CUSS Kiosk research…any volunteers?

Moderator Message

Any further responses by PM or by email to the original poster, please.

This isn’t the Open University.

Thanks

GA

Regarding the three sections of planned paper:
Part 1
Assuming you have access to the IATA Documents the base line functions should not be a problem. After a quick Google I suggest first checking the relevant sections of the SITA and ARINC Sites (SITA often have a useful Whitepaper on offered services). Unless things have changed recently, sending a polite email using the contact information on these two sites should fill in any gaps on information on their offerings and answer any questions (after all if you get the degree you want, you may end up being employed by one them 🙂
Both these organizations will probably be offering additional functionality over the IATA base Specification.

The same Google query revealed that all the usual Airline oriented Suppliers of Kiosk and related technologies have all dived in to CUSS with enthusiasm. Again these should be approached directly for use of copyrighted images extra.

The difficult bit to obtain information on is History, firstly where to start:
Back with the first development of CUTE – Which introduced the concept of a shared LAN, although with some Airports that was effectively a MAN [Metropolitan Area Network] as well as the Multiple User Interfaces for different Airlines/Agencies on the Same Terminal Equipment.
OR
The Development of the first generation of Self Service Kiosks for use by Airlines/Airport Agencies and how these have become a feature of many of the major Airports.
Either way:
There has to be some mention of the Internet Services which provide pre-airport check-in and how they fit into the environment of SS and CUSS Kiosks

Part 2
IATA range of claimed benefits. Hmm at a technical level for a new build terminal, or even a from a refurbishment down to LAN Cable level, obvious way to go. For implementation in place the benefits are there, but the whole process will cause considerable angst at all levels of IT in the AIrlines/Agencies and AIrport exacerbated if any existing Self Service Kiosk deployed cannot be upgraded to CUSS.

From a Customer Service Viewpoint when SS Kiosks arrived the Airlines/Agencies realized that Passenger acceptance would be overall a gradual process. Certain types of passenger would at least give them a try, others would never go near them, but over time they like the Banking ATM would become totally accepted.

From a subjective viewpoint they partially right, but from observation across the globe as Self Loading Freight, acceptance is based on Culture, Nationality (where even countries having a similar culture don’t adopt change in the same way), Passenger Type and finally positioning of the Kiosks. I am not sure where you can get hard data on this aspect of the subject.

Part 3
A lot of early SS Kiosk implementations gave the technology a bad name because they exhibited nasty Software/Firmware faults once subjected to real world loads.
This actually had a negative and quite long term negative effect on Frequent Fliers at that Airport, who carried their misgivings about the technolgy to other Airports wwhere the Kiosks did not exhibit the same problems.
Also tenthije is right:

Although it was put differently when I was being taught: ‘Assume a 50% IQ Drop when a person passes through the Terminal Entry Doors’.
This means that people who routinely use sophisticated complex Touchscreen Dealer Boards, Command Control Systems, or even non-Airport Kiosks can become frustrated with an Airport Kiosk and give up on it unless the User Interface really is Intuitive.
Also once they do learn it (and over time they will, especially when they see others using it successfully), even a slight change will cause them to get frustrated all over again. OK these are in the lifetime of the system a short phase for most frequent flyers, but for occasional passengers the adoption of the Kiosk approach will be patchy, even wehn those the same people and their children use simialr Kioks at Railway and Metro Stations on a regular basis.

I have started to ramble (even more than usual) and if the above is a case of ‘teaching you to suck eggs’ I apologise, but it was intended to be useful.

Thanks Opssys…
Looks like you put a lot of time into that post, I appreciate it. Rest assured I have been Googling extensively for the past few weeks and have been relatively successful.

Now I’m working on getting some humans to add to the source list…which is also shaping up nicely…

Ok – now I know what they are. Have used the self service check-in at various locations but they only really save anything when travelling with hand luggage as this negates the need to visit a ‘fast bag drop’. The last time I used them was at LHR T1 when flying United – the desk worked fine and I was able to get an upgrade with no real issues but still had to see a person at a desk to get my luggage checked in. Ultimately they have turned a 1 step process of check in into a 2 step one if you have luggage and the majority of people will have luggage.

Regarding the three sections of planned paper:
Part 1
Assuming you have access to the IATA Documents the base line functions should not be a problem. After a quick Google I suggest first checking the relevant sections of the SITA and ARINC Sites (SITA often have a useful Whitepaper on offered services). Unless things have changed recently, sending a polite email using the contact information on these two sites should fill in any gaps on information on their offerings and answer any questions (after all if you get the degree you want, you may end up being employed by one them 🙂
Both these organizations will probably be offering additional functionality over the IATA base Specification.

