PEOPLE traveling during Covid-19 view contactless transactions as indispensable in their travel experience for safer reasons, and to avoid long queues at the check-in counters.
AirAsia Philippines on Tuesday said it commissioned a survey on December 2021 from the 1,606 respondents aged 18 to 60 years old from Manila, balanced Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Its survey revealed that "62 percent of Filipinos traveling in the next 180 days have contactless travel touchpoints as among their prime concerns, followed by value for money and better flight timing. Including in the points of contact they hope will be digitized are passenger boarding and booking process."
AirAsia said they already complied the Department of Transportation order that fully vaccinated AirAsia guests flying out of Manila hub are required to present a physical or digital copy of their Covid-19 vaccination records.
Passengers can upload their vaccination cards via AirAsia super app which is linked to the Department of Health's VaxCert PH.
The one-time uploading of this document will form part of the traveler's personal database which can be used for his/her future travels.
AirAsia is the first airlines in the Philippines to embrace digitalization as early as 2019.
AirAsia Philippines COO Ricky Isla said,
"We aimed at making the travel experience frictionless, ridding the need for long queues in counters and face-to-face interactions, consequently ensuring guest safety”.
“Processes like document verification and flight check-ins, for instance, can be done at least 24 hours prior to departure through the AirAsia Super App, hence enabling a simpler and more convenient travel experience. At AirAsia, guests can enjoy various options that make traveling in the new normal easier and safer."
AirAsia passengers will be able to make contactless payment or can pay through e-wallet solutions, GCash and PayMaya for convenient and secure payment options limiting face-to-face transactions.
AirAsia said the recent survey revealed that this pivot to contactless solutions is in agreement with current traveling behavior as 31 percent of the travelers said they use mobile e-wallets in purchasing their tickets.
Twenty-nine percent, meanwhile, said they use their credit cards, while 18 percent use other forms of mobile and internet banking.
The survey added that for the travelers, using non-contact payments helps promote a convenient and time saving, more secure and safe transaction.
Only six percent said they will pay cash while two percent still preferred over the counter payments.
The airline said that guests who book their tickets online also preferred to access the airline's website via their mobile phones (43 percent) and their laptop or computer (37 percent). Another 27 percent said they will also use the airline's mobile app if available.
AirAsia offers flexibility for all of its guests traveling during the pandemic, providing unlimited move flight options until March 26, 2022, and waiving charge fees for those affected with flight disruptions.
Guests with uncertain travel plans may also opt to convert bookings into credit accounts which can all be done through the Super App.
"Contactless solution is the new and better way to travel. AirAsia will never stop finding ways to simplify air travel during these times. We will continue with our digitization and move forward with it while continuing to promote health and safety in all of our flights," Isla added.
However, passengers departing Manila should have RT-PCR negative test result before the airlines allow them to board.
Tags: #airasiaphsurvey, #1,606respondents, #contactlesssolutions, #airlinedigitalization