It’s no secret that here at Travel Off Path, we love travel, but we’re sure most of you would agree that the traveling experience can be pretty gruelling every once in a while.
Stepping out of the plane in Cancun and immediately feeling the gust of warm Caribbean air feels amazing, alright, but it is usually preceded by a painfully-slow security check at your departure point, and long, winding lines.
No matter how experienced a traveler, we’ve all been there at least once: no matter how early you’ve left for the airport, you always end up barely making your flight due to the multiple long lines leading up to the point where you actually board the aircraft.
What if we told you that, soon enough, the check-in process is about to become a lot less daunting? That is, if you’re flying with one of America’s largest and most trusted airlines:
Meet Delta’s New App Bag Drop Feature
In a turn of events that’s certain to please its faithful customers, Delta Air Lines is rolling out a new tool that promises to smooth the check-in process and drastically reduce waiting at the airport for outbound travelers.
Dubbed ‘App Bag Drop’, the new tool is aimed at fliers who have already checked in on Delta’s app, and all that’s left to do is print the bag tags and check their luggage at the airport.
As you might be aware, this rather simple procedure can entail at least two different lines in certain airports, and in particularly busy peak hours, it’s not unusual to see long lines forming. With the new program, however, customers who have already checked in online can skip the regular lines.
This is how it works in practice, based on what we’ve observed so far this week:
At Home
- Passengers log into Delta’s official app and initiate the check-in process
- If they have checked bags, the app will generate a digital bag tag confirmation tied to their boarding pass
At The Airport
- Instead of lining up for the check-in desk, passengers who have checked in online can go directly to a self-service bag drop station (called ‘Express Bag Drop‘ in some airports)
- The next step is to scan their boarding pass at the drop-off kiosk
- The kiosk will print their bag tag, so it can be attached to the luggage itself
- They are then instructed to place the tagged bag on the conveyor belt at the Express Bag Drop
Prior to the drop-off, some kiosks will also ask you to either scan your ID (either REAL ID or passport, in the case of U.S. citizens), or use Delta’s biometric facial recognition.
In sum, the bulk of the check-in process is pre-done directly in the app, and at the airport, it’s effectively tag-and-drop-off.
Streamlined Customs Abroad
The ‘App Bag Drop’ is one of a number of initiatives Delta is pursuing to make the ‘airport’ stretch of the journey less cumbersome for customers.
On top of the expedited bag tagging, they will streamline the customs process for connecting passengers flying through Incheon (South Korea) or London-Heathrow (United Kingdom) on their way to Atlanta.
In practice, they are teaming up with the Korean and British governments, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to allow passengers to head straight to their connecting gate without collecting and rechecking their bags at U.S. customs.
This will shave at least 25 minutes off the total transfer time.
It may not sound like a lot, but to those of you who’ve had tight layovers before, you know every single minute is precious.
Additionally, the airline is planning on extending the use of TSA Precheck Touchless ID to all Delta hubs by the end of 2025. According to Greg Forbes, Delta’s Managing Director of Airport Experience, these changes will make the travel experience as a whole ‘smoother, smarter, and more efficient’.
Stay up to date with Delta’s latest moves, including new flights launching to sunny spots here.
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