Check-Mate! Virgin Blue first Australian airline to offer 2D barcode check-in via your mobile!

Gone are the days of booking the flight in advance at a desktop computer, getting to the airport, lining up to check-in and getting a printed boarding pass, with the new Check-Mate process eliminating all paper boarding passes in favour of electronic boarding passes on mobile devices including mobile phones, BlackBerry Smartphones and iPhones.

New technology will enable Virgin Blue travellers to make flight bookings, changes and cancellations across the entire Virgin Blue domestic network from their personal devices while on the run and at their convenience.

Phase one of the innovative project was launched this week via “mobile.virginblue.com.au” and a special BlackBerry Virgin Blue application. It offers mobile check-in, seat selection and boarding via 2D barcode scanning on personal handheld mobile devices for Virgin Blue passengers travelling on direct flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said, “Being at the forefront of technological advancements is critical to the Virgin Blue strategy to providing our Guests, especially those who are time poor, with the latest innovations to make their travel experience streamlined and speedy.”

“We are excited to be the first airline in the country to be offering a full suite of mobile options, in particular the ability for people to actually make a flight booking, check themselves in on their way to the airport and then go straight to boarding with their 2D barcode.”

The barcode will feature all the key information including flight number, boarding time, seat number and arrival time at destination.

Brett Godfrey added, “Not only does it eliminate paper boarding passes in favour of the more environmentally friendly electronic boarding pass, it heralds the beginning of a new and dynamic era for travellers who rightly demand more sophisticated and advanced means of going about their business and leisure travel.”

Flyers can easily log on via their personal devices and access other Virgin Blue information including Lounge membership information, details on special travel requirements, Velocity information and more.

Further cementing Virgin Blue’s technology leadership in the airline industry, the carrier has launched the downloadable App for BlackBerry smartphone users.

For Velocity members, Virgin Blue is partnering with WorldMate to provide key business travel planning services such as, itinerary management, travel alerts, currency converter and weather forecasts.

The new application is a feature rich and fast travel tool and offers key business travel planning services such as itinerary management, travel alerts, currency converter and weather forecasts.

While other carriers have introduced some mobile functionality such as mobile boarding passes, Virgin Blue is the first to offer a suite of products. The application was developed as a joint project between Virgin Blue’s own Internet Technology team and Dublin based Mobile Travel Technologies.

Future phases will include a range of functions including Australasia wide airport 2D scanning of bar codes for boarding and enriched mobile functionality across the Virgin Blue Group.