"A major airline in Ireland reduces check-in lines and increases customer satisfaction levels when it engages IBM Global Technology Services to design, implement and support automated check-in kiosks to improve its check-in procedures"
"You'd be surprised how many Irish people fly IBM", ran the headline of a 1960's IBM advertisement, which celebrated the introduction of the most advanced airline booking system in the world at Aer Lingus. 'Combining a world famous Irish company, aiding its efficiency and reinforcing the reputation of the nation abroad', was an acknowledgement of a shared know-how between IBM and Aer Lingus. For the past fifty years, IBM and Aer Lingus have been cooperating together, rising to the challenge of reducing and managing the complexity of air travel and transportation. IBM has enabled Aer Lingus to concentrate on its most important mission: to make air travel appear simple and efficient for passengers, while making processes run faster and smoother.
During this time of working together, IBM and Aer Lingus have an increasing recognition that their relationship is geared towards innovation. To simplify any process takes real understanding. To successfully implement new processes, takes strategic planning, business re-engineering and change-management skills. It’s the combination of these skills, with sophisticated technology, that is revolutionizing the airline industry. By providing Aer Lingus with business consulting services and the latest technological infrastructures, IBM allows Aer Lingus to adapt and respond to the challenges it faces in an on demand world.
FastPass check-in service
More recently IBM have worked with Aer Lingus to transform the check-in operation at Dublin Airport by implementing the new self check-in service called FastPass. While many airlines have self check-in solutions, the Aer Lingus service is recognised as the leader in this field. FastPass is intended to be used by all business and leisure passengers. It is easy to use and empowers passengers to choose their own seating, check-in for onward flights and print their boarding passes. Passengers with luggage present their baggage for tagging at designated “Tag and Drop” desks.
When the Kiosks were initially installed at Dublin airport the take-up of the service by passengers was nothing short of dramatic. Within five months of its launch, FastPass became the primary channel of check-in. Currently, over two thirds of all Aer Lingus passengers at Dublin now use FastPass at check-in. Due to the overwhelming demand for this service at Dublin airport the service has been extended to airports in Cork, New York (JFK) and London (Heathrow), with equal success.
FastPass is all part of the ongoing development of Aer Lingus’ strategy of providing a better service for its customers while contributing to a positive experience of travelling with the airline.
“Since its introduction, FastPass has transformed the check-in experience for our customers at Dublin airport”, says Anne Bradley, Aer Lingus Dublin Airport Manager “FastPass gives us many more check-in points at the airport. Passengers can get their own boarding pass in less than a minute and no longer have to endure long queues. Quite simply, FastPass is now an essential part of our daily operation. In fact FastPass has been so successful that we quickly extended it to our other major airports.”
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