OIA pilot program gives passengers a new, faster way to check in

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando International Airport has put a service in place that will let passengers drop off their bags and check in for their flight long before they ever walk into the terminal.

On a slow day, OIA handles about 50,000 bags; on a busy day it can be more than baggage safety screeners can handle, airport officials said.

The pilot program being tested now allows passengers to drop off their luggage and pick up their boarding pass from counters set up in the parking garage.

“That way, it takes stress off the system (and) takes stress off of our staff down there working the system,” OIA director of operations Tom Draper said.

During the next year, OIA officials will keep track of the program and decide if it is something worth expanding from a couple counters to an operation that can handle all the passengers using the parking garage.

“If it’s something that the customer likes and it’s a benefit to the customer, it’s a benefit to the airport,” Draper said.

Cox Media Group