AirPortr and SWISS expand smart baggage services to Zurich Airport, SWISS’ network hub

AirPortr, the digital platform and provider of smart baggage management solutions, has expanded its successful partnership with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and its strategic collaboration with Swissport, to offer innovative new baggage services at SWISS’ network hub, Zurich Airport, following a successful trial phase at Geneva Airport. 

Underpinned by state-of-the-art, customer-centric technology, the smart baggage offering is the first of its kind, streamlining the customer journey for departing passengers by allowing them to travel to the airport baggage-free, bypassing terminal congestion and potentially lengthy queues at check-in, and heading straight to security. On arrival, passengers can avoid the wait for their bags at the carousel after landing, instead heading straight to their final destination, baggage-free.  

The implementation of the baggage offering creates a seamless, contact-free doorstep to destination and back again service. This expansion marks the second deployment of AirPortr’s strategic partnership with Swissport, the leading provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling and will be available on all SWISS-marketed flights operated by SWISS, Lufthansa, Austrian and Edelweiss.  

A step forward for intermodal travel 

By taking bags out of the equation, passengers become more mobile. This creates new opportunities for passengers to travel to and from the airport via public transport, driving more sustainable, intermodal travel. These compelling benefits have garnered the support of Switzerland’s national railway operator, SBB, who will be marketing the product, and supporting attractive pricing for consumers - which ranges from CHF39 for 2 bags in Zurich, and up to CHF69 in areas further afield. The service also complements SWISS and SBB’s existing Airtrain collaboration, by making public transportation to the airport a viable option for many who wouldn’t previously have considered it. This in turn aims to increase utilization of SBB services, whilst removing baggage from trains throughout Switzerland. 

Randel Darby, Founder and CEO of AirPortr, said: “The launch of this new offering with our partners Swissport, SWISS and SBB represents a major progressive step toward enabling intermodal journeys for travellers and world class fly-rail transport systems of the future. Not only will it remove major pain points currently experienced by departing and arriving passengers, but it will also reduce queuing in the terminal, particularly at peak times. This creates compelling benefits for airlines and airport operators, helping them to realise tangible operational efficiencies, improve the customer experience and meet their sustainability targets.” 

An improved passenger journey  

Booking these services is easy and fast and can be done at any time by visiting  www.airportr.com/swiss.  

On departure, customers can then be collected from any Swiss address up to 23 hours before their flight. A friendly and vetted driver validates the passenger’s passport and boarding pass at their doorstep and seals their bags for secure transportation to the airport, where they are checked-in all the way through to their final destination. Passengers are then sent digital baggage tags and are kept up to date on the status of their bags via email and SMS at every step of the way.  

After booking the arrival service, passengers complete and digitally authenticate a simple customs e-declaration via AirPortr’s web app prior to their flight, which is then - with the passenger’s consent - digitally shared with local Customs authorities. That’s it, the rest is handled by AirPortr – who will deliver the bags to the customer’s address within hours.  

Streamlining Customs processes 

The advance-sharing of passenger data by the AirPortr platform for the arrivals service allows authorities to be targeted and proactive with their screening and enforcement work. The process also allows for the automation of time-consuming or manual activities such as processing and settlement of Customs charges, in turn leading to better resource utilisation. Passenger bags are then ready to be cleared directly from airside areas or baggage reclaims by Swissport and its delivery partners, removing pressure on congested terminal areas. 

“Following our initial success with our new partnership with AirPortr, we can now further enhance our customers’ travel experience,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “The popularity of this simple ground baggage transport service between people’s homes and Geneva Airport has shown us already that there is a strong demand for coming to the airport less burdened with bags. So we’re really pleased to be extending this attractive option for our customers throughout the whole of Switzerland.” 

By de-centralising the airport processing of both departing and arriving passengers, at scale these products can facilitate higher passenger throughput within the same airport infrastructure, or even an entirely new approach to terminal infrastructure design. Combine this with compelling sustainability credentials and a transformed passenger experience, and AirPortr’s smart-baggage products have never been more relevant to the traveller journey, both now and in the future.