NIIT_WP_Using Mobile Technology for Check In

At the Heart of
Optimizing Mobility
in Airlines
Cracking the Check-in Conundrum
Easy, mobile-driven check-in experience for
better customer experience and loyalty
Pratik Chandra Roy
Abstract
The increasing number of mobile users and the growing trend of on-the-move business executives necessitate agile
mobility solutions that meet all their needs and expectations. Smart airlines employ mobility to offer an enhanced
experience to their customers, vis-à-vis check-in facility. Providing SMS-based boarding passes (without 2D barcodes) is
a step in this direction. While several airlines have adopted it, there is a lot that can be done with mobility to maintain
the competitive edge.
www.niit-tech.com
Simplifying Check-in in the Digital Age
All big, small, and low-cost airlines are keen to
implement mobile technologies to provide check-in
and other relevant facilities to their customers. The
BCBP-IATA initiative recommends SMS/MMS-based
boarding passes with a 2D barcode that contains
relevant boarding pass information.
While some airlines and airports have already
implemented the solution and many others are in
the process of doing so, many have clearly stated
that they would not be implementing the Bar Coded
Boarding Passes (BCBP). One of the key reasons for
this is that a large number of customers do not wish
to use MMS facilities (due to higher costs) or have a
basic mobile phone that is not compliant with
image-based messages.
This white paper discusses ideas around
SMS-based boarding passes (without 2D barcodes)
and various scenarios, and other relevant solutions
that can be implemented by an airline. It will go a
step beyond mobile check-in and make
recommendations for other linked areas where
mobile technologies can help the airlines get ahead
of their competitors.
Check-in Channels
The following check-in channels can be in the


Automated check-in
To facilitate mobile-based boarding passes, mobile
scanners located at bag drop, security, lounge, and
customer service checkpoints should be able to
read information from mobile phones.
Mobile Check-in via WAP (Wireless
Access Protocol)
How does it work?
1.
This facility is intended for users of
smartphones with high resolution phone
screens like PDA, Blackberry, or mobile phones
with Internet access.
2.
Customers visit the WAP site of the airline
using the browser of their mobile phone.
(WAP sites are typically named
mobile.airlinename.com)
3.
A check-in form is presented to the customer
through which he/she can provide the booking
confirmation number, credit card number,
frequent flyer membership number, or e-ticket
number. In some cases, the first name, last
name, and departure city code may need to be
entered. The idea is to uniquely identify the
customer and also to ensure that there is a level
of security check built in the check-in form.
4.
Mobile check-in is allowed for flights departing
within next 24 hours. All flights that have been
opened for check-in can be checked in via the
mobile option. This is true for any other type of
check-in as well (web check-in, phone check-in,
or check-in at the counter).
5.
In case of multiple passengers, the names of
all the passengers are displayed, and the
customer is able to individually check-in one,
few or all passengers.
6.
Next, the screens allow customers to choose
seats based on their preference (aisle/window),
number of checked-in baggage, etc. In case the
customer has a frequent flyer number, relevant
details like seat preferences, are already taken
into account and a default seat number is
automatically allocated.
Web check-in


Phone check-in
Mobile check-in
SMS check-in
7.
8.
Depending on the flight route, phone, and
subscription facility of the customer, he/she
will receive the boarding pass via e-mail or an
SMS text message.
a. If the customer opts for an email or MMS
mode of delivery of a boarding pass, a
single message with the check-in details
and a 2D barcode, (usually in QR code or
Aztec format) will be sent. Customers are
advised to ensure that the MMS facility is
activated by the service provider.
b. In case,the customer chooses a text
message, two messages are sent to the
customer. The first one contains a link that
lets you request your personal barcode
that will be scanned at the airport. The
second text message contains all your
check-in details.
If the customer cannot receive an electronic
boarding pass, he/she can print the boarding
pass at home or at the airport.
Check-in Restrictions
1.
WAP sites of some of the airlines do not allow
seat selection; a seat is automatically selected
and allocated to the passenger.
2. Some airlines do not support multiple
passenger check-ins or may allow only a
limited number of check-ins (for instance, Air
Canada allows maximum four passengers to
check-in together).
3. Some sites do not provide the mobile check-in
facility for travelers with a check-in baggage.
4. The facility may not be available for customers who
are travelling to any country that requires
Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS)
information, but this data is not available (either in
the PNR or in their frequent flyer profiles).
Some examples of mobile check-in via WAP sites are:






