The adoption of self-service check-in kiosks among commercial airline passengers

This study examines passenger adoption of self-service check-in kiosks based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and its extension. This study investigated the relationships between three independent variables (technology self-efficacy, need for human interaction, and perceived enjoyment) and two TAM's cognitive variables (perceived usefulness and ease of use). The analysis of these relationships is novel in aviation self-service technology research. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze 346 valid responses. The analysis reveals that enjoyment enhances the perception of self-service check-in kiosks as useful and easy to use, resulting in greater intention to use them. Moreover, passengers with higher confidence in their technological self-efficacy are more likely to perceive check-in kiosks as helpful. However, passengers may perceive kiosks as less useful when they require more human interaction. The results of this study contribute to the current knowledge on aviation self-service adoption. Additionally, managerial implications are offered to improve the future of airlines' passenger services.