The same Google query revealed that all the usual Airline oriented Suppliers of Kiosk and related technologies have all dived in to CUSS with enthusiasm. Again these should be approached directly for use of copyrighted images extra.

The difficult bit to obtain information on is History, firstly where to start:
Back with the first development of CUTE – Which introduced the concept of a shared LAN, although with some Airports that was effectively a MAN [Metropolitan Area Network] as well as the Multiple User Interfaces for different Airlines/Agencies on the Same Terminal Equipment.
OR
The Development of the first generation of Self Service Kiosks for use by Airlines/Airport Agencies and how these have become a feature of many of the major Airports.
Either way:
There has to be some mention of the Internet Services which provide pre-airport check-in and how they fit into the environment of SS and CUSS Kiosks

Part 2
IATA range of claimed benefits. Hmm at a technical level for a new build terminal, or even a from a refurbishment down to LAN Cable level, obvious way to go. For implementation in place the benefits are there, but the whole process will cause considerable angst at all levels of IT in the AIrlines/Agencies and AIrport exacerbated if any existing Self Service Kiosk deployed cannot be upgraded to CUSS.

From a Customer Service Viewpoint when SS Kiosks arrived the Airlines/Agencies realized that Passenger acceptance would be overall a gradual process. Certain types of passenger would at least give them a try, others would never go near them, but over time they like the Banking ATM would become totally accepted.

From a subjective viewpoint they partially right, but from observation across the globe as Self Loading Freight, acceptance is based on Culture, Nationality (where even countries having a similar culture don’t adopt change in the same way), Passenger Type and finally positioning of the Kiosks. I am not sure where you can get hard data on this aspect of the subject.

Part 3
A lot of early SS Kiosk implementations gave the technology a bad name because they exhibited nasty Software/Firmware faults once subjected to real world loads.
This actually had a negative and quite long term negative effect on Frequent Fliers at that Airport, who carried their misgivings about the technolgy to other Airports wwhere the Kiosks did not exhibit the same problems.
Also tenthije is right:

Shame that most people seem to check in their brains and common sense along with their luggage, but there is not system that can account for that.

Although it was put differently when I was being taught: ‘Assume a 50% IQ Drop when a person passes through the Terminal Entry Doors’.
This means that people who routinely use sophisticated complex Touchscreen Dealer Boards, Command Control Systems, or even non-Airport Kiosks can become frustrated with an Airport Kiosk and give up on it unless the User Interface really is Intuitive.
Also once they do learn it (and over time they will, especially when they see others using it successfully), even a slight change will cause them to get frustrated all over again. OK these are in the lifetime of the system a short phase for most frequent flyers, but for occasional passengers the adoption of the Kiosk approach will be patchy, even wehn those the same people and their children use simialr Kioks at Railway and Metro Stations on a regular basis.

I have started to ramble (even more than usual) and if the above is a case of ‘teaching you to suck eggs’ I apologise, but it was intended to be useful.

http://www.iata.org/stbsupportportal/cuss/

Common User Self Service kiosk?

Common Use Self Service Kiosk…yeah thats pretty much right!

Sorry, I guess I should explain….

A CUSS Kiosk is a self serve check in kiosk but it is different from a normal check in kiosk because it allows for multiple airlines to use the same kiosk. This *should* eliminate the need for airlines to have kiosks for the sole purpose of checking in their own passengers only.

It is said that CUSS Kiosks allow for more flexibility in terms of allocating terminal space because there can be general check-in areas and if an airline moves to another part of the terminal or to another terminal all together the kiosks do not have to move with them.
this is one of several claimed advantages.

anyway there are issues surrounding this such as costs shared by whom etc etc and whether or not they are helping or hindering commercial aviation and by how much.

Sorry guys, I guess I just got lost in my own little CUSS world and forgot the teeny tiny aspect of explaining what they are – forgive me!

Common User Self Service kiosk?

You might get some more replies if you explained what a CUSS kiosk is ? (would guess at a self service check-in?)

Well, here’s my 2 cents worth. They are a good idea, but do not work as advertised if your name is anything different then normal. My name is rather long and because of that it won’t fit in all airline computer systems or in the system used at my bank (name on credit card thus does not completely match passport). Because of that the kiosk never recognises me and will ask me to do an old fashioned check-in anyway. It does not even work when using my FlyingBlue loyalty card.

I am sure though that for most people it will work. Shame that most people seem to check in their brains and common sense along with their luggage, but there is not system that can account for that.

Thanks Cloud 9 😀

If anyone else is keen, don’t be shy! I am entering extreme nerd mode regarding the topic, so any information anyone has such as stats or passenger opinions etc would be beneficial, even in a small way – I’m aiming for diversification in rescources.

Hi aitchdoubleyou,

Firstly, welcome to the forum.

I have PM’d you in relation to your query, look forward to hearing from you soon.:)