Centerlines - April 2008 - (Page 35) SAFET Y AND SECURIT Y “We’re extremely pleased with this Rosen Center Hotel. The service. We have the ability to deliver a business steadily grew home run—a service that not only benfrom the city’s convenefits our guests, but the airline commution center to Walt Disney nity, the airport community, and really, World and neighboring all of Central Florida.” Port Canaveral. Bentubo said Disney’s cost to pro“We were open in Orvide the service to the guests is conlando and Chicago and sidered proprietary, but the benefit to then negotiated with Disguests has been exponential. ney to partner to run DisIn order to take advantage of this ney’s Magical Express,” service, guests need to meet certain Mateer said, referencrequirements and be booked on a ing the complementary domestic flight on one of the nine partransportation for all Walt ticipating air carriers: AirTran Airways, Disney World guests that Customers are assisted as they check bags at Las Vegas contains a remote airline Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, McCarran’s Rent-A-Car Center Airport SpeedCheck Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, check-in component. “It Advance kiosk. Northwest Airlines, or United Airlines/ has been a huge sucTed, Jet Blue Airways or US Airways. cess, and we have been “From a remote airline check-in able to adapt our technologies through We recently opened a consolidated perspective, we are always looking to the enormous number of passengers car rental center, and to us it made offer new airlines that are flying dothat are going through there, which sense to open that facility with the mestically to Orlando,” Bentubo said, spurred our next version which was ability for the customers to not only noting that the company has been our cruise ship technology to allow us turn in their rental cars, but also to working diligently with Southwest to check in passengers on board.” check-in themselves and their lugand hopes to add them to the list of Mateer credits Disney as being the gage. participating air carriers in the comfoundation of the remote check-in “Of course, every one of those folks ing year. “As we expand, we’ll also movement because of their high volwe can check-in offsite is one less look at international guests to be able umes. As a complimentary service, person with the associated baggage take part in this.” guests have been checking luggage we have to check-in in the airport enviLike Disney, a number of traveland receiving boarding passes at ronment. We have certainly seen rerelated entities utilize remote airline each of the property’s 19 resorts ductions in queues related to that, and check-in under their own branding. since May 2005. And as of January we’re seeing a positive benefit.” Royal Caribbean International and 7, 2008, Disney has rolled-out onCelebrity Cruises offer Luggage Valet board airline check-in, which works Mickey—and Cruise Ships, Too in some of the lines’ busiest ports, in the same fashion as remote airline Across the country, Orlando Interand American Airlines offers AAdcheck-in, to all eligible Disney Cruise national Airport (MCO) is reaping vance Bag Check Service on board Line Passengers. the benefits of a similar implementacruise ships, at hotels and convenMichelle Bentubo, director of tion that caters to the multi-faceted tion centers. transportation and embarkation and multi-modal tourism attractions “After a number of years, we’re services for Disney Cruise Lines found throughout Central Florida. seeing that this can really be sucand Disney’s Magical Express, said Senior Director of Airports for the cessful,” Mateer said, “not only to the participation varies by resort, but Greater Orlando Aviation Authority airlines, but to the airport infrastructhe program has been an overall sucParker McClellan, Jr., estimates that ture itself.” cess. Disney celebrated a milestone up to 20 percent of MCO’s passenin December—the gers utilize services provided by Bagtransportation of its gage Airline Guest Services (Bags). five millionth guest Operating remote airline checksince the program in in 18 cities as well as on-board Learn more about Bags to Go at: began. airline check-in for all of the major www.baggagecheckin.com “We can easily say cruise lines across the country, Bags The portion of the Disney website devoted to Disney’s that 40 percent to 55 President and CEO Craig Mateer said Magical Express is at: percent of all arriving his company started the first-ever http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/services/deta guests will arrive via post-9/11 remote airline check-in il?name=DMEAttendeesDetailPage Disney’s Magical Exon August 11, 2003, in the heart of press,” Bentubo said. Orlando’s convention corridor at the WEBLINKS www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 35 http://www.baggagecheckin.com http://disneymeetings.disney.go.com/dwm/services/detail?name=DMEAttendeesDetailPage http://www.aci-na.org
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