Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian's president and CEO, commented, "Hawaiian is bringing a dramatic transformation to the check-in process at our Honolulu hub that Hawaii's residents and visitors alike will find to be a faster, easier and superior experience. We have made it a priority to provide a standard of service that leads the airline industry and this new lobby design is a quantum leap forward from the traditional check-in process that travelers are used to."
The redesigned lobby will be striking in appearance and the results will be immediate in reducing wait times for customers – especially during peak traffic periods. Hawaiian is removing its traditional ticket counter lobby configuration at Honolulu International Airport and replacing it with six circular, check-in "islands" in the middle of Hawaiian's two check-in lobbies in Terminal 2 at the airport, four in Lobby 2 and two in Lobby 3.
Each check-in island features eight, agent-assisted, self-service check-in stations that can be used to check in for any scheduled interisland, mainland or international flight on Hawaiian.
The innovative, free-flowing floor plan eliminates one of three check-in steps and also removes the limitation of having designated queues for various destinations, meaning customers entering the lobby will be able to go to any of the new 48 self-service check-in stations that are available, cutting peak period wait times by up to 75 percent.
Each check-in station will be equipped with state-of-the art technology that allows customers to complete the check-in process for their flight, including the weighing of luggage, payment of any fees for upgrades and other services, and printing of destination luggage tags with assistance from Hawaiian's customer service agents.
Customers will then place their checked luggage onto a single conveyor belt for inline U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection, TSA screening and loading onto their flight.
This new process will eliminate the current requirement to have luggage being checked to destinations outside Hawaii pre-screened by USDA before starting the check-in process.
Hawaiian's new lobby design also provides designated service areas that will give customers a place to re-pack their luggage and carry-on items if necessary, or to receive additional assistance from Hawaiian's customer service agents.
With the removal of the existing ticket counters, Hawaiian's customers will have more control over their check-in process, and its customer service agents will be free to move about the lobbies and provide more personal assistance alongside customers checking in for their flights.
The new design is the result of two years of industry research and motion studies conducted by Hawaiian to find a solution to long lines and bottlenecks during busy periods and speed up the check-in process.
Hawaiian expects to complete the $6-million self-funded transformation of both lobbies in June.