mobile.aircanada.com
mobile.delta.com
mobile.southwest.com
mobile.aa.com
wap.continental.com
wireless.nwa.com
SMS Check-in
A few airlines have started providing the check-in
facility via SMS. It is essential for customers to
provide their mobile numbers at the time of
reservation, or they can update their mobile
numbers in the profile information that is stored in
the loyalty system of the airline. In some cases,
airlines send an SMS to the customers who are
eligible for an SMS check-in when the flight opens
for check-in. Customers can simply reply ‘YES’ for
automatic check-in.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines provides such an SMS
check-in facility for its frequent flyer members. The
SMS may also contain a link to the WAP portal of
the airline to allow the passenger to choose seats,
provide baggage details, or choose the passengers
to check-in if the relevant facility is available on the
WAP site. Once the passenger is checked in he/she
gets a confirmation via an SMS. This confirmation
includes the seat allocation details and a link to the
mobile boarding pass that contains the flight
number, seat number, departure and arrival times,
and a 2D boarding pass.
In other cases, Frequent Flyers (FF) can send in SMS
to a dedicated number in a specified format to
perform the mobile check-in. Jet Airways provides
such an SMS check-in facility for its FF members.
Customers can type an SMS in the format: JetC and
send the same to 56388, a dedicated SMS number
for Jet Airway’s SMS check-in facility. An example of
such an SMS would be “JetC ABCDEF
123456789.”The boarding pass information is sent
via SMS to the customer in the following format: Jet
Airways: Seat No. 16F on 9W3001 for 29MAR
BOM-DEL is assigned to you. Please collect the
boarding pass from Check-in counters at least 30
minutes prior to departure.
Some airlines that have adopted the SMS-based
check-in facility are:
Singapore Airlines—Implemented
Austrian Airlines—Implemented
Jetstar—Implemented
Top Level WAP and SMS Architecture
X25, TCP-IP, frame relay, Virtual Private Network (VPN),
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), WAP
Micro Browser (w/WTA), Application Server, HTTP
Server, Database Contents Request (URL) Response
(Content), Proposed Top Level WAP and SMS Architecture, WAP Device Response (Content) Push Initiator,
Mobile Phone Users SMS Processing Application
Reservation System Operators, SMS Centers, APIs/Web
Services, Departure Control System, Loyalty System.
Check-in Scenarios
Case 1: Customer does an online check-in (Web
check-in), but does not have access to a printer to
print the boarding pass.
Suggested Solution
After taking in all the relevant details (like baggage,
seating, dangerous goods declaration), at the print
boarding pass step, provide an alternative to send
the check-in confirmation via SMS to the customer’s
specified mobile number.
Following is the suggested (indicative) format of the
SMS text:
Airport Terminal
Departure Airport
PNR
ZYUN3P SYD 1B
VA0001 03AUG09 1000
ROY/PRATIKMR 25C
Flight Details (Flt No, Dep date/time)
Seat Number
Passenger Name
The number of pieces accepted at check-in time for
bag drop should also be displayed in the message.
2.
Passenger boarding at an international
location: Should the customer mobile’s roaming
facility be used or not (i.e., will the message be
sent to the customer when on roaming?). What if
the passenger wants to receive the SMS on some
other (local) number? This can be covered again
at Stage 1 of the process when the passenger is
asked to confirm the mobile number or opt for
an alternative number.
Note: The actual format will be decided after a study
of old mobile phone screen layouts to ensure that
the relevant text is visible in one screen.
Manual Options
1.
The SMS will clearly indicate that the message has
been sent from the airline’s Web check-in facility or
from a dedicated number of the airline. The following
cases (among others) will have to be considered:
The check-in agent can read the SMS from the
customer’s mobile phone and print out the
boarding pass.
2.
The boarding pass could also be printed on a
dedicated printer located at the airport and
handed over to the customer by airline ground
staff (check-in desk, baggage drop desk, or any
dedicated service desk for distributing boarding
passes for these cases).
3.
A dedicated service desk could print the boarding
pass for such customers by looking at the SMS
on the passenger’s arrival at the counter. This
procedure will ensure that the airline takes care
of all related issues, like gate no show, in the
same way as is being followed at present.
1. More than one passenger in the booking: Would
one SMS be sufficient or would there be one
message per passenger sent to a single mobile
phone, or should SMSes be sent to mobile phones
associated with each passenger in the booking?
This will depend on the mobile number stored in
PNR; alternatively, a passenger can be asked to
confirm the mobile number at the start of the online
check-in process (Stage 1). Ideally, it should be one
message per PNR. All seat numbers allocated should
be displayed as the passenger/s will show the SMS to
the check-in staff for issuance of the boarding pass.
Kiosk Option
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Option
