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Virgin Blue has revealed its new ‘Check Mate’ process which will allow passengers with smartphones to use them to complete check in and board domestic flights.
The airline has launched the first phase of the project, which involves its ‘mobile.virginblue.com.au’ website and a special BlackBerry application, which offer mobile check-in, seat selection and boarding via a 2D barcode scanning on smartphone devices for passengers travelling on direct flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Passengers will also be able to access other Virgin Blue information, such as Velocity and Lounge information through their mobile devices.
“We are excited to be the first airline in the country to be offering a full suite of mobile options, in particular the ability for people to actually make a flight booking, check themselves in on their way to the airport and then go straight to boarding with their 2D barcode,” said Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey.
The move, particularly to launch with a BlackBerry application, appears to be focused largely on time-poor corporate travellers, and brings it into line with other carriers which are adopting simplified check-in procedures and paperless boarding passes.
Virgin Blue says that it intends to roll out use of 2D barcodes across all Australasian ports in future phases of the project.
