Qantas has become the latest carrier to announce the rollout of check-in using internet-enabled mobile devices on its domestic services.
Under its Mobile Check-in initiative, passengers with Blackberrys, iPhones and other web-enabled mobile devices will be able to check-in between 24 hours and 45 minutes prior to departure. A 2D bar code is then sent to their phone which is then scanned by a reader at the gate, and a boarding receipt is printed with their name, frequent flyer details, flight number and seat allocation.
Ports that have launched Mobile Check-in include Sydney Terminal 3, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Gladstone, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Ayers Rock, Alice Springs, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha, Newman, Paraburdoo and Port Lincoln. There are also plans to roll out Mobile Check-in to Adelaide, Cairns, Sydney Terminal 2, Newcastle and Port Hedland in coming months.
The airline says that Mobile Check-in is being launched in the context of its broader Next Generation Check-in project, which will be initially launched at Perth Airport in July ahead of a wider rollout across its CityFlyer ports in 2011.
Virgin Blue recently launched its own mobile device specific website and Blackberry app which utilise 2D barcodes for check-in, which it is gradually rolling out across its Australasian network. The airline currently offers it on flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
