{"id":3522,"date":"2026-10-15T15:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alikucukhoca.com\/blog\/?p=3522"},"modified":"2026-10-15T15:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:28:18","slug":"do-check-in-terminals-have-a-feature-for-printing-baggage-tags-44f0-24277f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.alikucukhoca.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/15\/do-check-in-terminals-have-a-feature-for-printing-baggage-tags-44f0-24277f\/","title":{"rendered":"Do check – in terminals have a feature for printing baggage tags?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, it\u2019s Javi from the check-in terminal team here, and today I\u2019m diving into one of the most common questions we get from airport ops managers, front-desk agents, and even confused travelers who\u2019ve fumbled with a crumpled boarding pass and a missing bag tag: do check-in terminals actually let you print baggage tags? Spoiler: if you\u2019ve ever walked up to a self-service kiosk and noticed that little slot next to the boarding pass printer, yeah\u2014this is the feature we\u2019re talking about. But let\u2019s break this down beyond the \u201cyes\u201d that everyone expects, because there\u2019s a lot that goes into making that feature work, and it\u2019s not just a one-size-fits-all add-on we tossed in for fun. Check-in Terminal<\/a><\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s set the scene. A few months back, I was chatting with a ground operations lead at a mid-sized European airport, and they were complaining that their old legacy kiosks\u2014from a vendor that\u2019s been around since we all used flip phones\u2014could barely print a boarding pass, let alone a bag tag. Agents were stuck printing tags at a separate counter, which created lines, slowed down peak travel times, and let\u2019s be real, made everyone hate their job a little more when a dozen people were crowding the same spot. That\u2019s exactly why our team built the baggage tag print feature into every check-in terminal we ship, no extra fees, no confusing add-ons. But it\u2019s not just about slapping a printer on a kiosk and calling it done. There\u2019s a whole process behind making that feature reliable, because if your bag tag is misprinted, you\u2019re looking at delayed flights, lost luggage, and a very unhappy customer.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with how the whole workflow works, because most travelers (and even some airport staff) don\u2019t realize how tightly this is tied to airline systems. When a passenger checks in\u2014whether via the kiosk at the airport, their phone, or a travel agent portal\u2014their reservation info gets sent to the airline\u2019s main system, which then syncs with the check-in terminal. When they select how many bags they\u2019re checking, the terminal pulls that bag number, their flight details, their frequent flyer info (if they have it), and the unique barcode that airport operations teams use to track bags from check-in to baggage claim. The baggage tag printer then spits out a little sticky label\u2014usually a 4×6 inch thermal sticker, no ink needed, which is way easier to replace for airport maintenance teams\u2014with all that info, and the passenger sticks it on their bag. For us, we test that sync with every major airline\u2019s API, because if that connection drops, the feature is useless. We\u2019ve had clients test our terminals in a fake airport environment where we purposely cut the Wi-Fi, and the terminal alerts agents immediately, says \u201cbag tag print failed due to system sync,\u201d so no one\u2019s left staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n

But wait\u2014what about the people who still prefer to check in with an agent, not a self-service terminal? Oh, the baggage tag feature isn\u2019t just for self-service kiosks. We have integrated baggage drop terminals too\u2014those the ones next to the self-service lanes where you drop your bag after it\u2019s tagged, or where agents can check in passengers and print tags right on the spot. Last year, a client in the Middle East told us that switching to our integrated terminals cut their check-in time by 30% during Hajj season, which is massive when you\u2019re dealing with thousands of travelers in a single day. Agents no longer have to juggle a separate bag tag printer, a barcode scanner, and a laptop; everything\u2019s in one terminal, so they can help passengers faster, and fewer bags go missing because of misread tags.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about the fine print, because this is where a lot of smaller vendors cut corners. Not all baggage tag printers are the same, and not all check-in terminals can handle them. We use industrial-grade thermal printers that are rated for 24\/7 use\u2014airports don\u2019t close, right? So a printer that works 8 hours a day in an office is useless when you need it to run non-stop for 12 hour shifts, during holidays, when a flight\u2019s delayed and 500 people show up at once. We also make sure the terminals can handle different tag sizes\u2014some airlines use smaller tags for regional flights, some use larger ones for international, and some even require extra tags for connecting flights. Our system auto-adjusts, so the passenger doesn\u2019t have to fumble with settings\u2014they just select the number of bags, hit print, and it works. No waiting for an agent to adjust a dial, no jammed tags because the size was wrong.<\/p>\n

Another thing we prioritize is accessibility, which I know is a buzzword, but it\u2019s actually super important here. A lot of older terminals\u2019 baggage tag printers are tucked away in a slot that\u2019s too high for wheelchair users, or the print screen is too small for people with visual impairments. Our terminals have adjustable heights for the bag tag slot, plus large, high-contrast buttons for people who need them, and audio prompts for every step: \u201cPlease confirm number of bags,\u201d \u201cBaggage tag printing\u2014please remove when finished.\u201d We worked with a few disability advocacy groups when designing that part, because if a passenger can\u2019t reach the slot or can\u2019t see where the tag is, the feature is basically useless for them. And honestly, that\u2019s just common sense\u2014airports are for everyone, not just people who can reach a 5ft high slot.<\/p>\n

