Online check-in fee
20 years ago, check-in meant queuing up to be issued a boarding card. Since then, airlines have changed behaviour so that people are more likely to check in on the web and be processed without having to interact with a check-in desk
I know Monarch experimented with having a fee for online checkin (airport checkin was free) - presumably on the grounds that virtually all pax had hold baggage and therefore were going to take up time at a desk anyway and had already paid a luggage fee - the people who wanted online checkin had not paid a baggage fee and thus ripe for being charged an 'online convenience' checkin fee
I understand that airlines pay rent to an airport for use of the checkin desks, along with extra labour costs for the handling agent, as well as other less visible costs, compared to online checkin
I'm left wondering whether any airlines currently operating might find it more profitable overall to charge those checking in online with only hand luggage a queue-busting convenience fee while making airport checkin free ? Particularly in cases where immigration rules are not a concern, the vast majority of pax are carrying (paid for) baggage destined for the hold and pax travelling are not time constrained (ie retired or going on a week's holiday as opposed to travelling for work or short of time)...
Maybe something for airlines like Condor or TUI or even RyanairSun/Buzz where pax are travelling flight only without any accommodation booked with the tour operator ?