Alaska Airlines has attained IATA Fast Travel Implementation Platinum Status. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recognises airlines that offer four or more Fast Travel compliant options to at least 80% of their passengers. IATA’s vision is to offer a complete self-service suite to 80% of global passengers by 2020. The first airline to achieve Platinum status for Fast Track Implementation was Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in 2013.
The IATA Fast Travel programme offers more seamless travel experience and more control through six time-saving, self-service initiatives including:
- Self Check-in and/or automatic check in – Receive boarding pass via self-service channels including automated, web, mobile phone or kiosk to avoid long lines at check-in counters at the airport
- Bags ready-to-go – Self tag your own bags for acceptance to speed up check-in and bag drop process
- Document Check – Scan your own travel documents at kiosks for data verification and onward transmission to government agencies, avoiding ID checks at check-in desks or gates
- Flight re-booking – Proactively handle your own re-booking for cancelled or delayed flights and obtain a new boarding pass through self-service options to avoid long lines at transfer desks
- Self-boarding – Automated boarding processes for passengers, reducing boarding queues
- Bag recovery – Passengers can report a missing bag a kiosk, over the web or mobile instead of waiting in line at a baggage service counter
Alaska Airlines is the fifth airline in the world to achieve this Platinum status, and the second North American carrier after Hawaiian Airlines. Qantas Airways achieved Platinum status in September 2014 while Narita International Airport had engaged IATA to conduct a study on the implementation of Fast Travel at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. Qantas was the first Asia-Pacific airline and second in the world to achieve Platinum status. Air New Zealand also achieved Platinum status by offering Fast Travel compliant solutions to 86% of their passengers.
Alaska Airlines has provided a range of passenger convenience initiatives including:
- Biometric Board Room Lounge Access – Members can use their fingerprint as a means of identification by signing up for biometric access for quicker entry into the lounge without producing traditional means of identification.
- Online Self-Bag Tagging – Alaska and Horizon piloted self-bag-tagging in 2013. Customers could print their bag tags at home and drop their bags off at designated Self-Tag Express lane at the airport. This initiative began on Seattle-Hawaii routes in 2013 and continues to expand to more cities.
- Airport of The Future Check In Process – Alaska Airlines introduced Airport of the Future check-in process at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska in 2004. The design was patented in 2006. The check-in process was sped up by eliminating the traditional ticket counter. Customer-friendly islands of check-in kiosks and bag-check stations were provided. In October 2007, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air opened the first phase of a similar, though larger, Airport of the Future check-in area at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in October 2007.
- Web Check In was introduced in 1999 while Wireless Check In using a Web-enabled phone or a wireless handheld device was introduced in 2001.
- Check In Kiosks are offered throughout airports and other busy locations in more than 70 cities.
GREEN Status for IATA’s Fast Travel Implementation
Japan Airlines achieved Green status for implementing Fast Travel at Haneda Airport’s domestic terminal including self-check in, flight rebooking and self-boarding solutions and self-tagging and dedicated bag drop options to their passengers.
Asiana Airlines also achieved Green status for their first programme compliance at Seoul’s Incheon Airport. Asiana is the first in South Korea to offer the ‘one-stop’ bag drop solution at Incheon Airport.
Korean Air also achieved Green status for their first programme compliance at Seoul’s Incheon Airport becoming the second airline in South Korea to offer the Bags Ready to Go solution at Incheon Airport.
All Nippon Airways is the first airline in Japan to offer a fully automated bag drop solution, achieving Green status for their first programme compliance at Haneda Airport’s domestic terminal.
