The idea of being able to save time by checking-in before you reach the airport and dropping your baggage at a ‘fast bag drop’ counter is appealing for passenger and airline alike.

Handled correctly, the bag drop desk can deliver huge benefits across the board, reducing queuing times for passengers, trimming staffing levels and freeing up terminal space.

However, the right technology and procedures must be in place or the bag drop area will fail to deliver, simply transferring queues across from the check-in desk.

The key to a well run bag drop is to make sure that the agent’s focus is kept firmly on accepting baggage, and that other irregular operations do not affect the speed and efficiency of this process. This can be partially achieved through training, but policing an operation that is using full service check-in desks to deliver a bag drop solution is difficult.

The new generation of self-service bag drop kiosks may help to address this, but can be expensive and inaccessible to the majority of airlines, leaving the cost conscious carrier with no alternative to the traditional check-in methods.

Damarel’s new SwiftBag application provides a much-needed middle ground, delivering a cost-effective alternative that makes use of the standard airline and CUTE equipment already in use. With no proprietary equipment required, the solution enables any operation, regardless of size, to provide effective fast bag drop services for their customers. A leading name in airport automation software, Damarel have used their industry knowledge and experience to develop a software solution that delivers the required benefits at a level accessible to all.

Designed to be easy to operate, and focused only on those operations necessary, Damarel’s SwiftBag helps the agent process passengers and their bags as quickly as possible. The intuitive touch-screen enabled interface provides a simple baggage registration screen that takes only seconds to become familiar with, eliminating costly retraining of staff and keeping productivity to a maximum.

With support for document scanners built in, SwiftBag can also ensure you capture all the necessary details for down line security checks, at what is often the first point of contact with the passenger.

Fully integrated with L-DCS, Damarel’s popular Local Departure Control System for Low Cost Carriers, SwiftBag can also support Web Services interfaces for traditional airline hosts, delivering a powerful all-in-one solution for your fast bag drop operation.