Why does Air France rely on SMOOSS?
Context
In the current pandemic, national authorities require passengers to carry with them a set of documents to be shown before departure or on arrival (vaccine certificate, test result, passenger locator form...). This process has led to increased waiting time at airports for check-in and boarding.
Air France aimed at offering customers a smoother journey by eliminating successive checks, and also without worrying about the health documents that will be asked.
SMOOSS Solution
Thanks to its platform connected to Air France's Passenger Service System (PSS), SMOOSS was able to launch a new product for health documents validation in just a few weeks:• Air France's teams can define the required documents according to the origin/destination and the travel period• Air France's passengers will receive an email a few days before departure, informing them of the documents required and suggesting to upload them so that they can be pre-checked • Passengers receive a confirmation, which is updated in the PNR by adding a dedicated element. This element will result in the tag 'Ready2Fly' printed on the passenger's boarding pass.
Results
In the first two months of launching the service, more than 110,000 Air France customers have been "Ready to Fly". Air France is still rolling-out the service on new destinations. Checking passenger's documents at the airport takes 1 to 2 minutes per passenger. For an aircraft of 200 passengers, it means 3 to 6 hours of airport's agent that can be saved.
Air France passengers also enjoy the service. In a TV broadcast, an Air France passenger described this solution as "pure happiness" as she could travel stress-free without worrying if any document was missing. At airports, Air France passengers are only required to show the 'Ready2Fly' tag on their boarding pass and they can simply proceed to boarding.
In the Press
Stress-free journey for passengers
"An innovative service allowing customers to ensure they have all the required health documents for a smooth journey. With "Ready to Fly", Air France goes one step further by offering its customers the certainty of knowing that they have all the health documents required for their trip before they arrive at the airport."
'Ready to Fly’ for easy health verification
"Air France’s ‘Ready to Fly’ service allows for easy health verification. With this solution, the airline ensures its customers enjoy a relaxed start to their journey. If a document is missing or incomplete, customers will receive a notification to transfer the missing documents or to present them at the airport on the day of their trip."
Great news for Air France passengers (French TV with captions)
"The software tells me which documents are required for the destination. If everything is in order, the registration is validated. The passenger is ready to take off. All personal data are deleted after each verification. After a few trials, Air France is generalizing this boarding system."