New Baggage-Check System
The new baggage check system claims to eliminate the hassle of checking in baggage. In addition to long check in lines, the time it takes to travel to the airport is also inconvenient due to traffic and ridiculously high fees. Thus, Hong Kong has implemented a new system called in town check in and a new route on its MTR- a line that specifically goes to the Airport. With the new system, bags can be checked in at one of the two stations in town, and the people can go about town for a while longer, free of luggage. The airport even claims that the passenger doesn’t even have to worry about moving the luggage at the airport; everything is done for the passenger and the bags appear at the destination. In addition to checking in bags in town, with the new system, one can also receive his boarding pass. The MTR also allows travelers the freedom to simply getting on the train before a flight rather than waiting all day in the airport.
After reading this, the first question may be, how much does this cost? The Airport Express ticket is said to cost approximately $13- costing significantly less than sitting through traffic in a taxi and lugging all your baggage yourself.
So this system sounds perfect, and maybe it is. But, the example we were shown in class was that the faster route will have a toll to balance out the number of people who decide to take the toll-free slow route and the tolled faster route. However with this new implemented airport system, it seems that the faster and more efficient route is actually cheaper. This may reverse the goal of expediting baggage check because everyone will turn to this system. Although travelers can check in at any time starting a day before departure, if all travelers turned to this system, lines similar to those at airports would also form at the two stations. This is similar to what we learned in class about how having everyone travel through the new road adds onto the overall time, but is still an equilibrium.
It’ll be interesting to see how this system actually works because there are a lot of connections- like station to airport- that have a potential to be backed up. In addition, there is also a possibility that eventually the airport will find that the service that they provide is worth more than what the price is. When the price rises, it will then follow the toll model we learned in class.