REMOTE SKYCAP SERVICE TO OPEN IN O’HARE PARKING LOT E
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             Travelers can park, check bags, get boarding pass and shuttle to terminals

CHICAGO - The City of Chicago Department of Aviation in conjunction with five airlines that carry passengers on more than 91 percent of flights departing from O'Hare International Airport today announced the availability of a new baggage handling and check-in service located in Economy Parking Lot E at O'Hare. 

For a $5.00 fee, domestic travelers may check-in their baggage, receive their airline boarding pass and seat assignment at a staffed kiosk, board the Airport Transit System (ATS) to the terminals and proceed directly to their gate.

“This new service is one of many new programs and amenities designed to enhance the traveling experience at Chicago’s airports,” said Chicago Aviation Commissioner Nuria I. Fernandez.  “Our goal is to speed passenger movement, allow seamless baggage check-in and, in general, make airport travel as quick and convenient as it can be.”

This service is made possible through a partnership with the Department of Aviation, Baggage Airline Guest Services Inc. (BAGS) and their partner airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  Participating airlines include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines.  The service is only applicable for passengers checking luggage on domestic flights.

The ATS is a free, 24-hour rail system that operates between the three domestic terminals, the international terminal and economy parking lots.  It incorporates 2.7 miles of elevated track and accommodates up to 2,400 passengers per hour.  From beginning to end - Terminal 1 to Lot E - the travel time is just nine minutes.

Last March, the Department of Aviation announced the remote skycap service as permanent feature at McCormick Place.  The service will eventually be made available to major hotels, smaller convention and meeting facilities and other remote locations throughout Chicagoland. 

All BAGS employees, who act as agents of the airlines, undergo background checks and operate under the same stringent security requirements as other badged employees. Employees must also submit to FBI background checks.  BAGS trucks securely transport the luggage in locked compartments to the airport terminals, where the luggage undergoes the same security-screening process as baggage checked by passengers at airline ticket counters.  This ensures that an intact and traceable bag arrives at the individual’s final destination.

BAGS is the first and largest full-service, multi-airline remote passenger check-in system in the country.  Baggage can be checked as early as 24 hours and as late as two hours before departure.  BAGS follows the standard baggage allowance rules of most major airlines, additional fees for excess baggage may apply. 

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The Chicago Airport System is self-supporting, using no local or state tax dollars for operations or capital improvements at O’Hare and Midway International airports. Together, Chicago’s airports generate more than $45 billion in annual economic activity and 540,000 jobs for the region. Please visit www.flychicago.com to learn more about the Chicago Airport System.

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