Check-in system for traveling passengers
A system and method for checking in ship-board passengers and their baggage for an airline flight includes issuing a valet receipt for the passenger prior to baggage check-in, to be replaced by the airline bag tag when the passenger is ready to hand over bags to baggage handling personnel.
1 . A method for checking in a passenger from a first mode of transportation to a second mode of transportation, comprising:
inputting passenger information and check-in request into an information input system located a distance away from the departure location of the second mode of transportation;
transmitting the input passenger information and the check-in request to a remote computer located a distance away from the departure location of the second mode of transportation;
transmitting the input passenger information and check-in request from the remote computer to a transportation network;
transmitting the input passenger information and check-in request to a host computer connected to the transportation network; and
receiving a response from the host computer, at the information input system.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
translating the input passenger information and the check-in request into a format understandable by the host computer.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
issuing a valet receipt for at least one item belonging to the passenger.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transportation network is an aviation network, and the host computer is an airline host computer.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the valet receipt is printed by the information input system.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
translating the response from the host computer into a format understandable by the remote computer; and
transmitting the translated response to the remote computer.
7 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
exchanging the valet receipt for a bag tag when the passenger provides the at least one item to a baggage service system.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
reconciling a number of items provided to the baggage service system with a number of items expected based on the input passenger information and the check-in request.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one of canceling a bag tag request and requesting an additional bag tag based on the reconciling step.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving boarding pass information from the host computer, by the remote computer.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
printing out a boarding pass and a bag tag for the passenger and the at least one item belonging to the passenger, when the passenger provides the at least one item to the baggage service system.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote computer is located on board a ship.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the input information is transmitted from the remote computer to the transportation network via a satellite.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information input system comprises at least one of a self-service kiosk, a baggage service system, an interactive voice response system and an intelligent television channel.
15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
providing at least one item to a baggage service system;
printing out a boarding pass and a bag tag at the baggage service system when the at least one item has been provided to the baggage service system; and
affixing the bag tag to the at least one item.
16 . An apparatus for checking in a passenger for passage on a mode of transportation, comprising:
an information input system located at a site a distance away from a departure location of the mode of transportation, for inputting check-in information;
a baggage service system located at a site a distance away from the departure location of the mode of transportation, for obtaining item information and for securing at least one of the passenger's items; and
a remote computer in communication with a transportation network, for transmitting the check-in information and item information to the transportation network.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the transportation network is an aviation network.
18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the baggage service system further comprises:
a bag tag reconciler for reconciling a number of items input as check-in information with the number of items secured by the baggage service system.
19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the baggage service system further comprises:
a bag tag printer; and
a boarding pass printer.
20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the transportation network provides communications pathways between host computers belonging to different airlines.
21 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the information input system further comprises:
a valet receipt printer.
22 . The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a transportation systems manager which manages communications between host computers communicating on the transportation network.
23 . The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the remote computer transmits check-in information and item information to the transportation systems manager.