Smart baggage management solutions provider AirPortr is to launch its at-home baggage check-in services at Zurich Airport in Switzerland, following a trial phase at Geneva Airport.
On departure, customers’ luggage can be collected from any Swiss address up to 23 hours before the flight. A vetted driver validates the passenger’s passport and boarding pass at their doorstep and seals their bags for secure transportation to the airport, where they are checked in all the way through to their final destination. Passengers are then sent digital baggage tags and are kept up to date on the status of their bags via email and SMS. After booking the arrival service, passengers complete and digitally authenticate a customs e-declaration via AirPortr’s web app before their flight, which is then – with the passenger’s consent – digitally shared with local customs authorities. Then AirPortr will deliver the bags to the customer’s address.
AirPortr’s advance sharing of passenger data for the arrivals service is expected to help authorities to be targeted and proactive with their screening and enforcement work. The process also enables the automation of time-consuming or manual activities such as processing and settlement of customs charges. 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.
These services will be provided as part of an expanded partnership with Swiss International Air Lines and its collaboration with ground services provider Swissport. By enabling passengers to travel to the airport baggage-free, this solution is expected to help them bypass terminal congestion and queues at check-in, and head straight to security. On arrival, passengers can avoid the wait for their bags at the carousel, instead heading straight to their destination, baggage-free. Decentralizing the airport processing of departing and arriving passengers at scale, these products are expected to facilitate higher passenger throughput within the same airport infrastructure or even a new approach to terminal infrastructure design.
Removing bags from the equation is also intended to create new opportunities for passengers to travel to and from the airport via public transport, driving more sustainable, intermodal travel. These benefits have garnered the support of Switzerland’s national railway operator, SBB, which will be marketing the product and supporting attractive pricing for consumers. This will range from CHF39 (US$40) for two bags in Zurich to CHF69 (US$71) in areas further afield.
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 travelers 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 realize tangible operational efficiencies, improve the customer experience and meet their sustainability targets.”
Tamur Pour, chief commercial officer at Swiss, said, “Following our initial success with our new partnership with AirPortr, we can now further enhance our customers’ travel experience. 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.”