Some curbside check-in resumes at JWA

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Three airlines reinstituted curbside check-in at

the airport this week after securing special permission from the federal

government.

Continental, United and US Airways all brought back the service about

three weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks caused alarm at the

nation’s airports, which shut down for a few days after the events.

As a condition of reopening on Sept. 13, the managers of John Wayne

agreed to an 11-point security directive from the FAA that included a

prohibition on checking bags at the curb.

Late last week, the FAA gave certain airlines and airports the ability

to resume the popular service of checking a bag with an airport porter,

said Paul Turk, spokesman for the agency.

“There is a selected curbside check-in permitted at selected

airports,” Turk said. The airlines “must meet security requirements.”

Turk said he could not disclose the new procedures for checking a bag

at the curb rather than the ticket counter.

Southwest was not one of the airlines to resume the service, but

spokeswoman Brandy King said it is expected to resume by the end of the

week.

King said travelers could have their bags searched at the curb.

“We have found that our customers find it to be a huge convenience for

them,” King said. “As long as we could make it just as safe, we didn’t

see any reason to hold on reinstating it.”

The other seven airlines at John Wayne -- Alaska, Aloha, America West,

American, Delta, Northwest and Trans World -- are all working toward

bringing the service back, airport spokeswoman Yolanda Perez said.

After the FAA’s directive, airport managers installed a handful of new

security measures, which include additional sheriff’s deputies, searches

of cars entering the airport and canine unit patrols.

Also, only ticketed passengers are allowed in the boarding area.

Bringing back a convenience such as curbside check-in can be done

without threatening the integrity of the new measures, Perez said.

“Only a handful of those airlines went forward with the decision,”

Perez said. “This could only have been done if security was not going to

be compromised.”