Air China allows mobile check-in via barcode SMS

Air China has become the latest airline to allow customers to check-in via simple SMS and mobile barcodes. It is initially only available on Tibetan flights and direct flights from Beijing, and only for passengers who booked their tickets via the Air China website

Once a traveller has booked their ticket on-line, they can choose to be sent an SMS anytime from 24 hours to 90 mins before there flight. That SMS contains a link leading to a mobile barcode, which the passenger can use to check through all necessary security gates and onto the place itself.

Air China has also launched a mobile website which connects to the SMS check-in service. So if you don’t wait until they text you, you can go straight in yourself. The website also contains flight schedule and timetables, news, promos and frequent flier info.

From the release:

“In recent years, Air China has improved its services to that of an advanced international airline,” said Yang Lihua, Vice-President, Air China. “This series of e-commerce services will further enhance Air China’s capabilities. Our efforts to improve our services with advanced technology have already won Air China the passenger award for ‘Making Business Simple’ and the ‘Award for the Best E-commerce Application’ from the IATA. Air China has also been selected as one of China’s top 500 information-based companies. With the development of 3G and mobile technology, as well as a diversification in passengers’ demands, Air China will continue to improve its services, marketing, and interaction with members, so that its passengers will have up-to-the- minute information and an even more personalised service.”

What we think?

This is better than any number of the “check your flight schedule” mobile websites we’ve seen of late. It’s an incredibly easy system, which you can use while nowhere near the airport. I really don’t see the point of an airline launching a mobile service unless that service let’s you either check-in or book flights. Both, preferably.