Virgin Australia cuts check-in times 50 per cent with Virgin Check In
Virgin Australia said its virgin check in changes to the mobile app and airport process will cut domestic airport check-in times by 50 per cent. The airline tied the update to a one-step bag drop and new app functions for Velocity Frequent Flyer members.
Alex Plummer, Virgin Australia general manager, digital, said in a statement: “We’re incredibly focused on investing in the customer experience and that starts with digital ease — something our customers expect today,” and “Today's update is a major step forward in our mission to be Australia's most-loved airline; allowing customers to check-in, manage their booking and move through the airport in a way that's never been done before by an Australian airline.”
Virgin Australia app changes
The airline said Velocity Frequent Flyer members will be able to change flight times in its app. It also introduced a new one-step bag drop process with automatic bag recognition, using new bag tag printers and camera and barcode recognition technology.
Guests will scan their boarding pass to print a bag tag, then drop off the bag without rescanning it. Virgin Australia said about 8 in 10 guests already use its mobile app or online tools to manage bookings, which gives the update an immediate audience inside the airline’s existing digital system.
One-step bag drop
The airport change removes a second scan from the bag-drop flow. Virgin Australia said the process uses automated recognition at the bag drop itself, so travelers move from tag printing to bag handoff in one step.
For passengers, that means the app and the airport counter now work as one process rather than separate tasks. The airline is pushing more of the trip into digital tools that many guests already use, instead of requiring a fresh check-in sequence at the airport.
Virgin Australia 2000 rollout
Virgin Australia said it was the first Australian airline to launch online check-in in 2000. It has recently also allowed pets to travel in the cabin with passengers, and it said it was the first airline in Australia to have baggage tracking and to offer rewards for sitting in the middle seat.
The latest change extends that same pattern into the first part of the airport journey. Travelers who already use the app or online booking tools now have a faster path through check-in and bag drop, while those who do not use digital tools will still face the older airport process until they switch.
