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ACSA gets 2D booking system

Jacob Nthoiwa
By Jacob Nthoiwa, ITWeb journalist.
Johannesburg, 30 Sept 2010

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has introduced a self-service system that allows passengers to book tickets online or via their mobile phones, as well as print their own boarding passes.

Passengers will no longer have to queue at the airport for check-in as their seat is assigned at the time of booking, and they can also print their boarding pass on any home laser or ink-jet printer, ACSA said in a statement.

Even though the system went live for domestic flights this month, international travellers will soon be able to use the new 2D barcode as soon as the Department of Home Affairs approves it.

Global move

“The 2D barcode verification system is the new standard in air travel that has been adopted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), bringing us in line with global practices,” the airport company says.

IATA called for check-in that enables airlines to send 2D barcodes directly to a passenger's mobile phone, PDA or smartphone. Passengers register their mobile number with their airline at the time of booking to receive a text message with a 2D barcode, or instructions to download it. The barcode becomes the passenger's boarding pass and it is read directly from the mobile device's screen, eliminating paper completely from the check-in process.

The system will be available for domestic travel on the following media: Check-in counter printed boarding passes, common-user self-service printed boarding passes, home printed boarding passes and mobile devices, says ACSA. A 2D barcode printing service will be available at check-in counters for passengers who do not have the ability to print their pre-booked boarding pass.

For international travellers, all of the above will be scanned, except for the 2D boarding passes on mobile devices, according to ACSA.

According to ACSA's group executive for airport operations, Bongani Maseko, passengers who use the 2D boarding pass are required to carry positive identification, which must be produced at the boarding gate. “An ongoing education and information campaign will be implemented by ACSA to help passengers and the industry to make the necessary adjustments to this new system.”

He says it is not only passengers that will benefit: “There are equal benefits for airlines, as the volume of people using their check-in desks will diminish, while giving them real-time monitoring of which passengers have already checked into the secure area.”

Simplifying operations

ACSA has been working with industry players and partners over the past two years to put in place the system that requires the implementation of certain technologies, standards and functionality, he points out.

ACSA says it worked with industry bodies such as the Airlines Association of Southern Africa and the Board of Airline Representatives of SA to ensure a smooth and collaborative implementation.

In 2007, IATA developed a detailed technical specification for the 2D barcode system to ensure compliance and inter-operability between the different participants. According to IATA, the industry set a deadline for the end of 2010 to implement 100% bar-coded boarding passes (BCBP).

It says upon full implementation, BCBP will save the industry over $500 million annually. “A 2D standard for paper bar-coded passes was established in 2005 and is the basis for Web check-in. Both standards (mobile and paper-based) can be issued and accepted by airlines worldwide,” IATA points out.

The global introduction of BCBP to replace magnetic strip technology is one of five 'simplifying the business' projects introduced by IATA in 2004. These projects aim to use technology to make travel more convenient while saving $6.5 billion in costs, it says.

IATA's director general and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, says passengers want the convenience of self-service options in a paperless environment. “This standard is an important step in getting rid of paper that bogs down processes and drives up costs.”

The system is being rolled out in a phased manner, starting with OR Tambo, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein International Airports, and George and Kimberley Airports. King Shaka International and three other airports will be operational by the end of the year, according to ACSA.

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