A simple shake of the wrist signals the smartwatch to display the barcode. The code can then be scanned during the boarding process in the same way one would scan a digital boarding pass on an iPhone at the boarding gate.
Users of airberlin’s iPhone app can also send a digital boarding pass to their smartwatch, if they have a Pebble or Pebble Steel Smartwatch. The user’s smartphone and watch will subsequently synchronise – making boarding directly with the smartwatch possible. The smartwatch was launched on the crowdfunding portal Kickstarter in 2012 and is one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns. To date, Pebble has sold over 400,000 smartwatches worldwide.
“airberlin is the world’s first airline to offer iPhone users the possibility of boarding using a barcode downloaded to their smartwatch. The watch also displays a quick overview of the flight guest’s departure time, gate number and seat. This option makes opening the boarding pass on the iPhone or even searching for the paper pass in your purse a thing of the past. It’s just another step airberlin is taking to simplify the boarding process through technical innovation,” says Andre Rahn, Senior Vice President Marketing at airberlin.
A simple shake of the wrist signals the smartwatch to display the barcode. The code can then be scanned during the boarding process in the same way one would scan a digital boarding pass on an iPhone at the boarding gate.
This move expands airberlin’s portfolio of mobile services: After making an electronic booking on airberlin.com, the airline’s mobile website or at a travel agency, flight guests can still check-in for free up to 30 hours before departure using the website, mobile site or app.
At the same time, airberlin provides an update of its iPhone app. In addition to a new design, the app includes numerous new features. Flight guests can now view and manage current and previous flights in the booking history, among other new options. The app offers useful information on the destination and serves as a mobile tour guide.
airberlin is one of the leading airlines in Europe and flies to 147 destinations worldwide. The second largest airline in Germany carried more than 31.5 million passengers in 2013. airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21% share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld airline alliance. The airline with the award-winning service operates codeshare flights worldwide with 16 airlines. The fleet has an average age of five years and is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
