Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand issued smart stickers from On Track Innovations (OTI) to 100,000 of its most frequent domestic travellers in November 2008, as part of a major improvement in its check-in processes.
Air New Zealand frequent flyers are able to attach the sticker to the back of their mobile phone and then use it as a permanent boarding pass. At the airport, they simply present their handset to specially equipped kiosks or gate scanners and their information is immediately retrieved, making the boarding process entirely paperless.
Starting with Auckland airport, the smart stickers form part of a NZ$30m investment by Air New Zealand in improving the airport experience at all of the 26 domestic terminals it uses. Other changes included a new state-of-the-art check-in and boarding experience, introducing a new layout and design, new kiosks that enable customers to print their own bag tags, a ‘direct to conveyor belt’ bag drop zone to eliminate queues, new gate scanners for ‘straight to gate’ check-in and boarding for customers without bags and several new technological enablers for frequent flyers.
Gate scanners were installed at all domestic airports from launch whilst the kiosks are being introduced more gradually at other airports, beginning with Christchurch and then Wellington. But, the airline says, “for the time being, the Air New Zealand program will not be utilizing the sticker’s payment capabilities.”
Commenting on the new programme at the launch, Air New Zealand’s Bruce Parton explained the thinking behind the project. “We challenged ourselves 12 months ago to create and deliver a new experience that would allow our customers to move quickly and seamlessly through domestic airports. Our goal was to get rid of frustrating queues, cut customer waiting time and make checking in and boarding as quick and easy as possible.”
