Lufthansa Innovation Hub has released a new version of AirlineCheckins.com that can check passengers in for more than 100 airlines worldwide.
To use the service, passengers give their details to AirlineCheckins.com and it does the check-in as soon as it opens for the particular airline the passenger is flying with. AirlineCheckins.com sends the passenger their boarding pass by text message or email.
Lufthansa Innovation Hub tested the service last year on a small-scale as a prototype. Based on the results, AirlineCheckins.com has been developed further and is now available to passengers.
The service is free and the site says that passengers ‘automatically get your favourite seat in the plane’. The favourite seat claim is a bit far-fetched. What is probably means is that they will try for your request of aisle or window and perhaps area of the cabin.
Privacy
Privacy concern of course is a huge concern. To use the site, passengers have to give AirlineCheckins.com their passport details, flight details, frequent traveller details, email address, mobile number and more.
Additionally, information about frequent-flyer programmes will also be taken into account at check-in and identification documents can be managed within user profiles to ensure an uncomplicated check-in on international flights. A new flight overview showing upcoming and past flights provides a clear summary of the passenger’s own travel activities.
The company see this as a starting point for future products and is focusing on the development and validation of different business model approaches in direct exchange with the customer (e.g. offering destination-related services such as rental cars, hotels or activities).
Gleb Tritus, Director Venture Development and member of the management board at the Lufthansa Innovation Hub:
“We consider AirlineCheckins.com as a starting point for a platform for travel-related services. Online check-in for an airline is a strategically important customer touchpoint in the travel chain. Customized offers for activities at the destination or for the airport transfer could follow from this. The extremely positive feedback in the previous pilot operation shows that we have addressed a substantial customer need with this.”
N.B. Image credit: lufthansagroup.com
