QF int’l boarding pass tech

SUGGESTED as “the first step towards more seamless travel across the Tasman,” Qantas has today launched mobile check-in and digital boarding passes on flights between Australia and NZ.

The move eliminates the need for passengers on trans-Tasman flights to queue up for a printed boarding pass, speeding up the check-in process.

“The new technology allows eligible customers...to finalise check-in & passport checks online and head straight to the lounge or boarding gate after passing through immigration and security - all with digital boarding pass on their mobile device,” Qantas said.

The new offering is available now on QF’s 252 return weekly services between Australia and New Zealand through qantas.com on the web and mobile, and will be extended to the QF app in Jun.

Implementation is expected to be completed at all relevant airports by early next year.

Qantas said it is also looking to deploy the technology to other destinations on its int’l network.

This latest tech advancement comes as Qantas gave its backing to Australian and New Zealand government efforts to streamline border processing for passengers flying across ‘the ditch’.

QF is calling for a renewed push to make the experience more like domestic air travel, a move that was addressed by New Zealand’s Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief Chris Roberts last week at TRENZ in Auckland ( TD 11 May).

Qantas International ceo Gareth Evans said the ultimate goal of the new technology is to make it the ‘new normal’ for int’l routes.