Airport Passenger-Related Processing Rates Guidebook (2009)

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6C H A P T E R 2 This chapter provides an overview of the most common passenger-related processes that occur at an airport. Each process is described, and emerging trends are briefly considered. 2.1 Passenger-Related Processes: Overview Exhibit 2-1 illustrates the general flow of passengers and their bags through the airport termi- nal environment. While this Guidebook addresses a number of factors pertinent to airport plan- ning, emphasis is on the five primary passenger-related functions defined in Phase 1 of this study. These are the following: 1. Passenger check-in and ticketing (i.e., obtaining a boarding pass and checking bags); 2. Passenger security screening (i.e., the security screening of passengers and carry-ons); 3. Federal Inspection Services (FIS) (i.e., processes routinely conducted by U.S. Customs and Bor- der Protection (USCBP) on passengers and bags as they enter the U.S.); 4. Baggage claim (i.e., the transferring of bags from aircraft and displaying them at a claim device for passenger pickup); and 5. Enplaning/Deplaning (i.e., the loading and unloading of passengers and bags from aircraft). This chapter includes a relatively high-level overview of each process and issues pertinent to research on passenger rates. The intent is to help provide a context for those with varying degrees of familiarity with the environment within which processing-rate research is conducted. Chapter 7 is focused on the practice of data collection and contains a number of specific recommendations related to each process. Exhibit 2-1 summarizes the general processes for departing passengers. 2.2 Check-in and Ticketing Process 2.2.1 Introduction The check-in process comprises two primary functions: obtaining a boarding pass and “drop- ping off” any checked bags intended for transport in the belly hold of the aircraft. A number of sub-functions might also be executed during the check-in process, including reserving/changing seats, obtaining upgrades, and presenting appropriate documents for international travel. This section briefly describes several dimensions relevant to the check-in and ticketing process, and presents an overview of recent and emerging trends related to this process. Exhibit 2-2 shows a typical domestic passenger check-in process. The initial decision upon reaching the terminal hinges on whether a passenger has already checked in for his or her flight. A passenger’s fare class, number of checked bags, and travel itinerary (i.e., domestic or international) also affects how he or she is processed. Given that the flow-chart permits several alternative sequences, the order in which each dimension is described is somewhat arbitrary. Passenger-Related Processes Overview

Passenger-Related Processes Overview 7 Exhibit 2-1. Generalized airport passenger process (departing passengers). Purchase Ticket Obtain Boarding Pass Clear Security Screening Use Restrooms Purchase Concessions Board Aircraft Load Onto Carts Travel to Aircraft Loaded Onto Aircraft Travel to Gate Passengers Checked Bags Checked Bags? Clear Bag Screening Enter Terminal Area On-line Check-in? Proceed to Passenger Security Ckpt No Yes Coach Check-in/ Bag Check/ Drop Bag at Counter Coach 1st/Biz Coach/ 1st/Biz Class? Kiosk Agent Checked Bags? Yes No Curbside Check-in? No Yes Enter Check-in Area Curbside Check-in Kiosk/ Agent? CheckedBags? No Yes Check in at express Kiosks Check in at Full-service Kiosks 1st/Biz Check-in/ Bag Check/ Use Bag Check Kiosk Exhibit 2-2. Domestic passenger check-in process. 2.2.2 Check-In Method All passengers must check in for their flight, which, at a minimum requires obtaining a board- ing pass. Today, a significant number of passengers have already checked in for their flights elec- tronically prior to reaching the terminal. Often, these passengers will bypass the airline ticketing/check-in hall and proceed directly to the security checkpoint. Passengers who have not previously checked in can do so at the curb with the assistance of a skycap (this is a common check-in method for passengers with bags to check). Other passengers may decide to use a self- serve kiosk or visit an airline agent at the counter. 2.2.3 Number of Checked Bags Another relevant aspect of check-in is the process of checking bags. Typically, when an esti- mate of the number of bags checked is relevant to the research, a member of the study team

