Less Travel Hassle? Just Wait

Waiting in line - at the airport, rental car agency or hotel - drives business travelers crazy.

“I waste so much valuable time,” said Andrew Hirsch, a senior analyst at Stern Stewart & Co., a New York consulting firm.

But the waiting game may be cut as companies invest in time-saving programs.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has been testing automated check-in at hotels in Atlanta and Chicago since last fall. To get a room key, guests insert a credit card into a machine. Hyatt also has over-the-phone check-in, which allows guests to check-in before they arrive at the hotel.

Renaissance Hotels International has set up an automatic check-in system on its shuttle buses between the new Denver airport and its hotel there.

Other time-saving programs range from ticketless travel on airlines to curbside returns of rental cars.