Travel-tech company Kiwi.com and Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary have improved their existing bud:connects program by adding the ‘Smart Pass’ feature.
Every traveler making a booking on Kiwi.com and requiring a transfer through Budapest can now avail themselves of a Smart Pass, which provides the Fast Track Lane option at no additional charge, as well as making them eligible for assistance at the bud:connects desk.
Customers who are traveling with checked luggage and have a connection of fewer than three hours can show the Smart Pass QR code to security personnel and be escorted through the Fast Track Lane at Budapest Airport, ensuring that they have enough time to catch their next flight.
bud:connects was launched in August 2019 to deliver a hassle-free and seamless experience to all customers with itineraries connecting through Budapest, as well as Virtually Interlined itineraries from Kiwi.com; which combine flights from airlines that do not normally cooperate.
“We are proud to cooperate with Budapest Airport and its bud:connects transfer product. Bringing together Kiwi.com Virtual Interlining technology and state-of-the-art on-site transfer assistance provided by bud:connects staff not only enhances passenger experience for our Kiwi.com customers but also improves connectivity through Budapest airport overall,” said Zdenek Komenda, chief business development officer at Kiwi.com.
Customers traveling with Kiwi.com who need information or have disruptions on their trip — like a missed connection due to a delayed flight — are protected by the Kiwi.com guarantee. They can visit one of the two bud:connects desks at the airport (in terminals 2A and 2B), for assistance.
Last year, Budapest Airport serviced 110,000 self-connected passengers, a number that is expected to double in the next three years.
Both services – bud:connects and Smart Pass – are also available on Kiwi.com’s partners’ portal Tequila.