Alexandra Strobl

Director Product Management
Austrian Airlines

“The GroundSolutions Platform gives us the flexibility to develop services which excite our customers and increase our revenues.”

More service for the passenger

Modern check-in solutions from Lufthansa Systems are setting new standards for service and efficiency

In a hotly contested market, airlines must continually strive to make their operations more cost-efficient and to offer their customers a wider range of services. The introduction of the Lufthansa Systems GroundSolutions Platform for Austrian Airlines shows how these goals can go hand in hand.

Austrian Airlines set the bar very high when it decided to increase its automation and become one of the first airlines to offer passengers an online check-in option. "We want to take the lead in this field and provide our passengers with a first-rate product," said Alexandra Strobl, Director Product Management at Austrian Airlines. That means user-friendliness, fast system response times and the flexibility to integrate additional functionalities with ease.

When Austrian Airlines chose Lufthansa Systems as its provider, it was the start of a success story for both companies. Just seven months after the project started, passengers flying with Austrian Airlines could conveniently check in online. Thanks to the GroundSolutions Platform from Lufthansa Systems, the airline can now offer its customers a range of check-in options which outshines even that of much larger airlines. Customer acceptance has been overwhelming: In May 2010, the monthly figure surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time. The time saved by passengers is matched by personnel savings on the part of the airline.

The GroundSolutions Platform has fully met the expectations of Austrian Airlines, and not just as regards user figures. "The fact that this is a platform solution is very important to us," stresses David Reszner, Product Manager On Ground Product at Austrian Airlines. Everything comes from a single source, with a standardized service level agreement, clear points of contact and a uniform user interface which reduces training costs by around 50 percent.

Other new measures which will increase customer satisfaction and the airline's revenues are currently being planned for implementation together with the experts from Lufthansa Systems.