German airline group Lufthansa has upgraded its AirlineCheckins app to offer new services to include airline-wide wi-fi on board and discounted lounge access worldwide.

 

The online service developed by Lufthansa Innovation Hub now not only checks in its customers, but also promises a significantly improved travel experience through the integration of further services.

 

Today, more than 40,000 registered customers from 132 countries are automatically checked in at over 220 airlines worldwide. The individual seating preferences, accompanying travellers as well as the individual frequent flyer program memberships of the users are considered. The service works for any airline offering online check-in. Once a person registers for AirlineCheckins free of charge, they never have to worry about checking in themselves again, a Lufthansa statement said.

 

Following the launch of the app for iOS and Android devices in June 2018, AirlineCheckins will now be expanded into a comprehensive travel service for frequent travellers.

 

"The check-in was an obvious gateway for us to reach frequent business travellers. Now that we have solved this problem, we are now systematically expanding our product range along the travel chain. At first, the focus will be on the more efficient use of travel time, which includes unlimited connectivity in the air and status-independent access to airport lounges," said Kristian Weymar, venture development manager and responsible project manager at Lufthansa Innovation Hub.

 

Based on the feedback of over 2,500 registered users, AirlineCheckins is now available in three different versions: 

 

AirlineCheckins FREE includes the usual check-in service and remains free of charge. Up to two check-ins per month are carried out automatically for registered users.

 

AirlineCheckins BASIC includes an unlimited number of automatic check-ins and current flight information (e.g. gate changes, delays) in real time. The package costs €4.99 ($5.83) for three months and ends automatically at the end of the time period.

 

In addition to an unlimited number of check-ins and real-time flight information, AirlineCheckins PLUS contains two significant added values: 

 

• PLUS users have unlimited wi-fi access on board of 36 airlines, including Air France, Eurowings, KLM, Lufthansa, SWISS and American Airlines, as well as 42 million wi-fi hot spots worldwide – in city centers, at railway stations, airports, and on trains. Users are neither limited in terms of data volume nor speed. This makes it possible, for example, to stream films during a flight.

 

• PLUS users continue to receive up to 20% discounts on over 370 lounges at most of the world's busiest airports. Lounges can be used regardless of membership or status for affiliated frequent traveller programs. 

 

The AirlineCheckins PLUS version costs €29.99 for a total of three months and ends automatically. In the initial phase, the availability of the model will be limited to 2,222 users. The decision to make any changes or to continue the packages beyond the test phase will be entirely dependent on user feedback. 

 

The AirlineCheckins PLUS package in particular offers significant advantages for frequent travellers: Depending on the airline and data volume, in-flight wi-fi access costs between 5 and 12 euros each route. – TradeArabia News Service