AirAsia soon to launch less-touch, ‘seamless’ baggage check-in

(PNA photo)

MANILA — Malaysian carrier AirAsia aims to implement soon a “seamless” baggage check-in, where the passengers themselves would tag and drop their own baggage, creating less problem for everyone.

Using the seamless baggage check-in enables customers to check in their baggage by themselves, AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Dexter Comendador told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday.

“They just need to make sure their baggage is not more than 20 kilos. If it’s more than 20 kilos, (the tag) will not print automatically and they need to pay. Passengers will be the ones who will tag and drop their baggage,” he explained, “Less contact, less problem.”

AirAsia is continuously working on improving and maximizing the use of technology.

“Right now, we’re going digital,” Comendador said.

In terms of ensuring passengers’ safety, Commendador said the airline is already in Phase 2 of using its safety management system (SMS).

He said AirAsia uses AIRMAN (Aircraft Maintenance Analysis) which monitors what’s happening to the aircraft and its engine during a flight. AirAsia also uses Air FASE (flight analysis and safety explorer), which Comendador said monitors what the pilot is doing.

“So we can watch and monitor what’s happening to the engine, as well as what the pilot does,” he said.

If a pilot commits a mistake, Comendador said, a data is transmitted via a text message. “This is confidential. I will not know who the pilot is. Only the ‘gatekeeper’ can call the pilot for counseling and retraining,” he explained.

The airline CEO added that using these technologies aim to predict and prevent accidents.

“We use flight operations programs to monitor the planes anywhere in the world,” he added.

The firm also uses AMOS, a comprehensive, fully integrated software that manages maintenance, engineering, and logistics requirements of airlines.

Comendador related that AirAsia introduced a mobile app in 2000, where passengers can book and rebook their tickets. This app is being enhanced.

“We have already introduced the seamless check-in, in Singapore’s Changi Airport terminal 4, for example,” he added.

Meanwhile, Comendador said AirAsia will open more routes to China, as long as slots will be available.

“We’re currently the second largest airline in times of passengers being carried to China. We’re next to China Airlines,” he shared.

So far, the AirAsia Group has routes to Macau, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen.

“We will open more routes. But we need the slots, both here and there” he said.

Comendador explained that AirAsia needs terminal slots and takeoff slots here and in China.

“That is why we keep on pushing the government to build us more terminals, more airports,” he added.