counts the number of bags placed on a bag well at a staffed check-in counter. The agent then tags the bag(s) with a bag tag, lacing it either on a take-away belt or returning it to the passenger to be conveyed to a TSA screening area in the check-in lobby. 2.2.4 Fare Class Airlines frequently provide separate check-in facilities for different classes of passengers (e.g., first class, business class, frequent fliers, etc.), although implementation varies considerably. Air- lines might establish a separate queue for these passengers who are taken by the next available agent (i.e., a separate counter/agent is not provided); alternatively, the airline might provide a separate queue and agent(s) restricted to serving only first class or business class passengers; or, in some instances, the airline might provide an entire check-in area for first-class or business class passen- gers, physically separated from the main check-in lobby to which coach class passengers are directed. Based on anecdotal evidence, there might be a difference between coach and first class processing rates, although this has not been rigorously tested. 2.2.5 Domestic vs. International Check-in can also be differentiated on the basis of whether the flight is classified as domestic or international. On average, international flight check-in takes longer than domestic check-in. In general, you can determine if passengers are domestic or international by observing the queue the passengers enter (assuming it is signed for international passengers), or by noting whether the passenger presents a passport. 2.2.6 Check-in and Ticketing: Recent Trends Historically, passengers were processed for flight check-in either at a ticket counter or at curb- side. The choice of where to check in was generally driven by itinerary (domestic or international) and class (first class or coach). The ticket counter was a central location for all functions: check-in, seat selection, boarding passes, and checking luggage. In the late 1990s, the check-in process began to change in substantial ways, driven by new technologies, as well as the airlines’ goals of process- ing passengers more efficiently and at a lower cost. Today, most passengers use some form of elec- tronic check-in (either checking in online or using a self-serve kiosk at an airport or a remote location). The check-in process continues to evolve in response to three principal objectives: • Increasing decentralized services, • Providing more disaggregated services, and • Enhancing customized services. 2.2.7 Check-in Decentralization Check-in decentralization is typified by the airlines’ introduction of self-serve kiosks at non- traditional locations within an airport (for example, in parking garages, at the curb, or on the con- course). In addition to increasing customer convenience, adding kiosks in remote locations also reduces congestion in the check-in lobby. The emergence of online check-in redefines decentral- ization beyond the physical limits of an airport. Passengers are now able to check-in at remote locations. For example, passengers can check in for return flights while checking in at their origin airport for their outbound flight (provided that it is within 24 hours of the outbound trip). 2.2.8 Check-in Disaggregation Disaggregation refers to the separation of activities during check-in. For example, even if pas- sengers obtain their boarding pass off-airport or at an airport kiosk, they must still interact with 8 Airport Passenger-Related Processing Rates Guidebook

Passenger-Related Processes Overview 9 an agent to drop off checked bags. While the separation of these two activities (passenger check- in and baggage check-in) reduces staffing requirements and helps expedite the overall process, it complicates data collection. 2.2.9 Check-in Customization Technology has given passengers more options. For example, passengers might select express kiosks if they are not checking bags or a full service kiosk if they are checking bags. Another exam- ple is the installation of flush-mounted kiosks at counters. When a counter is so equipped, agents can offer varying degrees of customer assistance depending on a passenger’s level of experience and the complexity of an individual transaction. From a data collection standpoint, this trend has blurred the distinction between “self-serve” and “traditional full-serve” service. An emerging example of customization is the potential use of electronic boarding passes, cur- rently being tested by Continental Airlines and TSA. By displaying a bar code on a cell phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), passengers can enter security checkpoints and board aircraft without having to handle a paper boarding pass. Should this technology be broadly adopted, the number of passengers visiting the ticketing lobby will likely decrease. Other examples of emerging customization include the following: • Common-use-self-service (CUSS) kiosks, which are more often found outside the United States, are becoming more popular domestically. • Check-in at hotels—printing boarding passes at hotels. • Roving agents with carts and hand-held devices who can check in customers. • International online check-in. 2.3 Passenger Security Screening While the check-in and ticketing process is focused on efficiently processing people and bag- gage onto an aircraft, security screening is concerned with reducing potential safety threats and doing so with maximum efficiency. As shown in Exhibit 2-3, two types of entities are processed concurrently in the security screen- ing phase: passengers and their belongings. Prior to stepping through a metal detector, passengers enter a divesting area where they place their carry-on items on a feed belt that transports the items through an x-ray machine. Upon clearing the metal detector and entering the secure side of the airport, passengers step toward a composure area to collect their belongings. Should an alarm sound or a suspicious item be observed, the passenger and/or his/her belongings would move to Bench ETDDivesting Metal Detector X-ray X-ray ETD Tables Divesting Tables Wanding Composure Area Composure Area Exhibit 2-3. Passenger security screening process.

