Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has expanded its successful collaboration with AirPortr and Swissport to offer innovative new baggage services at Zurich Airport. The announcement follows a successful trial phase at Geneva Airport.
The smart baggage offering is the first of its kind, streamlining the customer journey for departing passengers by allowing them to travel to the airport baggage-free, bypassing terminal congestion and potentially lengthy queues at check-in, and heading straight to security. On arrival, passengers can avoid the wait for their bags at the carousel after landing, instead heading straight to their final destination, baggage-free.
The implementation of the baggage offering creates a seamless, contact-free doorstep to destination and back again service.
This expansion marks the second deployment of AirPortr’s strategic partnership with Swissport, the leading provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling and will be available on all SWISS-marketed flights operated by SWISS, Lufthansa, Austrian and Edelweiss.
Randel Darby, Founder and CEO of AirPortr, said: “The launch of this new offering with our partners Swissport, SWISS and SBB represents a major progressive step toward enabling intermodal journeys for travellers and world class fly-rail transport systems of the future. Not only will it remove major pain points currently experienced by departing and arriving passengers, but it will also reduce queuing in the terminal, particularly at peak times. This creates compelling benefits for airlines and airport operators, helping them to realise tangible operational efficiencies, improve the customer experience and meet their sustainability targets.”
The advance-sharing of passenger data by the AirPortr platform for the arrivals service allows authorities to be targeted and proactive with their screening and enforcement work. The process also allows for the automation of time-consuming or manual activities such as processing and settlement of Customs charges, in turn leading to better resource utilisation. Passenger bags are then ready to be cleared directly from airside areas or baggage reclaims by Swissport and its delivery partners, removing pressure on congested terminal areas.
“Following our initial success with our new partnership with AirPortr, we can now further enhance our customers’ travel experience,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “The popularity of this simple ground baggage transport service between people’s homes and Geneva Airport has shown us already that there is a strong demand for coming to the airport less burdened with bags. So we’re really pleased to be extending this attractive option for our customers throughout the whole of Switzerland.”
