Fast Travel

Definition

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 and mobile phone), avoiding long lines at check-in desks
• Bags ready-to-go: enabling passengers to deliver their bags tagged and ready for acceptance by an airline check-in agent or a self- service bag drop 
• Document scanning: allowing passengers to scan their travel documents at kiosks for data verification and onward transmission to government agencies, avoiding ID checks at check-in desks 
• Flight re-booking: allowing passengers to get proactively rebooked and obtain a new boarding pass via a self-service channel such as kiosks in case of delays or cancellations, avoiding long lines
• Self-boarding: allowing passengers to self-scan their boarding token to gain entry to the aircraft, potentially using automated boarding gates similar to a train or metro station 
• Bag recovery: allowing passengers to report a missing bag via a self-service channel instead of waiting in line at a baggage claim 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

Target

• The target for 2013 is to implement Fast Travel projects covering 20% of eligible passengers 

Benefits

Passengers

• Speed, convenience and control

Airlines

• Simplified processes, reduced costs and increased customer service

Airports  

• Improved use of existing infrastructure and better service

Status (as at end October 2012)

• Currently 106 pairs pairs of airport/airlines are Fast Travel compliantCopenhagen/SAS

Savings

• Up to $2.1 billion annually across the industry when fully implemented

Updated: December 2012