a secondary screening area. At this location, passengers would be “wanded” with a portable metal detector, and/or their bags would be hand inspected or be further analyzed with trace detection procedures. The overall capacity of a checkpoint is determined by the slower of these two processes. At a typical checkpoint during a busy period, for example, the walk-through metal detector is unused while the adjoining belt, transporting personal effects and carry-on items through the x-ray machine, is functioning continuously, or operating at capacity. Overall security screening checkpoint capacity is measured by counting the number of passen- gers going through a metal detector during a period of constant demand (i.e., when there is a queue). Screening of carry-on baggage includes x-raying/scanning, trace detection, and hand inspection. For passengers, screening is done during the initial walk through the metal detector (or explosive detection trace portal), “wanding,” and pat-downs. Both the security protocols and technologies are continually evolving at the checkpoint, and passenger response to these changes is ongoing as well. People screened at a checkpoint might potentially be classified in one or more ways. For exam- ple, they could be categorized as airport employees, airline employees, or passengers. Unless these pedestrian types have their own screening lanes, it is often difficult to classify pedestrians by type. Further complicating matters is that some people in the employee line are actually non- revenue passengers, and when these groups are mixed, it is nearly impossible to assign a specific process time. 2.4 Federal Inspection Services (FIS) Passengers arriving at an airport from an international destination are generally processed at an FIS facility.1 In 2003, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Customs func- tions, as well as the functions of some other agencies, were combined into Customs and Border Protection (CBP) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Exhibit 2-4 illustrates the general FIS process. Typically, passengers entering the U.S. go directly to the FIS inspection area upon deplaning. There, passengers submit travel documents for review by a CBP agent (passport control). Visitors are also photographed and finger- scanned. Concurrent with passenger inspection, international passengers’ luggage is offloaded and trans- ported to baggage claim devices within the FIS. Some passengers may undergo additional pro- cessing at a CBP agent’s request. After processing, passengers typically retrieve their luggage and proceed to a CBP agent for customs processing. At this stage, passengers present forms they have completed pertaining to items being brought into the U.S. This step in the process may involve bag inspection or payment of a duty. Finally, upon exiting the FIS, passengers may be re-screened prior to entering the domestic portion of the terminal. Data collection for FIS processing includes such elements as inspection throughput rates, bag inspection demand and processing rate differences based on factors such as party size, and so forth. 10 Airport Passenger-Related Processing Rates Guidebook 1 Passengers arriving from several Canadian cities, Caribbean locations, and Shannon, Ireland, can be “pre-cleared” at the ori- gin city and do not need to pass through an FIS in the United States.

