Fast Travel

The Fast Travel initiative responds to consumer demand for greater convenience. It consists of six projects designed to offer a range of self-service options that give passengers more control over their journey.

Projects:

• Check-in: allowing passengers to receive their boarding pass via self-service channels (web, kiosk, mobile phone)
• Bags ready-to-go: enabling passengers to deliver their bags tagged and ready for acceptance by an airline check-in agent
• Document scanning: allowing passengers to scan their travel documents at kiosks for onward transmission to government agencies, so they can avoid going to a check-in desk to complete required ID checks
• Flight re-booking: allowing passengers to rebook their flights using kiosks in case of delays or cancellations, avoiding long lines
• Self-boarding: providing automated boarding gates for passengers, like in a train or metro station
• Bag recovery: allowing passengers to report a missing bag at a kiosk instead of waiting in line at a baggage service counter

Background:

• Customer demand for self-service options keeps evolving as technology progresses
• Airlines need to reduce cost of operations while improving service to passengers

Targets:

• Bags ready to go: 10 airlines capable, 2 in a shared environment
• Document scanning: 75 CUSS sites offering self-scanning capability
• Self-boarding: 10 airlines in Schengen zone; 1 with automated ID checks
• Bag recovery: 10 airlines capable, 2 in a shared environment
• Fast Travel will monitor check-in and flight re-booking in 2009

Benefits:

• Passengers:
  • Speed, convenience and control
• Airline:
  • Simplified processes, reduced costs and increased customer service
• Airports:  
  • Improved use of existing infrastructure and better service

Status:

• Bags ready to go: 22 airlines capable
• Document scanning: 117 airports capable
• Self-boarding: 15 airlines capable
• Bag recovery: 16 airlines capable

Savings:

• Up to US$1.6 billion annually across the industry

Updated November 2009