Changi Airport has an outstanding reputation for service. Many rate it as the world’s best for the passenger experience.
That great airport is now trialling a feature on its iChangi app that could be very popular with passengers.
Called ChangiQ, it is a virtual queuing system for security.
Passengers can choose their preferred time slot for pre-boarding security screening. They get a 10-minute time slot and a special security lane.
The main attraction for passengers is that they can have more control over their time at the airport.
For the airport, it should mean more revenue.
This is a pilot program by Changi Airport and is currently on trial with selected Singapore Airlines flights.
How it works
It is a really simple process – this is what a passenger has to do:
- go to the virtual queueing system on mobile or web
- input the flight details
- choose a time slot for security screening
- get a ‘ticket’ on mobile with the booked details
- go to the gate at the booked time
- go to the special lane for passengers with a booked slot
- show the confirmation to security folk and get checked
Benefits
For passengers it should be popular as they can spend the time at the airport as they want to.
They know how much free time they have before they go to security. They know when to go there and won’t have the uncertainty of a possibly long queue.
For the airport, it could be a big boost to revenue.
Ancillary revenue should get a boost as passengers will be able to spend more time at the shops and cafes and probably spend more dosh in those places.
Passengers are also likely be in a happier, more relaxed mood than passengers enduring the ridiculous lines we have seen across the world this year. And a happier, more relaxed passenger is more likely to share their dosh with those shops.
Other airports with time slots
A number of airports have introduced or trialled security time slots.
- Passengers at Berlin Airport can book security time slots
- Amsterdam lets passengers book security time slots
- Aruba Airport introduces timed entrance to terminal
Changi does the security screening at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at the boarding area.
Amsterdam used to do that. There was a security check for a batch of gates instead of the awful central check they now have.