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ORLANDO, Fla. - Named one of the "worst airports in the country," Orlando International Airport is trying to drastically reduce its check-in time with a new addition from Spirit Airlines.
Spirit debuted a brand-new bag drop machine that should take 70 seconds to get someone checked in, the airline said in a news release. It also lets travelers get to security faster since they don't have to work directly with an agent.
Currently at MCO, Spirit checks in up to 8,000 bags a day. The new machines will reduce time spent at bag check by 30%, according to the news release.
Orlando is the latest airport to use Spirit's biometric photo-matching system; it's already up and running in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Nineteen new machines were unveiled at MCO this week as part of Spirit's celebration of 30 years of service in Orlando, the company said. It's the airline's largest set-up of its kind at any airport.
Photo: Spirit Airlines
"We've grown to become largest ultra-low-fare carrier at MCO, and adding this convenient, self-service option is a significant investment that gives our Guests more control over their journey while spending less time in the lobby," said Mike Byrom, Spirit's VP of airports and crew services.
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How the bag drop machines work
Spirit's bag drop machines are equipped with biometric photo-matching capability that compares your ID with a photo of the traveler for verification.
MCO is currently going through a testing period where an agent will manually check your ID before trying the biometric system, the airline said. Once the testing period is over, travelers will no longer need to show their ID to an agent when checking their bags in. It remains unclear at this time when the testing period will end.
Here's how it works:
- Check in at the kiosk
- Tag your own bag
- Proceed to the self-bag drop machine
- Scan your boarding pass
- Scan your ID
- The machine then compares the photo ID scan with a facial scan and compares ID information with your flight details
- Once the match is successful, put your bag on the conveyor belt attached to the machine (which scans the bag, weighs it and accepts payment for any additional services)
- Your work here is done! Bags are then sent to the airport's checked baggage system
Spirit said none of the data is shared with any government agencies. Travelers can opt out of the biometric photo-matching technology and work with an agent instead.