TRAVEL SMART

Virgin Atlantic is the first UK-based airline to introduce a digital health pass solution - By Estelle Randle

Before the age of Covid-19, airlines already had digital transformation firmly on their radar, from online check in and automated bag drops to the latest biometric face recognition and Virtual Reality experiences. Investing in new technologies and online and app-based innovations were central to improving customer experience and performance, and staying competitive.

As the world begins to reopen, the ability to easily provide evidence of our Covid-19 credentials - be that a negative test or vaccination – will be hugely important for the safe restart of international travel. As volumes of passengers gradually return to prepandemic levels, it's clear the key to more seamless travel lies in digital, contactless solutions that reduce the need to carry and verify paper travel documents.

In April, Virgin Atlantic was the first UK-based airline to trial one of the apps at the forefront of these solutions, the IATA Travel Pass, which offers a ‘onestop shop’ for customers to collect, store and verify documents on a secure smartphone app.

Customers flying from Heathrow to Barbados were invited to download the app and create a secure digital ID linked to their passport details. After testing negative, they could store their PCR results locally on their phone (rather than any central database) and use it at the airport instead of paper checks, avoiding long queues at both ends of their journey.

“Our innovative trial with the IATA Travel Pass and the Government of Barbados supports a smooth and streamlined experience, helping our customers to fly safe and well and navigate new travel requirements from the palm of their hands.”

Corneel Koster, chief customer and operating officer at Virgin Atlantic, said.

“When international travel restarts at scale; rapid, affordable testing and effective digital proof of Covid- 19 credentials based on global common standards will make journeys easier and provide greater confidence to book. We urge the UK Government to confirm that our customers can use digital apps and that these will be accepted at the UK border. The current paper-only-based processes will not be viable as customer numbers increase.”

Senator the Hon. Lisa Cummins, Barbados Minister of Tourism and International Transport said:

“COVID has taught us many things about how we transact business and those lessons include the reality that disruptive digital technologies are transforming our travel and tourism industry. We have to embrace technology that not only deals with the integration of travel and public health priorities but we also have to transform the entire travel experience and our airport experiences."

"With Covid-19 pre-departure testing requirements for international travel set to remain in place for now, in parallel to global vaccine distribution, the digital health technology gives clarity to customers to meet dynamically changing, route-specific travel restrictions and remove the guesswork to travel."

Virgin Atlantic is also trialling a similar digital test and verification solution with TrustAssure for customers travelling to the US. Travellers can securely upload their Covid-19 test documents pre-flight via a mobileoptimised website, and have them validated using its robust Artificial Intelligence system in less than two minutes. Once confirmed, they receive a QR code with a green verification, allowing them to proceed quickly through check in. The technology has already proven extremely effective in trials by their joint venture partner Delta Air Lines, and both are rolling out a more integrated service powered by the TrustAssure platform this month.

Expanding on Virgin Atlantic’s existing testing partnerships, Prenetics [EMEA Ltd] (‘Prenetics’), a leading UK and Hong Kong health and diagnostics business, will now be Virgin Atlantic’s preferred athome testing provider, with customers able to order a complete end-to-end travel testing bundle, tailored to their destination, via a dedicated microsite.

Each bundle is centred around the UK Government’s risk-based travel traffic light system for arrivals to England, which is subject to regular review. Customers receive clear and detailed step-by-step guidance on the Prenetics web pages, and the results of the rapid antigen test are returned within 15 minutes. For PCR tests, customers send their sample via a return envelope to an accredited Prenetics lab and receive their results within 24 hours via email or notification on the website. They then get a “Fit to Fly” test certificate, that can be presented within the digital pass solutions Virgin Atlantic is trialling, or in paper format as a backup.

Virgin Atlantic say:

“In parallel to the UK’s successful vaccination programme and accompanied by a risk-based, phased easing of restrictions, we can see a flightpath to soon allow the safe restart of international travel at scale. When the skies reopen, rapid, affordable testing combined with digital health integration will be vital to streamline and simplify the customer experience, make border health checks manageable and build consumer confidence. Governments, industry and technology companies need to work together to lead the adoption of digital solutions with global common standards that are accepted at borders.”