1.
The current kiosk application can be changed to
entertain such cases. Instead of taking the
customer through the complete check-in process
again, the customer could be taken straight to
the ‘print boarding pass’ option, if he has already
completed Web check-in.
2.
Alternatively, a new kiosk application can be
developed specifically for mobile
check-in/boarding pass printing.
3.
The kiosk should have OCR functionality, as
described in the next section. The kiosk
applicable will be able to scan the customer’s
mobile with backlight on, and print the boarding
pass based on the information contained in the
SMS and relevant information from Departure
Control System (DCS). This facility could be made
available for all cases of pre-airport check-in, like
Web check-in, phone check-in, mobile check-in,
SMS check-in, or automated check-in.
A kiosk capable of reading/ scanning the text from
the mobile could be deployed at the check-in
counter or a dedicated counter (new or existing
counters like baggage drop counter) to issue
boarding pass for such cases. In case of OCR, the
requirement of printed boarding pass can be
avoided, as the same device could be deployed at
other check-points like lounge entry and aircraft
boarding, which could scan the boarding pass
information directly from the SMS.
Interfacing Systems
In all the bespoke options, there would be a manual
or automated access to the Computer Reservation
System (CRS) and DCS of the airlines (to check the
reservation details and to check-in the passengers on
to the DCS system). There would be a link to the
loyalty system to fetch the seating/smoking
preferences and for any other special services
requests (SSRs).
In many cases, airlines mention that persons with
special service requests should do a manual check-in at
the airport itself; but there is no reason why it can’t be
automated for the loyalty program members where
these preferences are actually captured and stored.
Case 2: Customer does not have access to Web and
wishes to use his mobile for checking-in via SMS
check-in feature.
Suggested Solution
A customer can send an SMS from a registered
mobile phone (registered with his/her loyalty profile
or FF membership, or specifically for the PNR). The
customer may send a message to a dedicated SMS
number, such as 89023, as follows:
CHECK-IN ZYUN3P
OR
CHECK-IN 7752334566 where 7752334566 is the FF
membership number.
An auto-seating feature should be implemented to
ensure automatic seat allocation for such check-ins.
If the customer is a FF, then the seating preferences
of the customer can be taken into account for
allocation of the seat. This feature would be available
only to those who are travelling without any
dangerous goods. So, the customers will not have to
send a separate confirmation message for
confirming that they are not travelling with
dangerous goods, and it would be treated as
automatic confirmation from the customer that
he/she is not travelling with any dangerous goods.
Based on the airline requirements, this could change
to accepting a second message from the customers
for this confirmation as well.
Once the check-in is complete, an SMS with check-in
confirmation, (same as the SMS in Case 1), will be
sent to customer’s mobile to facilitate his check-in/
boarding at the airport.
Mobile/SMS Check-in and Boarding Pass
Printing Options
Architecture 1
1.
Customers can choose to check-in via the Web or
through SMS. On successful check-in the
customer will receive an SMS (which may or may
not be in an encrypted format).
2.
The customer can scan his/her mobile at the
airport at the kiosk that has an SMS scanning
OCR facility.
3.
After reading the information from the mobile,
and performing basic validations, the kiosk
software will print a boarding pass slip. Any
additional information needed on the slip, (that
is not available in the SMS text), will be fetched
from the DCS system, via existing web
services/APIs that are being used by online
check-in. This slip will be similar to any usual
ATM slip, cab fare receipts, or credit card
payment acknowledgement slips.
4.
The slip will contain the usual boarding pass
information and will have to be carried by the
passenger through all the checkpoints till boarding.
Implementations in the Industry
Southwest Airline: The customer does a Web check-in
within 24 hours prior to departure. As a last step
(when the check-in process is complete), the customer
gets the printout of the boarding pass. But, there are
instances where the customer is unable to print the
boarding pass due to unavailability of a printer. There
could also be instances where the customer actually
loses the printed copy of the barcode. To ensure that
the customer has an option of reprinting the boarding
pass at a later stage, Southwest Airline has an option
in its kiosk application. The customer can go to the
Southwest airline’s kiosk at the airport and insert the
credit card that was used to purchase the tickets. An
option is presented to the customer if he/she wants
to reprint the boarding pass.
Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand has
implemented the RFID-enabled ePass for its loyalty
scheme members that serves as a permanent
(reusable) boarding pass. Following are the
features of the ePass:



