Siemens-Nixdorf Information Systems Ltd and the UK end of American Express Co are to launch the world’s first unattended selfservice airline ticket machine. The machine is a consequence of a regulation passed last October by the airlines’ club, the International Air Travel Association. Previously the authority had banned the dispensing of airline tickets, without an authorised person in attendance. Travellers will continue to book and pay for tickets in the normal way over the phone, but when they book they will be given a number. The agent will use the American Express system as normal, to access the airlines’ central reservation system via its Stratus computer. Once the booking is made, the data is sent from a host computer to the remote ticket machines via dedicated phone lines. Customers can then retrieve the ticket whenever it is most convenient by entering the number and their American Express card into the machine. Tickets dispensed will be the new type of airline ticket, containing the ticket and boarding card on one document. They will also contain a magnetic stripe on the back of the card, so that it can be swiped through another machine, also being developed by Siemens-Nixdorf, for automatic check-in at the airport. American Express says the machine will save it money in courier fees and make it viable for it to take on business customers in outlying areas. The machines will be placed only inside the offices of American Express clients, in some cases it will replace the human implants the company already has on customer’s premises. However Eric Brannan, vice-president of Travel, UK American Express emphasises that the machine will expand the availabilty of American Express travel service. The first machine is due to be installed in the City in June.
