07/09/2004 by Rémi Gamba:

Finnair introduces text message check-in

Next month, Finnish national airline Finnair is to introduce the world’s first mobile phone service that enables passengers to check-in in advance for flights with a text message.

The service, based on an internationally patented invention of the Finnish company BookIT Oy, requires the customer activate the service and then answer a text message before each flight departure.

Text message check-in is a new service to be offered to Finnair Plus members, to be launched in October this year. The service will enable frequent flyers to go directly to the departure gate, by-passing the normal check-in procedure, if they are only travelling with hand luggage. If the customer has baggage to be carried in the hold of the aircraft, this must be left at a Baggage Drop desk in the departure hall.

Customers can activate the service by updating their Finnair Plus profile, either on the internet or through the Finnair Plus Service Centre. Updating the profile will give Finnair permission to send flight-related service text messages to a mobile phone number. If members update their profile information on the Internet themselves between September 9 and November 11, they will be awarded an extra 500 Finnair Plus points.

When the service has been activated, flight passengers will receive a check-in text message to their mobile phone before the departure of a flight covered by the service. Finnair will send the text message for morning departures during the evening before and for afternoon departures a couple of hours before the flight departure time. A seat will be allocated as far as possible according to the seat preference expressed in the profile.

Customers will confirm their check-in by answering the message sent by Finnair with one letter. After receiving the customer’s confirmation, Finnair will send to the mobile phone its own confirmation message detailing the necessary gate and seat information.

The text message check-in service will cover all Finnair’s scheduled international flight departures from Helsinki and Stockholm, when the flight ticket has been redeemed and the booking contains a Finnair Plus number. A check-in text message will not be sent in the case of connecting flights or when flights depart from elsewhere than Helsinki or Stockholm. In such cases, check-in can be performed at an airport automatic check-in machine or check-in desk.

Finnair’s new text message check-in service is the first text message-based service in the world to work on all mobile phone models and all operator connections without additional phone settings.
Aerosystems Oy, BookIT Ltd and Elisa Corporation participated in developing the service for Finnair.

http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=3041