Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance, has begun developing a set of location and map-based digital tools for integration into the mobile apps of their member airlines. The first of these, Star Alliance’s digital version of its Connection Service product, is designed to make traveller’s airport experiences easier during COVID when personal interactions are minimized.
Launched last September with Singapore Airlines at London Heathrow Airport, the service is planned for rollout to other member airlines and additional transfer intensive airports.
Created in partnership with UK-based digital location and mapping product company Living Maps, the digital Connection Service is designed to curate the airport connection journey with route guidance based on the individual passenger’s location, itinerary and profile, including guidance from arrival to departure gate, transit time and, in the case of critical connections, a digital express connection card that will allow expedited passage through checkpoints.
Christian Draeger, Star Alliance Vice President Customer Experience, said: “In order to face the challenge of assisting customers in managing close flight connections in times of COVID-19… we’ve had to look for innovative digital solutions. In Living Map, we have found a partner whose technology and vision complements ours and with whom we truly believe we can make transferring between flights a smooth, intuitive, frictionless and touchless experience.”
The product will see continual development releases that will add to and enhance connection journey features, while adding new user journeys in the future.
The service is built upon Living Map’s Airline Accelerator technology – a set of the company’s location, routing and mapping products configured for the air travel industry. Living Map’s advanced routing product provides the foundation of the digital Connection Service’s curated journeys as displayed on highly accurate and detailed digital maps. The project can quickly scale to multiple airports thanks to Living Map’s patented indoor positioning product, which enables ‘blue dot’ positioning in any indoor and outdoor space, without the need for specific hardware infrastructure.
Star Alliance members include Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.