SWISS has been honoured with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Fast Travel Platinum Award for its wide range of innovative self-service facilities. Platinum status in IATA’s Fast Travel programme is only bestowed on airlines that offer at least 80% of their passengers self-services as defined by the airline industry’s umbrella association, such as online check-in. SWISS CEO Thomas Klühr accepted the prestigious distinction from IATA today in a ceremony at SWISS’s Kloten headquarters. SWISS has been an active member of the IATA Fast Travel program since it was launched in 2007.
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has become only the second network airline in Europe to receive the IATA’s Fast Travel Platinum Award. The distinction is bestowed on airlines that offer at least 80% of their passengers self-services as defined by the Association in areas such as check-in and baggage registration. SWISS offers its passengers a wide range of such self-service facilities, which are all designed to meet the growing customer demand for greater flexibility, individuality and control in their travel arrangements.
SWISS CEO Thomas Klühr accepted the award today on the company’s behalf from Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President Europe, in a ceremony at SWISS’s Kloten headquarters located next to Zurich Airport. “Tapping the very latest technologies to offer our customers the most comfortable and convenient air travel experience is one of our paramount service priorities,” said Thomas Klühr when accepting the award. “It’s something we’ve been working on consistently over the past few years. So we’re delighted to receive this IATA Platinum Award, which both confirms to us that we’re on the right track and encourages us to continue along it, too.”
Schvartzman declared: “Many congratulations to SWISS for achieving IATA Fast Travel Platinum status. According to industry surveys, over half of all passengers want to reduce waiting times in their air travel experience, and around three quarters of passengers worldwide want more self-service options. Industry-leading airlines like SWISS are at the forefront of such improvements to the passenger experience”.
On board from the start
SWISS has been an active member of the IATA Fast Travel program since its inception in 2007. SWISS’s own milestones on the self-service front include the launch of online check-in in 2006, and of mobile check-in in 2010. SWISS also introduced an additional automatic check-in function in December 2011. Automatic check-in, which can be requested via the swiss.com website, ensures that the customer is automatically sent their boarding pass by email (to print out) or by text message to their mobile phone a certain time before the flight’s departure.
A further key development in SWISS’s path to its IATA Fast Travel platinum status was the launch of new self-printable registered baggage labels in August 2015. With this latest innovation, travelers can now equip themselves with all the travel documents they need before arriving at the airport, saving them valuable time there.
This latest self-service option was initially adopted at Zurich and Geneva, but is now available at over one-third of all the points in the SWISS route network. “How and when the Home Printed Bag Tag can be further expanded at the European Union level now mostly depends on the European Commission’s next steps in the approval of this self-service option” IATA’s Schvartzman observed.
SWISS is the second European network carrier (after SAS Scandinavian Airlines) to receive the IATA Fast Travel Platinum Award. Worldwide, Fast Travel platinum status is now held by SWISS and eleven other carriers: Alaska Airlines, SAS, Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, Braathens Regional Aviation, Qatar Airways, Air Canada, Egyptair, Qantas Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and American Airlines.
The IATA Fast Travel program
IATA’s Fast Travel program is intended to help make air travel a more pleasant customer experience – particularly by reducing waiting times and improving flight punctuality. The program is focused on six key areas: check-in, baggage registration, document checks, rebooking, self-boarding, and baggage reclaim. IATA honors its member airlines with a Fast Travel Green, Gold or Platinum Award, depending on their services and facilities.