Angela Rickli (24) works for Swissport at check-in: “Passengers already spontaneously hugged me”

At Swissport, 20 percent works as a “task manager” in the check-in area. In doing so, it monitors all the activities of service providers and processes passengers during ongoing operations. During the remainder of his working hours, he works actively in project management for impact on Swissport through the expansion of the airport manager in Zurich. It oscillates between administrative duties and direct customer communication.

a living world

Rickli is “grateful” that there is more work in the summer than in the Corona years. Loves the “vivid atmosphere” at the airport, with people waiting from all over the world. Swissport is now ready for a passenger attack – last year there was a suitcase chaos at major European airports: “We recruited additional staff and received specialized training.”

Business requires flexibility, air traffic irregularities are part of your business. It is important to act with foresight and assist the client in the best way possible. “We know that a lot of airport operations make a lot of people nervous,” Rickli says. The tension is sometimes reflected in the check-in staff. “Most of the travelers are friendly, some are not – that’s what happens with any business that involves customer communication,” says the Zurich native.

Preparation is everything

In most cases, queues form as passengers arrive at the airport unprepared. “20 percent of passengers are super prepared, but most are almost never ready,” Rickli says.

Passengers should have their documents ready, ideally check-in online at home, print the luggage tag and stick it in the suitcase. “This puts us at ease and greatly speeds up the check-in process,” Rickli says.

However, there are many who rarely travel by plane. “Unfortunately, a lack of experience often goes hand in hand with a lack of preparation,” Rickli analyzes. There is also a lack of information about self-check-in machines or self-bag delivery, ie automatic baggage delivery. “Of course we’re happy to help,” Rickli says. And at that very moment he stops talking to fix a problem with the trunk carousel.

Ultimately, however, it is the passenger’s responsibility to prepare for the journey. He needs to know if he needs a visa or if the baggage weight is in line with the airline’s specifications. Check-in agents are only responsible for availability. It was the same when they had to check vaccination documents and masks during the pandemic period. “Luckily that’s gone,” Rickli says.

thanks for solving the problem

The task manager is prepared for all possibilities. Some travelers want to get into the mood for storytelling at check-in. To avoid longer waiting times for other passengers, Rickli cannot enter it. After completing the check-in process, he politely asks the passengers to leave.

But when he competently helps at the counter in unexpected events, he definitely becomes the hero of the day. Rickli smiles: “I had the passengers spontaneously hug me with relief.”