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A new way of doing things at Orlando International Airport is easing the stress of checking in for flights dramatically, making the difficult flight back home after an exciting trip to Central Florida a little less difficult for travelers.
Credit: SeaWorld Orlando/Disney Parks/Universal Studios/Canva
New bag-drop machines at Orlando International Airport aim to significantly reduce the time it takes for passengers to check in before a flight. The new machines are currently operating in a testing period, and once testing is complete, the new process will allow certain Disney World Guests and other travelers to check in for their flights in under 70 seconds. The new machines allow travelers to get to the TSA security checkpoints faster because they don’t have to wait for an agent to help them when they use the new machines.
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Per a news release on Wednesday, 19 machines were unveiled at Orlando International this week, which use “biometric photo-matching” technology, something already in use at other major airports like Atlanta Hartsfield International, Chicago/O’Hare International, Dallas/Ft. Worth International, and LAX:
Guests can now breeze through check-in at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with the addition of an award-winning self-bag drop with biometric photo-matching.
Self-bag drop allows Guests to check bags directly without working with an agent. Spirit’s machines are also equipped with biometric photo-matching capability that compares a scan of government-issued identification with a photo of the Guest for verification. Following an initial testing period at MCO with both manual ID check and biometric opt-in, the solution will eliminate the need to hand government-issued identification to an agent when checking baggage.
The only drawback is that the new machines are only for the use of passengers with travel booked with Spirit Airlines. The new machines were installed as part of Spirit’s 30th anniversary in Orlando.
Today we celebrated our friends @SpiritAirlines for their 30th anniversary at our airport. 💛 They currently service over 50 destinations to/from MCO, connecting thousands of travelers daily. pic.twitter.com/iErA6xcBWJ
— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) June 13, 2023
“We’ve grown to become the 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, Vice President of Airports & Crew Services for Spirit Airlines. “We thank the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority for their partnership as we celebrate 30 years in this community, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide More Go for travelers to enjoy all that Orlando has to offer.”
Credit: Press release photos/Spirit Airlines
At MCO, Spirit Airlines passengers check as many as 8,000 bags each day. The new self-drop machines will reduce the time those passengers spend at baggage check by as much as 30%.
Spirit Airlines has a growing presence at MCO. Currently, Spirit offers service from the Orlando airport to more than 50 different destinations–39 domestic and 11 international. MCO is home to Spirit Airlines’ flight attendant training centers, as well as one of its operations control centers. MCO is also home to one of Spirit’s largest pilot and flight attendant crew bases.
Credit: Press release photos/Spirit Airlines
So, How Do They Work?
The new machines aim to make check-in a breeze using biometric photo-matching capabilities that compare a passenger’s ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) with a photo of the passenger. The technology is a new way to verify the identity of passengers, and it’s simple to use. Here’s how the machines work:
A traveler first checks in at the kiosk before tagging his own bags. Then he proceeds to the self-drop machine to scan his boarding pass. Next, he’ll scan his photo ID. At that point, the machine then compares the photo ID with a scan of the passenger and compares identification information with the passenger’s flight details.
Credit: Press release photos/Spirit Airlines
Once the match is successful, the passenger then places his bag on the conveyor belt connected to the self-drop machine, which scans the bag, weighs it, and accepts payments for any additional services rendered. The bag is then sent to the airport’s checked baggage system. That’s it!
