Airport trip made easier with Jeju Air city bag drop

Starting today, Jeju Air passengers traveling via Incheon International Airport will be able to drop their luggage off at a hotel in Seoul and collect it at their destination.

The service will relieve passengers of the burden of having to carry their bags to the airport and help save time by allowing them to skip check-in procedures.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced Wednesday that it is collaborating with Jeju Air and Incheon International Airport Corporation on the Easy Drop service.

A part of the government’s smart airport plan - proposed in 2017 to improve passenger convenience - the service allows for check-in and baggage drop-off at the hotel, with boarding passes issued on the spot. Passengers can reclaim their luggage at the airport of their arrival.

The trial service will run through May 31.

CCTV cameras are installed at the hotel and on the delivery vehicles to prevent loss or theft.

The service is aimed at the budget carrier’s passengers who depart from Incheon airport.

It is available at the Holiday Inn Express in Mapo District, western Seoul. Passengers not staying at the hotel can also utilize the service, which will be free of cost.

Citing Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport in Britain, which offer baggage transfer services from home to the airports, the ministry explained it will expand the offering based on the result of the trial service.

“While waiving the regulation that limits the location where passengers can drop off their luggage, we strengthened the aviation security like passenger identification and the [luggage] transfer process,” said a ministry’s spokesperson.

The ministry and Incheon airport plan to expand their partnership to include bigger carriers such as Korean Air. Lotte Global Logistics is the delivery partner handling the baggage transfers and is working on a platform for the service.

Apart from Easy Drop, the ministry is also preparing to launch other smart services this year, like the introduction of biometrics services and smart security devices at Jeju International Airport.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]