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In airports, there are some 'choke points' departing or arriving (with international flights), which make people stand in very long lines. Mostly these are:

  • Passport check
  • Personal affects security check
  • Baggage drop off ( + check-in if you haven't done so)

Now, for baggage drop off, in many cases you get enough clerks that you don't really have to wait in line, and there are certainly enough stalls to service a large number of people at time, so the third item is kind of in parenthesis.

Anyway, this is incredibly annoying and tiring - especially when you contrast it with the huge spaces in most airports, including duty-free and near-gate seating spaces which are very roomy and can hold many times more people than you would expect to pass through security; and the fact that airports have large numbers of employees. It's double annoying since there are usually empty stalls for passport check officers and for security check lanes despite there being lines for the active stalls/lanes.

This raises two questions:

  1. If airports operate these choke-points at less than maximum capacity, why do they not let people take numbers rather than stand in line for a long time?

and the question of resources:

  1. Is it really the case that airports aren't able to "widen" (= add more active lanes) their choke-points? Is it really that expensive / difficult?

Notes:

  • Please do not answer with speculation on why you think this is the case, I'm only interested in factual information if you have it.
  • I realize the reasons might be somewhat different for different airports, but since this seems to be a nearly-universal norm, I'm interested in the common/recurring reasons or justifications.
einpoklum
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  • Re security checks see: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/34818/why-is-security-screening-done-at-the-gate-in-some-airports – JonathanReez Mar 08 '17 at 12:51
  • Re baggage drop off see https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/37084/why-are-so-many-airline-check-in-counters-idle-so-often – JonathanReez Mar 08 '17 at 12:52
  • Re passport checks - there are now fully automated systems at most major airports, making the check a breeze (for locals) – JonathanReez Mar 08 '17 at 12:52
  • @JonathanReez: I travel relatively frequently (although not to many airports) and this is not the case at the moment. Still, my question is not specific to one kind of line or the other, it's about why not have a "wider pipe" more generally. – einpoklum Mar 08 '17 at 12:54
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    Money. Would you pay 50 $ more for your flight to wait less? Most people rather save the 50 $. – Aganju Mar 08 '17 at 12:57
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    In addition, I rarely have any wait times (with about 40 flights/y, worldwide). By being a bit anticipating about typical travel behavior, you can avoid most of those lines easily. Just be earlier or later than the majority, basically. – Aganju Mar 08 '17 at 12:59
  • I don't think this is really an answerable question. There's unlikely to be a single answer for all airports, there are multiple effects in play and evaluating their relative importance is essentially a matter of opinion. – David Richerby Mar 08 '17 at 13:00
  • @Aganju: Probably not, but (1) I would pay $2 more. Do you have some basis for assuming the cost would be high? (2) Airports don't really compete in a multi-player market setting. I mean, to some extent maybe they do in multi-airport cities, but typically not really, so you're essentially stuck with the airport operator's choice. (3) My first question doesn't require more personnel. – einpoklum Mar 08 '17 at 13:00
  • @DavidRicherby: See my second note. – einpoklum Mar 08 '17 at 13:01
  • @einpoklum : they would need to pay a guy to stand there and tell people that they need to take a number. Don't assume that it is obvious to people - thye need to have someone tell people that they need to take out their passports, because there is a part of the population who needs even that told. How often do you wait in a supermarket behind a person who is surprised by the fact that they have to pay for what the are buying, and starts digging for his money while everybody waits? – Aganju Mar 08 '17 at 13:06
  • On a final note, be aware that you can skip most lines by getting a business flight ;) – JonathanReez Mar 08 '17 at 13:08
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    Airports do not operate passport and customs check; local authorities do, and making it pleasant for you is not their top priority. – fkraiem Mar 08 '17 at 13:11
  • @fkraiem: So why provide N officers at a time rather than 1? or 2*N? And doesn't the airport say "we need N officers at a time" and pay the government for that? – einpoklum Mar 08 '17 at 13:13
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    @einpoklum Typically not, AFAIK (and with the caveat that I only have experience in a very limited number of countries). The government sets the standards and pays for the officers. It does get money for that, through a special tax, but that's not under the direct control of the airport's operator. – Relaxed Mar 08 '17 at 13:26
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    People cost more money than square footage. – Max Mar 08 '17 at 13:42
  • @Max: (1) That doesn't answer my first question (2) They sure have a lot of people at the airport already (3) cost can be amortized over many people. – einpoklum Mar 08 '17 at 13:43
  • Taking numbers would not be useful. It would cause additional delays by people not being ready when their number is called. And there is nothing to do except wait, so waiting in a line is the most efficient. To open additional desks requires staff are available immediately, which especially for passport or customs control is simply not under the airport's control. The fact is that reducing lines to zero length is not seen as a priority for any airport anywhere (and it would result in significant under-utilization of staff because of ebbs and flows of passengers). – Calchas Mar 08 '17 at 14:11
  • @einpoklum Many airports do compete, especially in Europe, to be the host of low cost carriers, who keep the airport open as a business by driving huge footfall but pay the airport almost nothing in terms of landing fees and ground charges. Airport margins are already very thin, and they resort to irritating tactics like charging taxis for dropping off passengers or charge people for using a luggage trolley or something silly. Reducing wait times is really not a concern for the low cost airports. – Calchas Mar 08 '17 at 14:16
  • Some of them have. The QANTAS group (QANTAS and Jetstar) now have self bag-dropoff and automated ticket printing. Most major International Airports in Australia have recently been overhauled to use the SmartGate system which can be used by anyone from the accepted list of countries who is both over 16 and hold a valid Biometric Passport (AKA: e-Passport, digital passport etc.). Although Australian Customs is potentially the strictest in the world, baggage checks are done in stages depending on what is declared on the incoming passenger card with some declarations not requiring a check at all. – The Wandering Coder Mar 09 '17 at 04:14

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