Last Updated
Boarding an international flight at Cancun International Airport used to mean waiting in a long line, presenting a passport, tagging bags, printing a boarding pass, and then heading to the departure gate.
It was a long process compared to the relatively quick kiosk process travelers from the United States are generally accustomed to for domestic flights.
After an investment of $7.6 million dollars, the process has now gone almost entirely digital with tourists at Cancun International Airport estimating about five minutes needed for the entire process, depending on if bags need to be checked or not.
Five Minutes or Less
Not even Domino’s Pizza could be delivered in five minutes or less.
But now, most travelers departing Cancun International Airport can get checked in and luggage on its way in generally less than five minutes.
A technology investment of $7.6 million dollars has in part deployed more than 70 automatic and digital kiosks in Terminal 3 of Cancun International Airport to help speed the departure process for tourists returning home to the United States.
A Simpler Process for Travelers
The hassle of waiting in line for an international flight from Cancun International Airport may just now be an unpleasant memory.
The handy kiosk technology allows travelers to do everything they are accustomed to when flying in the United States, such as printing boarding passes and bag tags, assigning/changing seats, changing flights, or even printing itineraries.
Because international flights require documentation, passports had to be verified at check-in.
That required a long line to the counter for bag drop.
The kiosks have now been approved to allow passengers to scan and enter passport information and print bag claim checks without even visiting the airport counter.
There are some exceptions that do require tourists to visit the special assistance counter.
Those conditions may include travelers with additional documentation, special needs, transporting oxygen, or traveling with a pet or emotional support animal.
Travelers on a short trip with no check-in luggage will find that the process generally takes two to three minutes to complete.
Available For Several U.S. Airlines
The special kiosks are available for major United States airlines flying from Cancun International Airport, such as United, Delta, Spirit, and American.
Passengers from Canada flying Air Canada can also enjoy the speedy kiosk check-in process.
The kiosks are also available in Terminal 4 and Terminal 2. However, they are limited in number for travelers using Terminal 2.
Terminal 4 airlines include popular United States carriers such as Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier Airlines, and Aeromexico, which has several flights to the United States.
Alaska Airlines uses Terminal 2 at Cancun International Airport, along with Viva Aerobus and Volaris, which have flights to the United States.
What Travelers Need to Know
Tourists looking to use digital kiosks to speed up the departure process from Cancun International Airport should check with their airline to make sure the service is available for flights.
If so, it could cut the time needed to depart Cancun and allow travelers to have more time back to enjoy their vacation getaway in the Mexican Caribbean.
It will also decrease the amount of stress travelers experience when heading home.
Visitors need to know that there have been instances where the kiosks have been so popular that they can’t serve customers after running out of ticket stock or bag tag labels.
Cancun International Airport customer service officials are alerted by the machines when this type of issue occurs and have committed to resolving the issue for travelers within ten minutes.
Plan Your Next Cancun Vacation:
Traveler Alert: Don’t Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip!
Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
↓ Join the community ↓
The Cancun Sun Community FB group has all the latest travel news, conversations and tourism Q&A’s for the Mexican Caribbean
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Cancun Sun’s latest breaking news affecting travelers, straight to your inbox.