Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Alaska Airlines attained Platinum status for Fast Travel implementation, which recognizes carriers that offer four or more Fast Travel compliant options to at least 80% of their passengers. Alaska is just the fifth carrier in the world to achieve Platinum status, and the second North American carrier.

The Fast Travel program responds to passenger demand for a more seamless travel experience and more control through six time-saving, self-service options. They are:

  • Self-check-in and/or automatic check-in
  • Bags ready-to-go
  • Document check
  • Flight re-booking
  • Self-boarding
  • Bag recovery

According to IATA’s 2014 Global Passenger Survey, nearly 75% of air travelers would prefer to check in automatically or via a text message from their airline. Only15% prefer to receive their boarding passes from an agent at an airport check-in counter. In the event of a travel disruption, 60% of travelers would prefer to be informed and offered new booking options via a kiosk or the internet or sent a new boarding pass electronically.

“I congratulate Alaska Airlines on attaining Platinum status. The IATA Global Passenger Survey confirms that passengers want to do more things for themselves and Alaska is certainly an early responder to that trend,” said Paul Behan IATA Director Passenger. “By offering Fast Travel options to 81.92% of its customers, Alaska has shown a deep understanding and commitment to meeting the changing desires of air travelers.”

“Our mission is to be the easiest airline to fly and we’re honored to receive this recognition, which tells us we’re on-track towards meeting that goal,” said Ben Minicucci, Alaska Airlines’ Executive Vice President and COO. “Flying should be convenient and simple. At Alaska, we’re working hard to pioneer the use of technology that will reduce wait times and let our customers speed through check in and security.” Minicucci said Alaska is continuing to innovate using technology in hopes of creating a more hassle-free travel experience.

For 2015, IATA is targeting Fast Travel access for at least 35% of passengers and by 2020, 80% of air travelers should be offered a complete suite of self-service options based on industry standards.

 

For more information, please contact:
IATA Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org


Notes for Editors:

  • IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 260 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic.
  • Fast Travel Projects:
    • Check in: allowing passengers to receive their boarding pass via self-service channels (web, kiosk, mobile phone or automated), avoiding long lines at check-in desks
    • Bags ready-to-go: enabling passengers to deliver their bags tagged and ready for acceptance to an airline representative or a self- service bag drop
    • Document scanning: allowing passengers to scan their travel documents at kiosks for data verification and compliance with destination and transit requirements
    • Flight rebooking: allowing passengers to get proactively rebooked and obtain their new boarding pass via a self-service channel such as kiosks in case of delays or cancellations and so 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: enabling passengers to report a missing bag via a self-service channel instead of waiting in line at a baggage claim service counter