How SITA’s Digital Travel Streamlines Airline Operations and Superior Service – Travel And Tour World

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The digital transformation of travel is revolutionizing every sector of the industry, and now it’s time for air transport to fully embrace this change. At SITA, we’re ready to deliver on our promises today. This transformation will benefit all stakeholders, including airlines, airports, governments, and travelers.

A Win for Airlines

Airlines invest significant resources to ensure they know who their passengers are and whether they are permitted to travel to their destinations. Compliance with complex and evolving regulations is critical for safety and security. However, manual checks are time-consuming, costly, and not always accurate. They also heighten passenger anxiety and dissatisfaction due to long queues. Incorrect handling of these processes can lead to fines and security risks.

Airlines are adopting a “Digital First” strategy, promoting self-service check-in 24 hours in advance. SITA’s Digital Travel extends this strategy, enabling document checks and other processes to be completed at home. Utilizing biometrics, Digital Travel automates many manual tasks, allowing staff to focus on better serving passengers. This reduces the burden on frontline staff and can even move some processing away from the airport through online biometric enrollment.

Additionally, airlines aim to enhance their retailing experience through Know Your Customer (KYC) initiatives, which verify passenger identities and strengthen relationships. Digital Travel supports KYC, facilitating personalized services and promotions in partnership with car rental companies and hotels, creating a seamless travel experience.

Digital Travel also allows airlines to improve the passenger experience, integrate with other customer services like lounge access and loyalty programs, and explore new revenue streams through trusted digital identities.

A Win for Airports

Airports are among the most complex operational environments, managing numerous processes simultaneously. Factors like weather, scheduling, and maintenance can impact operations significantly.

As passenger numbers grow, digital travel can alleviate terminal congestion by increasing throughput and off-airport processing. Biometrically enabled journeys make check-in, bag drop, and boarding faster and more efficient, reducing queues.

Digital travel frees gate agents from administrative tasks, enabling them to focus on enhancing customer satisfaction, particularly for elderly passengers, young families, and travelers with disabilities.

A Win for Governments

Governments prefer to know who is entering their country well in advance, ideally before departure. Digital travel allows for preliminary security and immigration checks before the journey begins, including issuing electronic travel authorizations or eVisas. Pre-clearing passengers with government-grade digital identity credentials, like the Type-1 ICAO DTC, enhances security and allows immigration officers to focus on higher-value duties, improving the visitor experience.

Passengers overwhelmingly favor convenience and a hassle-free journey. Surveys show that 87% are willing to share immigration information to expedite the airport arrival process, and 91% support programs for expedited security screening for trusted travelers. Travelers tend to avoid countries with lengthy immigration processes, preferring destinations that offer smoother entry procedures.

A Win for Travelers

In the digital age, most people interact with technology daily and are accustomed to using biometrics with their devices.

Digital travel extends this interaction, allowing passengers to move seamlessly through airports and onto aircraft. Travel credentials can be securely stored on mobile devices, giving passengers control over their digital identities and how they are used. Biometrics offer enhanced protection for personal data compared to physical documents.

Through airline or airport apps, passengers can enjoy loyalty programs, special offers, and improved service throughout their journey.