Facts & Figures

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