Melo Villareal
Paperless boarding pass will benefit domestic travelers at the outset
The leading low-cost carrier in the world is finally letting its passengers avoid the hassle of queuing for boarding passes by letting them check-in using the AirAsia Mobile App.
AirAsia E-Boarding Pass
Air Asia has been named the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for six years running, but AirAsia Philippines decided that low fares did not have to mean less convenience. The airlines developed a mobile phone app that would allow their passengers with no check-in baggage to sail through the boarding gate with their “E-Boarding Pass.”
To avail of this service, guests simply need to download the AirAsia app to their smart phones or tablets and use it to get their E-Boarding Pass. This paperless pass is delivered to a guest’s registered mobile phone, and shown at the boarding gate just like a typical paper pass. It cuts significantly on the number of guests that have to come to the airport a considerable time before their flight. Passengers with check-in baggage still have to line up at the bag-drop counter before boarding, however.
Queuing at the check-in counter is a familiar sight for anyone who travels regularly, and the time and hassle is often frustrating for those with no luggage to get caught behind a group of passengers with a lot of luggage. Air Asia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Joy Cañeba observed, “With E-Boarding Pass, time spent queuing is significantly reduced with guests avoiding the hassles of crowded counters especially during peak season.”
Bohol Beach
The AirAsia Mobile App is the latest in a series of innovations introduced by the AirAsia Group to make travel easier and more convenient for its passengers. It came out with the web-based function Self Check-In (SCI) six years ago so guests could opt to check-in online and provided SCI kiosks in Philippine airport as well two years later in 2011. These included airports in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Tacloban, Palawan, Kalibo, and finally in 2014, Tagbilaran.
Aside from convenience, AirAsia also took steps to improve airport security. It was the first airlines to work together with world police agency INTERPOL to screen passengers using the I-Checkit system. The program checked the passports of passengers against INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.
Ms. Cañeba was quietly proud about this latest offering. “We are constantly investing in technology and innovation to make flying easier, more enjoyable and comfortable for our guests. We have more exciting services and new products for mobile devices and online enhancements coming your way,” she promised.
The AirAsia Mobile App is first being offered to guests on domestic flights, and only for one guest for each booking. The E-Boarding Pass is initially available for flights originating from Manila at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 4 going to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo (Boracay), Tacloban, Tagbilaran (Bohol), and Puerto Princesa (Palawan).
If you want to know more about AirAsia’s new offerings and fare promotions, check them out on Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsiaPh) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines).
