Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport tries self-service luggage check-ins

by Jeffrey White on

Anybody who has been to Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport knows that it is a pretty hectic place. O.K., not Heathrow hectic, but depart there at the wrong time and it’s not fun.

Well, Schiphol authorities are now experimenting with self-service baggage checks in an effort to cut down on waiting times. In conjunction with Dutch carrier KLM, this trial, launched yesterday, gives passengers who have checked-in using a self-service kiosk or online to drop off their bags at a machine, Reuters reports.

Travelers then scan their boarding passes; the machine weighs their luggage, prints out the routing slip which travelers will then attach themselves.

Of course, there is some room for wrongdoing, authorities acknowledge. Right now, they are performing random passenger screening, checking passports to make sure their baggage belongs to them. In the future, the new machine will have the ability to scan passports much like self-service check-in kiosks can.

Authorities also say that bags self-checked will still go through the usual security screening.

A KLM spokesperson tells Reuters that the current six month trial of this machine is the first such test run in the world.

Heathrow: Still Europe’s worst

by Iva Skoch on

I wonder whether they should just tear down Heathrow and build a new airport from scratch. Heathrow consistently gets the worst ratings among airports. And with competition such as the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, that’s saying a lot.

According to the latest statistics published by the Association of European Airlines, nearly half of flights left or arrived at Heathrow at least 15 minutes late during the first three months of the year, Telegraph reports. Not only was Heathrow rated as the worst of the 27 airports in the survey, but this was the 16th quarter in succession that it was rated among the poorest five performers.

Heathrow suffered particularly badly with air traffic control delays, which were responsible for 15.3 percent of flights arriving late. Loading and handling at Heathrow was also bad, being cited as the key factor in 11.1 percent of planes’ delayed departure.

Even with the new Terminal 5, Heathrow just can’t win.

LAX employees march and protest against — LAX

by Grant Martin on

Think your airport sucks? It’s ok, most people don’t like their local airports. But you’re in a pretty sad state of affairs when even the employees that work at that airport think it sucks.

That’s what’s been going on at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) recently. Employees, union members and even J D Power and Associates notables have been marching around the terminals protesting the state of the airport and the industry.

I can see where they’re coming from with regard to the airport — Terminal 2, where I spend most of my time is a run down shell of a terminal, where amenities are few, gates are crowded and dirty and a combo meal at Burger King can cost up to twelve dollars.

Just earlier this week, local Los Angeles news reported that there were over a thousand people in line over at Terminal 1.

With regard to their qualms with the industry, I’m not sure if they have much traction. Airlines are cutting back in all facets of the business, including, I’m sure, employee staffing. Any time layoffs and superfluous cost cutting are involved, employees are going to be unhappy.

Luckily, none of this ruckus seems to be (further) affecting airport operations — as of this afternoon, the FAA isn’t reporting any significant delays.

Where is America’s most on-time airport?

by Anna Brones on

Flight delays, baggage complications and tight seating; flying isn’t really on anyone”s list of favorites anymore. But because the state of airline and airport affairs is so mediocre, whenever you have a good experience there is a sense of elation; “My plane landed on time?!?!? Great!” That feeling is a whole lot better than knowing that you’ll be flying into one of the world’s most delayed airports.

If you want to plan your flying schedules around the airports that are known for getting their jets in and out in a timely fashion — so you can actually stick to your travel schedule — where should you go? MSNBC posted an article today with America’s top 15 most on-time airports. Here are the top five with their percentage of on time flights:

  1. Honolulu International, 84.3%
  2. Kahului, 84.2%
  3. Portland International, 81.8%
  4. Salt Lake City International, 81.1%
  5. Albuquerque International, 81%

Check out the other ten here and then book accordingly.

Thanks Emma!

Denver group trying to allow pot smoking in airport lounges

by Grant Martin on

Denver recently approved a measure making possession of a small amount of marijuana legal, so the next logical step in opening places in which to smoke the reefer was obviously Denver International Airport. That’s what a group of activists called Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) are trying to do.

Their argument is that it’s a great alternative to drinking at the airport, which often leads to stress, passengers flipping out and causing a ruckus aboard aircraft — things that we seem to report on weekly here at Gadling.

To that end I suppose they have a point, but for the fact that pot is still illegal on the state and federal levels, under which persons possessing can still be prosecuted.

However, in the farcical world where all good intentions lead to results, I can see a brave new world where passengers happily pile into a plane with zero legroom, no overhead space and 12$ soft drinks, happy as cows grazing in a pasture where children don’t cry and nobody cares if they can’t open their laptop on postage-stamp sized tray tables. Food sales onboard would skyrocket, complaints would plummet and the flight attendants would hug you instead of asking you to return your seat back to its upright and locked position.

The airlines should get behind this legislation immediately.