BA med elektronisk innsjekkingskø - Curt Lewis

 

British Airways trials digital queuing technology for check-i  British Airways will be trialling new intelligent queuing technology from Qmatic, that will enable customers to virtually queue at check-in by pre-booking their slot time in advance of arriving at the airport. The technology, which is optional for customers, will be trialled by British Airways for three months on selected flights departing from Heathrow Terminal 5. Customers will be sent an email before travel inviting them to book their personal check-in time. When it is time for a customer to check in, the Qmatic system will notify them that it is their turn, allowing them to then simply go to the dedicated desk and the airline’s customer service team will be able to assist. Customers who have not booked a check-in slot through Qmatic, can proceed as normal, or have the option to join a virtual queue when they arrive at the airport by scanning a QR code. British Airways will be the first airline to trial Qmatic, which is currently used extensively in the public sector, retail, healthcare and financial organisations around the world, including BP Service Stations, the Tate Modern and the Post Office in the UK,  to help manage the flow of customers. Declan Pollard, British Airways’ Head of Heathrow Customer Experience, said “In this new Covid-19 era we know that customers have been travelling less frequently than they normally would, and in most cases not at all. We understand many people will feel unfamiliar with the airport journey, so we are committed to exploring how technology can simplify that experience for them. This technology means that our customers can plan their departure knowing that they have a personalised check-in time. We think this technology, coupled with digital travel apps, will help efficiently manage the flow of customers in the airport at any one time and give our customers reassurance.” Mark Brackley, Managing Director of Jade Solutions, the exclusive supplier of Qmatic in the UK, added “The intelligent queuing solution will provide British Airways’ customers with the ability to add themselves to a virtual queue and see their position change in real-time, all from their phone. We are excited to be working with British Airways to trial this technology.” Elsewhere, British Airways is also trialling digital travel apps to ensure customers meet the entry requirements for their destination before arriving at the airport. The airline’s customers can currently use VeriFLY on all flights to the US, Canada and France as well as on all inbound flights and the airline has been assisting in the development of IATA’s travel pass. British Airways’ customers also travelling to Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, can now also upload their negative Covid-19 test result and other documentation directly into ba.com for verification before travel. British Airways will continue to explore how it integrates other technologies, such as VeriFLY, into its systems to further streamline the customer experience.

 

 

BA Eyes Virtual Queuing As IATA Chief Predicts Airport Chaos  British Airways is set to launch a new virtual queuing app for its Heathrow Terminal 5 check-in desks. The news comes on the same day that the airline’s former CEO, Willie Walsh, warned that airports wouldn’t be able to handle the volume of passengers if everybody needs to visit a check-in desk. Across the world, countries are reopening their borders. While travel is more accessible than it has been for a long time, many hurdles remain. These include proving COVID status before travel. This creates a lot of extra work for airlines, with many like Etihad launching processes to verify such data before arrival at the airport. The problem Many countries currently require all passengers to provide a COVID-19 certificate on entry. It is generally up to the airline to check this before travel, with some countries fining airlines which fly non-compliant passengers. This process takes time, typically at a check-in desk. The issue arises with the design of airports. With the rise of mobile boarding passes and online check-in, the check-in desk has become obsolete for many passengers. Former British Airways CEO turned IATA chief Willie Walsh warned that suddenly requiring every passenger to visit a check-in desk will cause chaos, “If every customer traveling has to go to an airline check-in desk and show evidence in using paper of having filled in forms, of having evidence of a PCR test, and that these have to be checked by people at check-in counters. The processing time alone goes way beyond the average processing time of that we’re used to.” He added, “Don’t forget, most people actually don’t go to a check-in desk or haven’t. If you go back, I think in 2019 most people were actually checking in online or checking in using the airline app.” British Airways to the rescue? Many airlines are asking passengers to undergo document verification ahead of arrival at the airport. IATA has launched its Travel Pass app, which it is encouraging member airlines to trial on select routes. Some airlines, such as British Airways, have also launched their own initiative, while the British flag carrier is also using the VeriFLY verification platform. British Airways is now throwing a new app into the mix. Customers checking in for select flights at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 will be able to join a virtual queue for the check-in desks. Customers will prebook a timeslot for check-in ahead of their arrival. They will then have to mill around until it is their turn to check in, at which point they will get a QR code to allow them to skip the queue. For those not using the system, customers can either queue up as usual or join a virtual line on arrival by scanning another QR code. Commenting on the new app, Declan Pollard, British Airways’ Head of Heathrow Customer Experience, said, “In this new Covid-19 era we know that customers have been travelling less frequently than they normally would, and in most cases not at all. We understand many people will feel unfamiliar with the airport journey, so we are committed to exploring how technology can simplify that experience for them.”