News

Kiosk traffic on rise for Continental

February 21, 2002

HOUSTON - Despite a slowdown in travel caused in large part by the events of Sept. 11, Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) on Jan. 2 reported that its line of check-in kiosks continued a gradual ascent during December.

More than 650,000 domestic travelers used Continental's eService Centers during December to set a company record. The 607 eService kiosks are located at 92 airports throughout the United States.

Continental officials said traffic has nearly doubled at the kiosks during the past year, more than matching the company's expansion from 332 kiosks to its current deployment. More than 40 percent of flyers are now using the service where it is available.

"Since the events of Sept. 11, Continental has looked at several ways to expedite the check-in process to help offset the additional time needed for security checks," Larry Kellner, Continental president, said in a news release. "(Our kiosks) provide fast and convenient check-in for customers who want more control over their check-in experience, while allowing our agents to interact more with customers."

Continental's kiosk system allows travelers to obtain a boarding pass, select a seat assignment, and check frequent-flyer information. The airline has plans to add an Internet component to the service during 2002.