Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport is planning to replace the current bag-tagging system with updated, self-service bag-tagging kiosks.

This change is meant to create a faster experience for those traveling through the airport, said Tony Bean, Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport executive director. This is also a change being implemented in many other Alaska Airlines hubs.

The project is part of a larger Alaska Airlines initiative to replace older, outdated systems within other airports, such as SeaTac International Airport and Portland International Airport. The updated kiosks are expected to be installed within the next month, Bean said.

“For less experienced travelers, there will still be the option of interacting with a ticketing agent,” Bean said. “The goal of the upcoming kiosk project is to increase the flexibility and speed of traveling and make it overall more streamlined in a sense.”

The upgrade will apply to all pre-existing tagging machines, with newer kiosk installation aimed at speeding up the typical check-in experience, Bean said. Another way in which Alaska Airlines plans to improve the experience for its frequent Pullman-Moscow travelers is to issue bag tags electronically upon guest check-in.

At the moment, the airport is still continuing work on their new terminal, which this new project has not interrupted work on, Bean said. The terminal is still expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“The upcoming plan to install the new bag-check kiosks will in no way affect the terminal [project],” he said. “This project is just a simple kiosk station upgrade.”