Amadeus’ Safe Travel Ecosystem addresses global passenger health verification needs

March 8, 2021

Last updated: April 16, 2021

3 Min read

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Laura Cobbold

Corporate Communications - Amadeus

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Digital health verification, fully integrated into airline or airport systems, speeds up passenger processing

Anyone who has flown recently will know that the need to show proof of health checks or vaccination status is creating customer pain points along the journey. There are a myriad of digital apps and health wallets aiming to eliminate the paper trail, but not all travelers are keen to download yet another app that they don’t use frequently.

This is why Amadeus has added new capabilities toTraveler ID , a secure platform for its travel provider customers, that connects, digitizes and automates traveler identification and document validation across the traveler journey, while meeting regulatory requirements. This platform connects the health certification touchpoints end-to-end, integrating multiple stakeholders involved in the process, providing a secure and frictionless way for passengers to show that they have the health documentation needed to travel. Privacy and security have been central to the design of Traveler ID, ensuring that passengers choose when and where they want to provide digital evidence of their health status.

For airlines and airports, this solution can be integrated directly into their own digital channels. It sits natively within their IT systems, meaning travelers don’t need to be redirected to unfamiliar third-party apps in order to verify their health documentation. It can be used by the passenger either before departure or while at the airport, when checking in at the airline desk, at a self-service kiosk or bag drop. This new capability, which is agnostic for any airline PSS, can easily be integrated into airline systems as a standalone option without having to contract the full Traveler ID platform.

Amadeus is integrating this solution with multiple health information aggregators, such as CommonPass and ICC AOKpass¹, to enable travelers to retrieve digital records through the provider of their choice, without leaving the airline website, mobile or app. The platform also has direct connections to test centers partnering with airlines, providing a global, robust coverage.

“Self-service check-in is a fundamental step for passengers to flow smoothly through an airport and onto a plane. Yet the current need for manual checks of health documentation, while maintaining social distancing, means that some of our airline customers currently require around 90% of their usual check-in staff to process just 30% of passengers. Traveler ID’s new capability allows a passenger to show required health documentation in a secure and automated way, by adding it digitally into the airline or airport system, whether passengers check-in from home or at the airport,” says Monika Wiederhold, Amadeus’ Global Program Lead for Safe Travel Ecosystem, and EVP Airlines Central & Eastern Europe.

Traveler ID contributes to the Safe Travel Ecosystem, Amadeus’ global program which is working to help restart travel by bringing together travelers, governments and travel providers to meet challenges posed by COVID-19. Industry-wide collaboration and open technology is needed to deliver connected solutions to facilitate a smooth traveler journey and strengthen traveler confidence again.Star Alliance and the Lufthansa Group are already key partners of Amadeus, and Amadeus is exploring options to provide services as part of the Safe Travel Ecosystem. Further partners including airlines, hotels and airports will be announced later this year.

“At Amadeus, one of our main objectives through the Safe Travel Ecosystem is to put our technology and expertise at the service of our customers in order to drive travel recovery. One way that we are doing that is by connecting existing identity and health validation initiatives in order to accelerate global adoption. All travel providers are united in our aim to strengthen traveler confidence, and the new capability that we are announcing today in Traveler ID will help support that by reducing queues and bottlenecks throughout the journey. This is only the beginning, with great potential for this solution with further customer groups,” adds Wiederhold.

Footnote¹: The ICC AOKpass is from International SOS/MedAire and the International Chamber of Commerce.

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