QR Code Boarding cards “will boost duty-free sales”

QR codes on boarding cards will lead passengers to promotional offers, according to technology developers

Airline passengers will be able buy duty-free goods in addition to printing their boarding pass and checking in when quick response (QR) codes start appearing on their boarding passes, according to specialists involved in the development of such apps.

QR code apps are now widely available for mobile devices as they facilitate the ease of transfer from the printed word to a web page which can provide comprehensive product information, according to UK software developer Securidox MD Mark Scott.

“Consumers see the QR code on a poster, news or journal page and scan the code to gain more knowledge directly on the web. The inclusion of a QR code on their securely-delivered airline boarding passes will not only enable the passengers’ smooth transit through their airport, but also it will take them immediately to the airline’s onboard sales portal,” he said.

“ID is essential, but a boarding pass is the one piece of paper that every passenger must have to travel. We will add webpage-specific QR codes to each of our boarding passes, so that the mobile traveller can then scan for pre-flight offers. We are exploring and developing this idea with Ivor Smith of dutyfreeonarrival.com, who has secured QR codes and duty-free webpage data for every world airline.”

Although in its infancy the facility has been adopted in airports such as London Gatwick, where out-of-home media company EYE this week launched its digital media solutions integrated in the airport’s infrastructure as the facility undergoes a £1bn ($1.6bn) modernisation programme.

Dutyfreeonarrival.com founder Ivor Smith said: “We have a multi-lingual webpage for every airline in the world and we receive hundreds of search strings every day asking for links to inflight duty-free catalogues. The consumer wants to buy and he wants to buy through technology, but he is having difficulty finding his way to the store. This is why he asks us. With the Securidox initiative, he can now print, scan and buy through a simple link affiliation mechanism.”

The QR code demo will be introduced to the airline trade at the Airline Information Mega Event, which takes place in Miami on November 29–30, and conference participants will be asked to test the technology with their devices and make a purchase.

Scott added: “The hidden benefit of these codes is that not only can they be targeted to a specific offer, but also detailed analytics can be collected from each user. Longer term, the facility could be linked to a passenger’s loyalty account. But the real benefit is that the passenger starts thinking and searching how to buy on board before he arrives at the airport.”

Originally posted on http://www.dfnionline.com

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