Airlines: passenger check-in methods worldwide 2015-2021

In a 2018 survey, representatives from the airline industry expected the popularity of in-person check-in desks would decline; predicting only 26 percent of passengers would use this method to check-in to their flight in 2020. This is a decrease from the 50 percent of passengers who used check-in desks in 2018. Conversely, over this time period, the share of passengers using mobile phone apps to check-in was predicted to increase from 11 percent to 28 percent.

Reasons to prefer online check-in

There are a variety of reasons that both passengers and airlines may prefer online check-in through either a web browser or mobile phone. For passengers, it is usually quicker as they do not need to wait longer in lines at the airport – something that the vast majority of passengers are adverse to for obvious reasons. Online check-in is also preferable for airlines as it is cheaper, saving on airport, labor and printing costs. This is important as despite recent increases in the size of the global airline industry, airline operating profits have been falling, making cost saving measures important.

Reasons for using online check-in

The reasons behind why travelers check-in to their flight online are influenced by more than just personal preference. A survey of airline travelers found that passengers flying with checked baggage were much more likely to use in-person ticket counters than passengers without checked baggage, who preferred to check-in online via a web browser or phone. There is also the effect of airline policies designed to promote certain check-in methods, for example the cost charged by some low-cost carriers to use check-in desks.