IATA announced Hawaiian Airlines attained Platinum status for Fast Travel implementation

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Geneva, Switzerland, 2015-2-5 — /Travel PR News/ — The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Hawaiian Airlines has attained Platinum status for Fast Travel implementation. Hawaiian is the first airline in the United States to achieve Platinum status, which recognizes carriers that offer four or more Fast Travel compliant solutions to at least 80% of their passengers.

The Fast Travel program responds to passenger demand for a more seamless travel experience and more control through six time-saving, self-service initiatives. They are:

  • Self-check-in and/or automatic check-in
  • Bags ready-to-go
  • Document check
  • Flight re-booking
  • Self-boarding
  • Bag recovery

Over 75% of air travelers would prefer to check in online or automatically by receiving a text message or email according to IATA’s 2014 Global Passenger Survey. Only 15% prefer to receive their boarding passes from an agent at an airport check-in counter. The industry’s target is to implement Fast Travel projects covering 35% of eligible passengers this year and by 2020, the goal is to have 80% of passengers offered a complete self-service suite based on common industry standards.

I congratulate Hawaiian Airlines for its leadership in bringing these passenger-pleasing solutions to its customers. Fast Travel is a win-win for passengers and the air transport industry. Surveys consistently show that many flyers prefer the greater convenience and control that self-service options provide for them, while airlines and airports benefit from greater efficiency and better use of increasingly congested terminal real estate,” said Tom Windmuller, IATA Senior Vice President, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security.

“We are very pleased to have obtained the Platinum level certification and are proud to be the first airline in the United States to do so. Hawaiian is committed to giving our guests technology driven choices and feel that the Fast Travel certification provides a standard so guests receive a consistent level of self-service regardless of what airline they are flying or where they are traveling in the world,” said Bret Ranoa, Hawaiian Airlines Senior Director, Airport Customer Service.

Regulatory restrictions have held back mass implementation of some Fast Travel options, including the Bags Ready-to-Go project that encompasses self-tagging and home bag tags. Industry stakeholders including airports have partnered with regulators to address concerns and at the end of 2014, regulators in Brazil and then the Transportation Security Administration in the US lifted most restrictions. Other countries are expected to follow suit.

“We welcome the regulatory cooperation in Brazil and the US that will enable airlines to expand the suite of Fast Travel benefits offered to air travellers. We look forward to similar cooperation in other jurisdictions, clearing the way for airlines and airports to implement more Fast Travel solutions around the globe,” said Windmuller.

For more information, please contact:
IATA Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:

  1. Fast Travel Projects:
    1. Check in: allowing passengers to receive their boarding pass via self-service channels (web, kiosk, mobile phone or automated), avoiding long lines at check-in desks
    2. Bags ready-to-go: enabling passengers to deliver their bags tagged and ready for acceptance to an airline representative or a self- service bag drop
    3. Document scanning: allowing passengers to scan their travel documents at kiosks for data verification and compliance with destination and transit requirements
    4. Flight rebooking: allowing passengers to get proactively rebooked and obtain their new boarding pass via a self-service channel such as kiosks in case of delays or cancellations and so avoiding long lines
    5. Self-boarding: allowing passengers to self-scan their boarding token to gain entry to the aircraft, potentially using automated boarding gates similar to a train or metro station
    6. Bag recovery: enabling passengers to report a missing bag via a self-service channel instead of waiting in line at a baggage claim service counter
  2.  IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 250 airlines comprising 84% of global air traffic.
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