and our names were called. But this part was chaos. Then we, of course, had to drag our luggage over to the security screeners.
Forget the kiosks — airports desperately need to examine the customer experience and redesign accordingly!
| Machine Tested | Usability Criteria | Score / Grade |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines Kiosk at LaGuardia Airport | Orientation / Wayfinding | B: There are few things simpler than checking in without luggage. The trick is when and how to check your baggage at a self-service kiosk. |
| Search / Help Features | c: Are there help options? What about some way to contact an employee? I’ve often wondered why airlines don’t incorporate a help button to notify an attendant. | |
| Legibility | A: No problems here. I only suggest highlighting some of the restrictions in fine print. | |
| Intuitiveness | A-: Few self-service options are as intuitive as this. Check-in, find seat, check baggage, print boarding pass. Ah yes … but where do I take my baggage? | |
| Ease of Use | A-: No problems here! |
Jeannie Factors:
Cleanliness — I can only imagine how many people use these kiosks on any given day. Ick.
Feeling Secure — It was crowded and bustling. I was worried about my bags. I was also aware of pulling out my credit card here. There is more to be done about this issue.
Convenience — Similar to other self-service options, the real convenience is in the shorter lines. It feels faster because you are more in control, but that doesn’t mean the actual process takes less time. The system for checking baggage definitely needs improvement.
Environmental Factors — This was by far the worst part of the experience. The lines made no sense, and nobody was there to guide travelers. The result was a mass of confused people. I noticed one man who obviously didn’t speak English as his first language who was very confused about the kiosks, the lines and his flight. Getting from the front door to our gate was chaotic. A helpful guide to assist people would do wonders. But the airport layout itself seems doomed.
