Airport Check-in: Atlanta leads in Web, kiosk use; new at JFK
— -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world's busiest airport, has the highest percentage of travelers using self-service technology, according to a survey released last week by aviation technology company SITA.
The survey is based on interviews with more than 2,000 passengers at some of the world's leading airports, including Atlanta; Mumbai, India; Charles de Gaulle Paris; Moscow Domodedovo; São Paulo Guarulhos; and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Atlanta had the highest percentage of customers — 56.2% — using kiosks and the Web to check in. That compares with a weighted average of 36% for all airports.
In Atlanta, 73.4% of passengers said they booked that day's flight online compared with the nearest rivals, Mumbai at 61.7% and Charles de Gaulle at 52.6%. The weighted average among the six airports was 57.6%.
Atlanta has consistently been ahead of other airports in the three annual surveys to date.
In 2006, the self-service check-in rate at Atlanta was 38% on the day of the survey. In 2007, it was 41%.
Atlanta passengers also reported the highest preference rate, at 79%, for online booking when available.
NEW YORK
Wednesday is opening day for JetBlue's new terminal
JetBlue's new $800 million Terminal 5 at New York John F. Kennedy International will open on Wednesday. It has 26 gates and can handle 500 daily departures and arrivals, almost double the airline's current 270 flights at JFK. Among new features: a 20-lane security checkpoint, 55,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, free Wi-Fi, a children's play area and a 1,500-space parking garage.
LONDON
Air France drops Heathrow-LAX route
Citing "the present economic and financial crisis," Air France said that next month it will drop its London Heathrow-Los Angeles International service, which was launched when the European Union-U.S. open skies agreement became effective earlier this year.
Air France will reassign the aircraft to the New York John F. Kennedy-London Heathrow route and increase its frequency from two to three flights a day next summer. Two flights will be operated by Delta and one by Air France.
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