Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) is yet again pushing the boundaries of the self-service experience with the release of their fully automated SMS confirmations as part of their home-printed bag tag service.

SWISS recently became the latest carrier to launch home-printed bag tags, which are available to all passengers who check-in online when flying to and from Zurich and Geneva. The launch of the home-printed bag tag is part of the SWISS ‘Pre-Departure Communications’ service with 15below.

Home-Printed Bag Tags – How does it work?

1. When passengers check-in online, they have the option to print their baggage label at home up to 23 hours before departure. This includes for any onward connections with the exception of codeshare flights. 
2. Once check-in is complete, 15below generates a bag tag for the passenger, which they can download directly from the web check-in application, and print at home. The passenger then simply folds and inserts in a reusable SWISS plastic pouch that can be collected from the airport.
3. The passenger drops their bag off at the dedicated bag drop counters, or self-bag drops within the airport, receiving their baggage receipt via SMS or email.

The service is available on all flights from Zurich and Geneva, and in most airports outside of the EU (where regulations allow). SWISS will continue to launch across a wider range of locations in the near future.

What does this mean?

Enhanced customer journey and less traveller stress

The launch of SMS confirmation on bag tags means SWISS can provide a smoother customer journey through the airport. By providing the technology to self-serve, queues can be reduced at bag-drop points, and passengers can proceed stress-free to security.   

Smoother operations for staff

According to SITA, 57% of passengers now prefer using self-service rather than waiting at a check-in desk. By making passengers as self-sufficient as possible, this ensures a large majority of the laborious, manual process of bag tagging can be eradicated (or at least reduced) – giving staff the time and resource to focus on providing exceptional customer service as efficiently as possible.

Towards a more mobile experience

Mobile is the fastest-growing channel for check-in and boarding passes, with numbers expected to increase from 11% to 20% in 2016 (SITA). Despite this fast-growth, more than half of passengers prefer to receive notifications via SMS to other channels that require internet connectivity (IATA).

For passengers, it is essential to have that immediate reassurance that their bag is taken care of, without the annoyance of looking after a paper printout. Should anything go wrong, the first thing people turn to is their phone, so it makes perfect sense for SWISS to move towards a reliable SMS confirmation as part of the service.

15below & SWISS

15below were selected by SWISS earlier in 2015, to become the airline's overall notifications provider.  The deal – which launched in April with the introduction of e-tickets – encompasses the development and delivery of all SWISS operational passenger communications during and beyond their migration to Amadeus, including Disruption Management, Flight Status, Queue Manager and Itineraries & Receipts.  

Further information on the launch of SWISS pre-departure communications can be found here.