Permanent reusable boarding pass


Enables check-in, lounge access, and boarding

Contains unique sequence number and tag
identifier, which are recognized by the airline’s
system and matched with the passenger
record.
Available at 26 airports in New Zealand
Distributed to 100,000 loyalty scheme
members
Consists of tag attached to a mobile phone,
similar to a small barcode sticker
The ePass process proceeds as follows: Passengers
scan the ePass at the check-in kiosk if they need to
check-in bags or change seats. If passengers have
no bags to check-in, they can proceed straight to
the gate. New Zealand’s lounges also have ePass
gate readers linked to an application to track
access and produce business reporting. At the
gate, passengers scan their ePass and receive a
paper gate pass with confirmation of their seat
number—this is for cabin crew to inspect.
Jetstar: Jetstar offers its customers the ability to use
the revolutionary SMS boarding pass technology
each time they travel. This is regardless of whether
the passenger has a smartphone or not. It is one of
the fastest and the simplest SMS check-in service
available in the airline industry. This implementation
has helped Jetstar in improving efficiency and saving
their passengers precious time.
In order to make the process simple and convenient
Jetstar offers a range of check-in options. Passengers
can register for the SMS either by selecting automatic
check-in during the booking process at Jetstar.com or
check-in 48 hours prior to flight departure. The
company’s cutting edge technology helps scan text
messages at the Jetstar kiosk in the check-in area.
The text message is a unique code, analyzed by the
kiosk at the check-in counter, to print boarding
passes. Passengers can also enter the number of
bags they are carrying and print tags for each of
them. Once this is done, they can drop their tagged
bags at the Jetstar bag drop and head to the
departure gate to board their flight.
IATA Recommendations
BCBP uses IATA industry standard 2D bar codes.
Because they can be accessed from
anywhere—even a mobile phone—they offer
increased convenience for the passenger. Because
the BCBPs do not need to be printed on paper and
facilitate off-airport check-in, they save the
industry up to US $1.5 billion every year.
The BCBP standard defines the 2D bar code and the
data contained in the bar code. An airline
implementing BCBP has to re-design the layout of the
boarding pass to include the 2D bar code. The BCBP
standard does not provide guidelines regarding the
size and position of the bar code, the human
readable data or the size of the boarding pass.
Recommended Practice 1706d Attachment A defines
the minimum data elements to be included on a
boarding pass.
 Passenger name
 Date of flight (DD/MMM)
 Marketing carrier
 Flight number (marketing carrier)
 Schedule departure time
 Cabin or class of travel
 From city
 To city
 Seat number
 Ticket type identifier (paper or electronic)
 Terminal/gate number
 Operated by
The following items, not available in RP 1706d but
used by airlines, may be added. Optional:
 Sequence number
 Booking reference
 E-ticket number
 Operating airline
 Agent type (e.g. Web)
 Gate close time
 Frequent flyer tier and number
 Remarks (e.g. wheelchair)
 Other travel information (e.g. where to drop a bag)
Bar Code Size
The recommended size, based on the definition of
the PDF417 standard, is:
 X Dim = 10 mils or 0.254 mm
 Y/X ratio = 3
 Y Dim = 30 mils or 0.762 mm
 Max size: 2.9 x 2.0 inch or 73.7 x 50.8mm
Module No.



X Dim is the width of the smallest element of the
bar code
Y Dim is the height
Max size is the size of the bar code at full capacity
(928 code words) using the X and Y Dim
Boarding Pass Layout
The layout below follows the recommendations on the
size of the boarding pass and the bar code, the human
readable text and the multiple flight documents:
Name
From
GENEVE
PARIS
CDS
MIAMI
ETKT
E-Ticket
MAX: 2.9 inch/73.7mm
Validating carrier (logo)
LASTNAME/F
To
PARIS
CDS
Fight
Date
Class
Seat
Sq
AF5106
06 Dec
Departure Gate close
08:55
08:40
Y
08A
155
MIAMI
AF4854
06 Dec
11:20
11:00
Y
44A
099
CANCUN
AF327
06 Dec
17:12
17:02
Y
10F
007
The vertical bar code provides a better quality
printing on older ATB printers. Notes:

The blue background represents the required
human readable items

The blue dotted line represents the quiet zone of
the bar code
Validating carrier (logo)
Name
From
GENEVE
PARIS
CDS
MIAMI
LASTNAME/F
The blue background represents the area where the
recommended layout of ATB size document applies.
The rest of the document below the blue background
can be used to provide travel information for the
passenger, including:




