Ever wondered what it would be like to reach the airport, skip the bag-drop process, head directly towards security, and board the plane? AirPortr, a baggage handling service provider, has partnered with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) to do just that for passengers at Zurich Airport.
Smart baggage offering to reduce congestion
AirPortr, a UK-based smart baggage management solutions provider, is taking its offering to Zurich Airport through its partnership with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and collaboration with Swissport – the airport ground services and air cargo handling provider.
The whole idea of the service is to provide a seamless, contact-free doorstep to destination and back again service where customers can travel without having to worry about lugging their bags. Passengers going for this option can reach the airport baggage-free, bypass terminal congestion and potentially lengthy queues at check-in, and head straight to security. On arrival, they can avoid the wait for their bags at the carousel and head straight to their final destination, baggage-free.
The service at Zurich is being provided after a successful trial phase at Geneva Airport.
How does it work?
Customers can book the service on AirPortr’s website and have their bags collected up to 23 hours before their flight. A vetted driver checks the passenger’s passport and boarding pass at their doorstep and seals their bags for secure transportation to the airport.
The bags are then checked in all the way through to the final destination, and passengers are sent digital baggage tags and are kept up to date on the status of their bags via email and SMS at every step of the way.
Follow Simple Flying for all the latest aviation news.
For the arrival service, passengers complete and digitally authenticate a simple 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. AirPortr then delivers the bags to the customer’s address within hours.
Encouraging sustainable travel
Passengers often skip public transport while traveling with heavy luggage as it can be quite inconvenient. AirPortr’s baggage service hopes to change that by taking bags out of the equation and making passengers more mobile.
Switzerland’s national railway operator, SBB, also sees the benefit in this and will be marketing the product, and supporting attractive pricing for consumers – which ranges from CHF39 (approx. $39) for 2 bags in Zurich and up to CHF69 (approx. $70) in areas further afield.
Randel Darby, Founder and CEO of AirPortr, commented,
“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.”
Making life easier
AirPortr platform aims to make several time-consuming on-arrival formalities less painful by automating the entire process. By advance-sharing of passenger data for the arrivals service, it allows authorities to be targeted and proactive with their screening and enforcement work.
It streamlines many processes such as the settlement of Customs charges, following which bags are ready to be cleared directly from airside areas, or baggage reclaims by Swissport and its delivery partners, removing pressure on congested terminal areas.
The service was well-received in Geneva. Let’s hope it receives the same reaction in Zurich as well.
What are your thoughts on this? Please let us know in the comment section below.