Malaysia Airlines Installs World's First iPad Check-In Kiosks

[Maura]

​

Engadget reports that Malaysia Airlines is now using self check-in kiosks with iPads installed. So far it only has five kiosks set up at its Kuala Lumpur sales office, but doubtless that number will grow if it proves to be a popular service. Swiss transport communications and IT solutions company SITA Lab has supplied Malaysia Airlines with an adapted form of its MHmobile iPhone app to enable them to use the iPad in the kiosks.

Of course, this is not the first time a touch screen kiosk has been used in such a way, but it is the first time that iPads have been used in such a way by an airline.

Possibly the best thing about this whole story, is the comment on the You Tube page from one of the anti-Apple brigade who says he will now purposely not travel on Malaysia Airlines because they’re using the iPad!

Source: Engadget

 

[Maura]

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/54XwvJPO5KY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/54XwvJPO5KY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

 

[Temp40]

seems iPad's are showing up everywhere these days, funny how only a few months ago there were so many critics who thought the iPad would have no impact on anything, now Apple is selling an iPad every 2 seconds and the potential uses for this amazing device are endless

 

[LilyThomas]

Installing kiosks at airports are becoming very popular these past few years with airlines to help alleviate the check in lines. Malaysia Airlines is definitely the pioneer to many other airlines who haven't install the kiosks yet.

 

[Kaykaykay]

All the airlines that I fly use touch screens for check-in already, AFAIK. Whether it's an iPad or another touch screen doesn't matter to me, as long as it works, lol.

Mostly, I check in on iPad (my own), unless I'm away from home and the airline doesn't allow a digital boarding pass, in which case I use their touch screen only because I need to print a boarding pass.

 

[AQ_OC]

All the airlines that I fly use touch screens for check-in already, AFAIK. Whether it's an iPad or another touch screen doesn't matter to me, as long as it works, lol.

Mostly, I check in on iPad (my own), unless I'm away from home and the airline doesn't allow a digital boarding pass, in which case I use their touch screen only because I need to print a boarding pass.

Supposedly this new passbook app will let you store boarding passes and other stuff on your phone and use them from there. That will be useful.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Supposedly this new passbook app will let you store boarding passes and other stuff on your phone and use them from there. That will be useful.

Yes, depends on airline and airport participation, so I'm guessing it will be useful in some places and not others. What I've on recent travels: It's still better to have a printed copy, because even airports with scanners for digital boarding passes seem to have a limited number, and sometimes they're on the fritz or not on. So it can actually slow you down to be all digital for now. Eventually, the tipping point will be reached, but not fast enough for my preferences.

 

[Kaykaykay]

This story might be of interest given this thread's topic:

Apple's secret plan to join iPhones with airport security - CNN.com

 

[AQ_OC]

This story might be of interest given this thread's topic:

Apple's secret plan to join iPhones with airport security - CNN.com

I sort of have mixed feeling. One the one hand, it is cool tech that can improve our quality of life. On the other hand, it is so easy to lose a cell phone...or have it hacked. The more it can do, the more of a target it will become. Yeah, some people have plans to get rich from this, but it is not always clear if/when/how we all benefit from such tech.

 

[Kaykaykay]

I sort of have mixed feeling. One the one hand, it is cool tech that can improve our quality of life. On the other hand, it is so easy to lose a cell phone...or have it hacked. The more it can do, the more of a target it will become. Yeah, some people have plans to get rich from this, but it is not always clear if/when/how we all benefit from such tech.

I agree. That's why I'm not keen to use NFC on my phone, for instance. The phone is going to a bigger and bigger target for criminals the more we load onto it. That's cyber criminals as well as the IRL kind, lol.