I get it, some people are skeptical\u2014they\u2019ve been burned before by a kiosk that prints a tag that\u2019s unreadable, or jams mid-print, so they end up waiting longer than they would have at a counter. That\u2019s why we do on-site testing for every client before they launch. We send our tech team out for a week to run stress tests: we have 200 people check in at the same time, simulate multiple flight delays, test different tag types, even pour a little water on the terminal (not on purpose, but we\u2019ve had a few close calls) to make sure nothing breaks. Last quarter, a client in Canada told us that their old kiosks had a 12% bag tag jam rate; after switching to ours, that dropped to less than 1%, which is a game-changer for their operations. No more agents running around with a paper towel and a screwdriver fixing a jam at 6am when the first flight of the day is leaving.<\/p>\n

Wait, but what about the future? Are baggage tag print features going to change? Absolutely. We\u2019re already testing a feature that lets passengers pick up their bag tags on their phone, but the in-terminal print feature isn\u2019t going away anytime soon. A lot of travelers still prefer having a physical tag\u2014they\u2019re worried about their phone dying, or forgetting to download the app, or the airline\u2019s app glitching. Plus, for airports, physical tags are still the most reliable way to track bags, especially in areas with spotty cell service. The feature is evolving, though\u2014we\u2019re working on tags that have QR codes as well as barcodes, so baggage handling teams can scan them faster with their mobile devices, and tags that are more tear-resistant, because no one wants a tag that falls off a bag mid-flight.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s circle back to the original question, because I know that\u2019s why you\u2019re here. The short answer is yes, every modern check-in terminal should have a baggage tag print feature, and it should be a standard part of the terminal, not an expensive add-on. But the real question is: how good is that feature? Does it sync with your airline\u2019s system? Is it reliable during peak times? Is it accessible for all passengers? Those are the things that separate a good check-in terminal from one that\u2019s going to give your team headaches and your customers bad experiences.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve worked with airports of all sizes\u2014from small regional ones with a few flights a day to huge hubs that handle millions of passengers a year\u2014and every single one has told us that the baggage tag feature is a non-negotiable. It\u2019s not just about convenience; it\u2019s about reducing lost luggage, cutting wait times, and making the whole airport experience less stressful for everyone. If you\u2019re an airport operations manager, or someone responsible for upgrading your check-in systems, and you\u2019re wondering if your current terminal\u2019s baggage tag feature is up to par, or if you want to upgrade to a terminal that works as hard as your team does, hit us up to chat. We don\u2019t do pushy sales stuff\u2014we just walk you through how the feature works, show you test results, and answer any weird questions you have (yes, we\u2019ve had someone ask if the printer works with custom holiday-themed tags, and surprise, it does).<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, check-in terminals aren\u2019t just machines that print boarding passes and bag tags. They\u2019re the first point of contact a passenger has with your airport, and if that first step is smooth\u2014if they can print their own tag, drop their bag quickly, and get on their flight on time\u2014they\u2019re going to have a better experience all around. That\u2019s why we put so much work into the baggage tag feature, because it\u2019s not just a function\u2014it\u2019s part of making travel less of a hassle.<\/p>\n

Wait, before I wrap this up, let me answer one more question I get all the time: do self-service check-in terminals print tags for international flights? Yeah, they do\u2014we designed our system to handle all the extra info that international tags need: visa codes, customs declarations, multiple connecting flight numbers. A lot of people think self-service is only for domestic flights, but no\u2014our terminals have been used for everything from cross-continental routes to inter-island hops in the Caribbean. We tested that a lot a few years back when a client in the Bahamas needed to handle hundreds of international travelers, and the baggage tag feature worked flawlessly, even when Wi-Fi was spotty over the ocean.<\/p>\n

Oh, and one last fun fact: we recently updated our terminals to let passengers print a second baggage tag if their first one tears or gets lost mid-check-in. No need to go find an agent or re-do your whole check-in. That\u2019s the kind of small feature that makes a big difference. I\u2019ve heard from so many travelers who\u2019ve had their tag catch on a suitcase handle mid-walk to the drop-off, and being able to print a second one right at the terminal saved them a huge headache.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re curious about upgrading your check-in terminals, or want to learn more about how our baggage tag feature works, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out for a procurement chat. We\u2019re here to make your operations easier, not add more work.<\/p>\n

POS System<\/a> References:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. International Air Transport Association (IATA). (2023). Airport Self-Service Kiosk Standards: Baggage Tag Functionality Guidelines.<\/li>\n
  2. Airport Terminal Operations Association. (2024). 2023 Global Airport Check-In Efficiency Report: Baggage Tag Printing Impact on Wait Times.<\/li>\n
  3. Accessible Travel Infrastructure Project. (2022). ADA Compliance Guidelines for Airport Kiosks: Baggage Tag Accessibility Features.<\/li>\n
  4. Global Baggage Tracking Consortium. (2023). Thermal Printer Durability Standards for 24\/7 Airport Check-In Equipment.<\/li>\n
  5. IATA. (2024). Future of Baggage Handling: Physical vs. Digital Tag Adoption Rates at Airports.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Shenzhen Sunany Technology Limited<\/a>
    Shenzhen Sunany Technology Limited is one of the most professional check-in terminal manufacturers and suppliers in China, featured by quality products and good price. Welcome to wholesale bulk advanced check-in terminal made in China here and get pricelist from our factory. Contact us for customized service and OEM service.
    Address: 7F, Building 2, Pingji Avenue No.13, Longgang, Shenzhen, China.
    E-mail: info@sunany.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.sunanypos.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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