Passenger-Related Processes Overview 11 2.5 Baggage Claim The baggage claim process typically varies by the size and activity levels of airports. At smaller airports, for example, baggage delivery is done “through the wall.” At larger airports, bags are often transported from the aircraft and offloaded onto baggage claim devices for passenger retrieval. In general, the farther a bag has to travel between the arriving aircraft and the baggage claim device, the longer it will take for a bag to appear at the carousel. A less obvious phe- nomenon is that for airlines performing hub operations at an airport, priority often appears to be given to baggage intended for connecting flights. As a result, delivery of local bags might be delayed. The key items typically observed at bag claim include bag feed rates onto the carousel, number of bags that can be presented on a carousel, and number of passengers in the active claim area. 2.6 Passenger Enplaning/Deplaning Rates A key factor influencing operational efficiency is passenger enplaning and deplaning rates (i.e., the time needed for passenger boarding and offloading, respectively). These rates are influenced by a number of factors including airline pre-boarding practice; boarding technology (e.g., loading bridge, air stairs, mobile lounge); aircraft type and configuration (seat layout, number of aisles, aisle width, door positioning and width, and number of doors, amount of overhead space); and passen- ger mix (party sizes and make up, number and size of carry-ons, etc.). These variables may be used to identify strata to help isolate their impact on passenger enplaning and deplaning rates. As reflected in Exhibit 2-5, a flight’s overall turn time—the time between an aircraft’s arrival at a gate and its pushback from the gate—is influenced by other activities including unloading Enter FIS Primary Inspection (Formerly Immigration) Documents In Order? Secondary Inspection Have Checked Bags? NoYes Enter Dom. Portion of Terminal Retrieve Checked Bags Baggage Inspection (Formerly Customs) Inspection Req’d? Yes No No Yes Agriculture/ Customs Inspection Domestic Security Screening In Transit? Proceed to In Transit Lounge YesNo Exhibit 2-4. General FIS process (passengers).

and loading luggage, fueling the aircraft, servicing the aircraft (e.g., cabin cleaning, galley ser- vicing), and pre-flighting the aircraft, etc. 2.7 Concessions A good concessions program can help enhance customer service while also providing a poten- tially significant source of income for airports. The long-term trend is for an increasing share of an airport’s total square-footage to be allocated for concessions. The following three factors appear to be driving this phenomenon. 1. Airlines are increasingly cutting-back on amenities, such as in-flight meals, as part of a ticket charge. 2. The average trip length has increased, increasing the likelihood that passengers will purchase food in the terminal for in-flight consumption. 3. Finally, largely in response to increased security measures, passengers are allocating more time at airports prior to their scheduled departure which, in turn, increases the time they have for visiting concessions. Exhibit 2-6 lists some common types of concessions that can found at airports. Smaller air- ports may only feature vending machines, while mid-sized airports might have snack food con- cessions and newsstand/gift shops. Large international airports will also have the greatest variety of concessions, including duty free shops and currency exchange. While attention usually focuses on customer service and expenditures, concession activity can still be examined from the perspective of a process (e.g., efficiency and layout). 2.8 Restrooms Terminal restroom facilities have become more crowded as aircraft size and passenger loads have increased. And while demand for air travel has increased overall, the percentage of women passengers has increased more rapidly. Given that many facilities were constructed when a dis- proportionate number of business travelers were male, female restroom demand might well exceed capacity, creating an extra burden on both facilities and female travelers. 12 Airport Passenger-Related Processing Rates Guidebook Exhibit 2-5. Typical aircraft turn time (Boeing 757-200 with 201 passengers). Passenger Transfer Cabin Cleaning Luggage Transfer (forward hold) Luggage Transfer (aft hold) DEPLANE ENPLANE UNLOAD UNLOAD LOAD LOAD TURN TIME (Minutes) Position/remove equipment (Mixed class interior) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Source: The Role of Computer Simulation in Reducing Airplane Turn Time, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group.

Passenger-Related Processes Overview 13 Members of the Research Team have collected temporal demand data (i.e., the number of peo- ple entering restroom facilities over a given time period); data on the amount of time people spend in restrooms (without being tied to a particular activity);2 as well as data on simultaneous demand (i.e., the number of people who want to use a particular type of fixture—urinals, stalls, and sinks—at any given moment in time). Chapter 7 includes suggestions for capturing rest- room use data. Food Services Sundries Vending Machines Snack Food/Coffee Counter Fast Food Restaurants Sit Down Restaurants Rental Car Shoeshine Post Office Business Service Center Bank/ATM Currency Exchange Airline Club Newsstand/Gift Shop Duty Free Specialty Retail Exhibit 2-6. Typical airport concessions. 2 The duration measurement began when a person entered a restroom and terminated when the same person exited the restroom.