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Broken: Kiosk user interfaces
David Pogue has an enjoyable rant on kiosk interfaces, including the Delta Air Lines check-in kiosk:
You come up, you swipe your credit card. That alone ought to tell the kiosk who you are, and it should therefore know what flight you’re checking in for.But no, it plays dumb. It asks you to key in your destination. So you type in “SAN” for San Francisco. And it asks you: San Francisco, San Diego, or San Juan? Oh, I don’t know–how about THE ONE YOU HAVE A RESERVATION ON!?
Also includes examples from taxi cabs and the old Palm Pilot. Pogue gets it right on every one of them.
See also: Evaluation organizations by the customer experience
Are you kidding? It's obviously an anti-fraud measure of sorts. The scenario isn't exactly far-fetched. Go to the airport, lift someone's wallet, preferably someone who looks a little like you. Now you print their boarding pass, and use their ID to get past security. Even if you don't board the flight--the guy whose wallet your stole is likely to tell someone--you're behind the security perimeter and nobody knows who you are.
It's just another factor of authentication. Somthing you have (the card), something you know (your destination).
It's also used to make sure they check you in on the correct flights to your destination. Just in case you have a long stop over where you want to leave the airport with your luggage then come back later. It also helps them find the correct trip if you have multiple reservations associated with that credit card.