The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced progress in the implementation of Fast Travel in the Asia-Pacific region. Qantas Airways has achieved Platinum status for Fast Travel implementation, while Narita International Airport Corporation has engaged IATA to conduct a study on the implementation of Fast Travel at Tokyo"™s Narita Airport.
The Fast Travel program responds to passenger demand for a more seamless travel experience and more control through six time-saving, self-service initiatives. They are:
"¢ Self check-in and/or automatic check-in
"¢ Bags ready-to-go
"¢ Document check
"¢ Flight re-booking
"¢ Self-boarding
"¢ Bag recovery
In IATA"™s 2014 Global Passenger Survey, over 75% of air travelers would prefer to check in online or automatically by receiving a text message or email. Only15% prefer to receive their boarding passes from an agent at an airport check-in counter. The industry"™s target is to implement Fast Travel projects covering 27% of eligible passengers this year and by 2020, the goal is to have 80% of passengers offered a complete self-service suite based on common industry standards.
First Asia-Pacific Platinum Airline
IATA has awarded Qantas Platinum status in recognition of the airline"™s progress in implementing the Fast Travel program. The award was presented by Tony Tyler, IATA"™s Director General and CEO, during the World Passenger Symposium held in San Diego.
Qantas is the first airline in Asia-Pacific and the second in the world to achieve Platinum status. The Platinum status is achieved when Fast Travel compliant solutions are made available to at least 80% of an airline"™s passengers.
"I congratulate Qantas on this achievement. Travelers have told us through the annual IATA Global Passenger Survey that they want to be able to do more things for themselves. Qantas is leading the Asia-Pacific region in responding to this self-service expectation. I encourage the Asia-Pacific airlines to fast track the implementation of Fast Travel across their network so as to provide their customers with more options to improve their passenger experience," said Conrad Clifford, Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific.
Qantas Domestic Executive Manager, Customer Experience, Paul Jones said that the achievement of Platinum Status reflected Qanta"™ commitment to a streamlined customer experience.
"Travellers today rightly expect a seamless journey through the airport, and we"™ve invested in technology and training to deliver that. From smart check-in facilities across airports in Australia to online and mobile check-in, auto bag drops, and mobile boarding passes at the gate, our goal is to make the process as fast and efficient as possible," said Jones.
"Customer service innovation is central to Qanta"™ strategy and we"™re committed to playing a lead role in the development of Fast Travel across the industry."
First Fast Travel Consulting Project
IATA has been engaged by the Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA), which manages Tokyo"™s Narita Airport, to conduct a study on challenges and opportunities for the implementation of Fast Travel initiatives for international travelers at Narita Airport. NAA is the launch customer for this service by IATA Consulting.
Through the study, IATA will provide recommendations on how the various Fast Travel initiatives can be implemented and integrated with the existing systems at Narita Airport.
"Japan has been at the forefront of many of the advances in the passenger experience including domestic air travel. Thus, we are delighted to partner with NAA to take this forward for international travel at Narita Airport. The airlines are eager and ready to offer a more convenient and faster experience to their passengers through the use of technology solutions. This project will help bring the airlines and airports together in delivering a better travel experience at Narita Airport," said Clifford.
"Given the expected traffic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, major Asian airports are under pressure to handle the anticipated traffic growth. Partnership between airlines and airports will be crucial to address this challenge. IATA"™s Fast Travel initiatives will bring more efficiency for airline operations, and improve the customer experience. From an airport perspective, we can make more efficient use of the airport"™s facilities and improve the airport experience for travelers. Reducing the waiting time at the various queues also means that travelers can have more time to use the airport"™s facilities and for shopping. We are happy to work with IATA to identify how Fast Travel can bring more efficiency and convenience, and on its implementation at Narita Airport," said Hideharu Miyamoto, Vice President Corporate Strategies & Planning, NAA.
