Welcome to the airport of the future: bag tagging and boarding attendant not included
Skift Take
Frequent fliers may happily breeze through airports' new self-tagging baggage systems and self-boarding gates, but airline employees are worried where they'll end up after the cost-cutting technology become commonplace.
Airlines are laying the groundwork for the next big step in the increasingly automated airport experience: a trip from the curb to the plane without interacting with a single airline employee.
For years, travelers have been checking in online or at airport kiosks, and more recently, airlines have converted paper boarding passes into electronic ones. Now carriers are turning to technology that enables travelers to check their own bags and scan those boarding passes—but not always without snags.
Up Next
Airlines
How Airlines are Redefining Premium Travel with Customizable and Personalized Experiences
As the airline industry adapts to evolving traveler expectations, premium cabins coupled with personalized experiences have become essential tools for driving loyalty and revenue. Airlines are turning to digital innovation and sustainable practices to redefine the premium travel experience and meet the needs of diverse customers.
Sponsored 
Airlines
Lufthansa Group Shakes Up Eurowings Fleet with 40 New 737 Max
Low-cost airlines usually strive for efficiency and standardization to reduce costs. The arrival of Boeing jets at Eurowings muddies the waters but should reap longer-term benefits.
Hotels
Trump's Return: Hoteliers Eye Tax Cuts and Worker Visas
Policy on taxes and worker visas are top of mind for many hoteliers as they anticipate what the second Trump administration might accomplish.
Online Travel
Agoda Launches Sustainable Tourism Fund: What It Means for Southeast Asia's Small Businesses
Agoda’s Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund holds promise for small businesses in Southeast Asia’s tourism sector, but with greenwashing concerns on the rise, its impact depends on transparency and measurable outcomes
Tourism
TikTok Begins Restoring U.S. Access Ahead of Trump Inauguration
TikTok got a reprieve. Travel industry social media marketers and creators are breathing a sigh of relief... for now.