E-Ticket
ETKT
Departure Gate close
Similar recommendations apply to boarding passes
issued on the Web, except that the size of the boarding
pass depends on the paper used by the passenger.
To
PARIS
CDS
Fight
Date
Class
Seat
Sq
AF5106
06 Dec
08:55
08:40
Y
08A
155
MIAMI
AF4854
06 Dec
11:20
11:00
Y
44A
099
CANCUN
AF327
06 Dec
17:12
17:02
Y
10F
007
The horizontal bar code enables the agent to read
the text while scanning the bar code, when using a
type of desk-fixed scanners.
How to proceed in the airport with this boarding pass
Where to check-in baggage
Options to check that the flight is on time or to
change the booking
Legal notices on baggage and air transportation
The IATA BCBP initiative
has proposed the
following information to
be stored in the 2D
barcodes. This example
is for two segments and
all fields are populated.
ATB Size
Tools and Technologies: The application was
developed using the Objective-C in Cocoa framework
and SQLite for iPhone. For Blackberry, the application
was developed in Eclipse using Blackberry JDE and
J2ME. For Windows Mobile the application was
developed using .NET CF using Visual Studio. For
Symbian, the application was developed using
Symbian C++ using Carbide IDE.
But, for the purpose of SMS-based boarding pass, we
will have to define the information that needs to be
sent, as not all of the below information can be
contained in a single (displayable) SMS.
Case Studies on Mobile Technologies by
NIIT Technologies
1. B2C Framework for Mobile-Enabling an Airline
Business Need: This application was developed as a
framework to mobile-enable an airline. It involved
plugging into the airline’s existing business service
infrastructure, and providing functionality targeted for
the passengers on the move.
Key Considerations: As a start, this application was
developed for iPhone and later developed for
Android, Blackberry, Symbian, J2ME, and Windows
Mobile platforms. This is a native application with
online as well as offline access. The various
functionalities of this application include flight
search, flight booking, check-in using mobile
boarding pass, timetable, weather, maps, etc. This
application will be available for download from the
Apple App Store when ready.
Tools and
Technologies: The
application was
developed using the
Objective-C in Cocoa
framework and
SQLite for iPhone.
For Blackberry
platform, the
application was
developed in Eclipse
using Blackberry JDE
and J2ME. For
Windows Mobile, the
application was
developed using
.NET CF using Visual
Studio. For Symbian,
the application was
developed using
Symbian C++ using
Carbide IDE.
2. New Passenger-friendly Application
The wireless and mobile computing technology is
growing at an explosive rate across the world. The
increasing number of digital users, and the trend of
on-the-move business executives, demands that
mobile technology solutions expand to meet their
needs. As a solutions provider of mobile applications,
NIIT Technologies combines domain expertise,
knowledge base and intellectual capital to solve
critical mobile industry problems.
One of our marquee clients—Iberia—has truly taken
the next big leap in travel i.e., mobility. Our mobility
road map with Iberia extends to not only the current
developments, but also to the future requirements.
We have helped develop the Iberia mobile and native
applications (iPhone, Android, BB, and WP7). Iberia
mobile has a comprehensive range of functionalities
as compared with any other application of any other
airline. This mobile application offers customers
check-in, baggage tracking, arrival and departure
information, schedules, car hire, booking
management, contact center information and
language options, apart from a range of other services
to enhance customer experience and service levels.
The developed application has automated the entire
process and covers the following areas:
1. Online check-in: This application reduces the
waiting time at airport queues for travelers. It
allows the customer to check-in their
Iberia-operated reservations and receive a mobile
boarding pass with just the click of a button.
2.
Baggage tracking: This app eliminates the need
for manual reconciliation and ensures
automated delivery of real-time baggage data.
The entire workflow of baggage movement, from
check-in to a flight, can be viewed in the
WorldTracer record of the application.
3.
Arrivals and departures: NIIT Technologies
provides a mobile solution to extend the
passenger assistance information for better
service and enhanced customer satisfaction. The
application displays real-time flight status based
on the flight number, origin and destination or
airport and time.
4.
Air shuttle booking and schedules: The
application takes all the hassle out of getting to
the airport. E.g. it allows the customer to book a
reservation for the Madrid-Barcelona air shuttle.
The customer can also check the latest flight
schedules between Madrid and Barcelona.
5.
Booking management: The booking
management system is customer-friendly. It
allows customers to manage bookings and
retrieve information about a customer
reservation.
6.
Offers: The application provides access to the
best Iberia offers in air tickets for all leading
flights in countries like Spain, Europe or America.
7.
Change PIN: It allows the customer to change
their Iberia Plus access PIN by following a series
of steps anytime, anywhere.
8.
Avios balance: The application retrieves the
customer’s current Avios balance and also tracks
the last movements in his/her account.
9.
Subscriptions: The customer can manage the
type of mails they receive based on usage, taste
and needs. The customer can also manage how
Iberia communicates.
10. Promotions: There are a wide variety of
promotional deals available in the market. The
application allows the customer to retrieve the
current promotions and also alerts them to any
new offers available.
11. My boarding cards: Passengers can download their
boarding pass using this application. It eliminates
the long waiting periods at the check-in counter. It
allows customers to manage and download their
boarding pass on the phones.
12. Contacts: This application provides access to the
different customer care centers, (Iberia offices,
Iberia Plus centers), to meet the diverse needs of
the customer. There is an expert telesales and
telemarketing referral service that ensures
business needs are matched to the right call
center, using our call center locator. This solution
also increases the efficiency of customer relations
overall, and the Help Desk. The aim is to help
customers as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
3. Airlines’ Offline Timetable with Route Search
Business Need: This application was developed as a
PoC, internally in the company. The objective was to
develop an offline application to search routes for
the possible combinations and view the timetable for
corresponding flights. This application was mainly
targeted at customers who travel frequently and
would like to search flights on the move when they
don’t have Internet access.
Key Considerations: As a start, this application was
developed for iPhone and Blackberry and the plan is
to develop the same for J2ME, Symbian, Windows
Mobile, and Android platforms. The key challenge in
this project was the portability issue. In order to
handle this challenge, a portable database has been
implemented using index files that can run on all
platforms. In order to improve usability, the user
interface has been given more emphasis.
Tools and Technologies: The application was
developed using the objective-C in cocoa framework,
EclipseME for Blackberry
4. Job Search Using iMode, JSky and eZweb
Devices
Business Need: NIIT Technologies partnered with NTT
Data Japan to create a recruitment portal for one of the
largest recruitment companies in Japan. NIIT
Technologies was responsible for designing,
developing and implementing the website, which can
be accessed from any web browser or from any
iMode-, JSky- or eZweb-enabled Internet mobile device.
Some of the functionalities supported on mobile
devices are:
 Register and submit resume
 Set personal preferences for job selection
 Search for a job based on location:



