The world´s first automatic check in
KLM now introduces MATERNA CUSS terminals at Vienna airport
Dortmund, Germany, 15 November 2004
Airlines rely on quick check-in facilities enabling passengers to check themselves in by using their tickets, credit cards or mile cards. A new generation of check-in terminals allows for a comfortable check-in of both you and your luggage, independent on the airline the passenger flies with. The software comes from MATERNA Information & Communications and has been certified by IATA (International Air Transport Association).
IATA and its partners have developed a standard that allows the airlines involved to share the same hardware and software. This is to improve the check-in service for the annually growing number of passengers. CUSS (Common Use Self Service) is an international standard that makes it possible to connect various applications to a software platform very easily. The idea is to enable all airlines to use the same check-in terminals provided and maintained by the airport.
Vienna airport is CUSS pioneer
Vienna airport was the first airport in Europe that introduced CUSS. In October 2003, Vienna airport carried out a test operation on terminal 1 with ten CUSS check-in facilities for carry-on baggage and five for luggage, enabling passengers starting, returning or continuing their flights with any member of Star Alliance from Vienna to check-in automatically both themselves and their luggage, without being helped by any airline employee. Of course, this test was carried out subject to all usual security checks. Consequently, Vienna airport and MATERNA could jointly present the first solution worldwide enabling passengers to check in their complete luggage by means of a CUSS terminal.
So far, around 184,000 passengers have used CUSS to check in. 130,000 tickets have been read and printed with boarding information, 160,000 boarding cards have been printed and 60,000 pieces of luggage have been checked in. In June 2004, in Vienna the number of CUSS self check-in terminals was increased to 29 CUSS self-service terminals, in total, 20 for carry-on baggage and nine for luggage. Many passengers prefer this relatively quick alternative to a counter check-in.
Encouraged by the great success of CUSS, Vienna airport immediately also provided its new City Air Terminal with eight CUSS self-check-in machines, four for carry-on baggage and four for luggage, for all Star Alliance passengers.
Dutch airline KLM follows
The domestic Austrian airline group and Lufthansa represent two renowned international airlines using these kind of check-in facilities right from the start. Since September, also KLM passengers have been provided with two CUSS check-in terminals, on terminal 2. It is planned to enable also KLM passengers to use the four carry-on baggage machines in CAT, soon.
Other airlines are also very interested in the Viennese CUSS solution. This is because CUSS enables airlines to improve their customer service and to save costs at the same time. After the individual application has been developed it can be used in every CUSS terminal. This solution is of particular interest for airports that are rarely frequented. It gives airlines the possibility of a quick self-check-in, without having to spend a lot of money for the acquisition and maintenance of a proprietary solution.
The implementation of CUSS at Vienna airport was realized by MATERNA and Flughafen Wien AG (Vienna airport) in a joint project. In Dortmund, at the premises of the software company MATERNA, the platform was developed and the check-in software was adapted to the requirements of the above mentioned airlines.
MATERNA GmbH Information & Communications
MATERNA is a leading software company in the field of information and communication technology. The company employs worldwide 1.100 staff members and its turnover was estimated to more than 142 million Euros for the year 2003. Beside the head office in Dortmund, the company has offices and subsidiaries located all over Germany as well as in Austria, Belgium, Czech republic, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and USA. The Business Unit Communications offers products and solutions from the business area Mobile Solutions and Unified Messaging. This includes in particular value-added services for mobile and fixed net on base of SMS, MMS, WAP and Mobile Java which are distributed under the brand name Anny Way. The Anny Way Academy is active on the market in terms of trainings and consulting services as found in practice. In the Business Unit Information, MATERNA develops integrated IT solutions for process optimization involving companies and public administration. This includes the topic fields Portals, Information Management, Service and IT Infrastructure Management.
For further details, please contact:
MATERNA Information & Communications
Antje Krämer
antje.kraemer@materna.de
Phone +49 173 70 11 085
www.materna.comwww.annyway.com
