More and more Delta passengers are helping themselves to tickets, literally.

        The Atlanta-based airline, which operates its second-largest hub locally, says that usage of its self-service kiosks (machines that can issue tickets if the passenger holds a SkyMiles frequent flier card), increased 230 percent in the second quarter, compared with the first.

        “Now more than ever — whether booking a flight, viewing airport wait times, or checking in virtually and printing a boarding card — customers rely on delta.com and other technology innovations to make travel easier,” said Steve Scheper, Delta's managing director of e-business, business-to-consumer.

        Total ticket sales on the airline's Web site, www.delta.com, increased 30 percent compared with the second quarter last year.

        In addition to beefing up its kiosk program, including installing several at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the airline has begun allowing passengers to print their own boarding cards off the Web.

        Company officials said last week that the kiosks had resulted in a 7 percent increase in worker productivity.

        In addition, total online sales accounted for 18 percent of Delta's second-quarter revenue, with 9 percent of the airline's passenger revenue coming directly from its own Web site.

— James Pilcher
       
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