Railway Line
Station Name
Freeword
Tools and Technologies: J2EE
Framework—comprising JSP, EJB, Servlets, Oracle 8i
enterprise database server, Weblogic, WML,
C-HTML, HDML and MML Application Architecture.
PC
The following diagram illustrates the
architecture—the same site www.froma.com can be
accessed from PC or any iModeJSky, or eZweb
enabled mobile devices.
WAP
iMode
JPhone
use Bean
Http Session
Front
Component
Access Control
Manager
Log Manager
Mobile Manager
User Account
Bean
. . .
JSP
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The NIIT Technologies Thought Board:
Cracking the Check-in Conundrum
What are the New Modes of Check-in in this Digital Age?
Web Check-in
Mobile Check-in
SMS Check-in
Phone Check-in
Automated
Check-in
What are Some of the Challenges that Passengers Face during Web Check-in?
No freedom to select seats
No mobile check-in for
travelers with baggage
No support for multiple
check-ins
Not available for countries
that require APIS
What Functionalities can Passenger-friendly Mobile Apps Provide?
Online check-in
Offers
Baggage tracking
Change PIN
Arrivals and
departures
Subscriptions
Promotions
Air shuttle booking
and schedules
Download
boarding cards
Booking
management
Call center
contacts
What Services beyond Check-in and Boarding Pass can Mobile Apps Provide
for Corporates?
Offline timetable with route
search for FFs
Access to job search portals
About the Author
Pratik Chandra Roy is a Business Solutions specialist with NIIT Technologies. He leads the Airline and Travel
Distribution sub verticals within the T&T (Travel and Transportation) practice. He specializes in the Airlines, Travel
Distribution, Airports and Travel agency sub verticals with over 10 years of experience in the domain. Pratik has over
15 years of experience in the IT industry and has worked for numerous verticals including manufacturing, retail,
banking, finance, and has wealth of technical, managerial, and business skills acquired across a wide range of
demanding roles in the software development area.
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focused on helping businesses design sustainable, optimizable and winning digital operating models, enabling them to become agile, scalable, and flexible.
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