Passengers on Cathay Pacific and its low-cost subsidiary HK Express can now drop their bags off at the Hong Kong International Airport in under a minute, courtesy a pioneering Smartphone Express Bag Drop Service that is now active. The new system allows travellers to check-in online and scan their travel documents with their smartphones before they head to the airport to drop off their bags. The procedure will also reduce the bag-drop time to 45 seconds from the current two minutes at Smart Check-in Kiosks.
To use the service, passengers should check-in online and scan their documents using their airline’s app. When they arrive at the airport, all they need to do is drop off their bags on a conveyor belt at the express bag drop counters, scan their face to verify their identity, and then get a baggage tag. Travellers should then scan a QR code, tap their passport on their phone, and scan their tag to complete the process.
The service is open to all passengers aged 11 or above undertaking visa-free travel, via the Flight Token art technology. They can use only electronic travel documents, such as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports issued after May 14, 2019, Home Return Permits, electronic passports issued by all other countries or regions, and Mainland residents’ Exit-Entry Permits for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao with valid endorsements for visit.
With the new bag-drop service, passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport can complete all departure procedures using only their smartphones and facial recognition technology — right from online check-in and travel document verification on their smartphones, to dropping off their bags, entering the security area, and self-service boarding at the airport. It is available on all HK Express routes, and all Cathay Pacific destinations except for the US.
Image credits: Hong Kong International Airport
