As a result of a successful rollout of Automatic Check In for Miles & More passengers in Germany and Italy Lufthansa today announced the expansion of the program to more countries within the Schengen area. This expansion will cover 400 routes.
Under the program Miles & More members can elect at time of booking to be automatically checked into their flights 23 hours in advance and receive their seat assigment.
The press release went on to say that Lufthansa expects to expand this program in the near future to non Miles & More members as well.
I’m hoping other carriers are looking at this. I see it as a huge convenience to be automatically checked in and having my boarding passes emailed to me or sent to my mobile device.
Here is Lufthansa’s Press Release:
Lufthansa offers automatic check-in
New service now available on approximately 400 Lufthansa routes
East Meadow, NY, January 27, 2012 – As a new service, Lufthansa is expanding its automatic check-in service and now offering this perk on approximately 400 routes within the Schengen Area – an area comprised of 26 European countries that operate very much like a single state for international travel. The service, which already exists in Germany and Italy, has already proven to be very popular because of the time savings and convenience it offers passengers.Passengers with an existing booking are automatically checked in 23 hours prior to their departure and will receive an electronic boarding pass with their reserved seat number shortly after, which they can choose to have sent to them by email or to an Internet-enabled mobile phone. The service is available to all members of the Miles & More frequent flyer program who have selected the automatic check-in option under “Travel services” in their customer profile. In the event of a change in travel plans, passengers with a re-bookable ticket have the option of cancelling their online check-in at lufthansa.com or by calling the Lufthansa Service Center.
Passengers traveling with luggage can check in their bags at a baggage drop-off counter or at a check-in kiosk on presentation of their boarding pass. Seats can also be changed online via a mobile phone or at a self-service check-in kiosk.
In the coming months, Lufthansa expects to expand the automatic check-in service across its global route network and make it available for all flight bookings, thus allowing passengers who are not Miles & More members to take advantage of this popular service.
About Lufthansa
One of the world’s largest and most prestigious airlines, Lufthansa currently flies to 211 destinations in 84 countries, with hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and with its recent acquisition of Austrian Airlines and SWISS – Vienna and Zurich. From its 22 North American gateways, Lufthansa— recently voted by Fortune as one of the five most admired airlines in the world— and its partners serve over 450 destinations in more than 120 countries. An industry innovator, Lufthansa has long been committed to environmental care and sustainability, operating the most technically-advanced and fuel-efficient fleet in the world. Its long-haul fleet to and from North America includes the Boeing 747-400, as well as the Airbus A300 sub fleet. Currently, Lufthansa has over 150 new aircraft worth about $18 billion on order. It will be the largest European operator of the A380 and is also the launch customer for the new Boeing 747-8, the industries’ two most fuel-efficient passenger aircraft. Known for its premium services, Lufthansa continues its $150 million program earmarked for building new or upgrading existing lounge facilities across its worldwide network and will spend more than $1.4 billion in new onboard products and services by 2015. In 2010, Lufthansa re-launched its broadband wireless Internet service onboard, FlyNet. For more information or reservations, visit www.lufthansa.com.
