More domestic air travelers will be offered a downtown check-in service as China Eastern Airlines is set to join Shanghai Airlines at the city's downtown air terminal.

The terminal allows passengers to check-in for their flight and receive their boarding pass at a counter in Jing'an Temple, which means they avoid queues and don't have to carry luggage to the airport.

The downtown terminal opened in 2002 but it has rarely been used. Only Shanghai Airlines currently offers downtown check-in, and only on a portion of its flights.

China Eastern Airlines plans to start offering the service next year, in anticipation of a major expansion of flights in the second half of 2009.

An official with Shanghai Airport Authority welcomed the move, but warned that security measures might mean few airlines followed China Eastern's lead.

"Luggage transport between the downtown terminal station and the airport means extra security pressures on the operators," she said.