SriLankan Airlines’ has launched its On-Line Check-In facility at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.

Passengers even have the luxury of choosing their own seat on the aircraft, through the remarkably easy to use system.

“On-Line Check-In is a major initiative that is part of our ongoing project to improve the convenience for everyone travelling on SriLankan Airlines. It allows our passengers to select the seat they would like before they come to the airport, and it considerably reduces the time spent in the check-in area,” said head of service delivery Nigel O’Shea.

The facility will initially be for single sector travel (direct flights without stopovers) from Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to 31 of SriLankan’s destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and the Far East.

It will next be extended to multiple sector flights, and will also be introduced worldwide at the airline’s other points of departure for flights into BIA and other destinations.

“On-Line Check-in has already been proven elsewhere in the global airline industry, and we are confident that our passengers too will benefit immensely by it. It can be done from your home, office, or even on the move through your laptop and very soon with the hand phone,” said head of IT Kamal Nanayakkara.

“This is in-line with IATA initiatives for simplifying the business where BIA Check-in system was recently upgraded to accommodate barcode boarding passes for the benefit of all operating carriers, thus joining the very few airports in this region having this capability,” he added.

On-Line Check-In opens 24 hours before a flight and continues up to two hours before a flight. One could even check-in groups of passengers, if the required information and reference numbers are available.

A passenger simply needs to visit SriLankan’s website www.srilankan.aero and click on “On-line check-in”. The next step is to merely key in four simple entries - name, airport, flight number, and booking reference or Skywards frequent flyer number.

Passengers en route to a country that requires Advanced Passenger Information (API) such as the US and UK, need to enter some additional information such as passport number, date of birth, and sex.

The system will automatically assign a seat, which the passenger can change through a user-friendly chart that shows the aircraft’s seating plan, identifying reserved seats in a different colour.

The boarding pass is then displayed on screen, with all necessary details. Passengers may take a printout of their boarding pass if they wish, although it is not required since he or she can produce the e-ticket at the airport and receive a printout of the Boarding Pass from SriLankan staff.

Passengers proceed direct to the Baggage Drop Counter, where their bags will be weighed. Any excess baggage matters will be handled at that time.

At present, passengers who require special care such as infants and wheelchair passengers will continue to be handled by SriLankan staff, and not through the on-line system.

The airline has already begun briefing travel agents in Sri Lanka, so they can keep their customers informed. – TradeArabia News Service