SMS gateways enable m-tickets for airlines

SMS messages have been used in the travel industry for more than a decade, but are only now being used in m-ticketing for airlines.

With airlines under increasing pressure from the rising costs of fuel, many are looking for innovative ways to still deliver quality service while decreasing their operational expenses.

UK airline, Ryanair, has recently come under criticism for doing away with their airport check-in desks and charging customers a fee if they have not pre-printed their boarding cards. They have also proposed eliminating baggage handlers by using passengers to carry luggage to the plane, charging passengers to use the in-flight toilet, and have even suggested charging for the use of sick bags.

However, not all airline cost-cutting measures need be as aggressive. A few airlines are saving costs by offering mobile ticketing services, which reduces the need for the check-in desk to issue boarding passes.

Along with other quality international airlines, Australia’s Qantas has embraced the mobile era, and has been offering SMS message services to their clients for a few years now. It is now possible to receive flight information on your phone, no matter where in the world you are, including notifications if departure times have been changed. If your mobile phone is WAP-enabled, then you can also view the airline’s current timetable, their booking information, plus access contact details for Qantas offices around the world.

Qantas Executive General Manager, John Borghetti, believes that ‘this system would give people the option of a paperless check-in and make the process faster and easier’. Mobile boarding passes are just the latest part of a broader mobile strategy for this Australian airline, which is looking to make more information and services available through portable devices, including the new iPhones.

The shift toward a paperless ticketing system is of benefit to both airlines and passengers. From the customer’s point of view, it is convenient to have the boarding pass information on your mobile phone, you never need to print it out or remember to bring it along with you. Mobile boarding passes also speed up check-in queues and baggage handling. Besides the cost-cutting advantage offered to airlines and the convenience for passengers, paperless mobile ticketing also helps the environment, as it eliminates the printing of millions of tickets and boarding passes.

In light of this, 2008 saw a host of airlines roll out mobile boarding pass applications. Using SMS gateway APIs (application programming interfaces), the boarding pass information can be sent from the airline ticket server, through the SMS gateway and onto any mobile phone via SMS, along with a two-dimensional barcode, just a WAP link away. This barcode is then scanned at the airport, which means that the only documentation you need with you is either an identification document for domestic flights or your passport for international flights. The technology can be used at check-in counters, baggage areas, at customs, to gain entrance to lounges, and for boarding the aeroplane. Alongside the secure bar code, the mobile boarding pass contains your flight number, seat number, and departure and arrival time.

M-ticketing solutions for airlines are simple and just an SMS gateway API away.

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Tags: API, application programming interface, m-ticketing, mobile boarding pass, mobile boarding passes, mobile messaging, mobile ticketing, SMS, SMS gateway, SMS gateway APIs, text messaging