The International Civil Aviation Organization survey explains that airlines have suffered mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an unparalleled 60% worldwide decrease in passengers by 2020 and a loss of $371 billion in revenue. The airline industry expects a significant rebound as the economy is recovering and vaccination programs have a positive outcome.
Key Usage Models and Digital Transformation for Online Verification Documents
The digital revolution is necessary for all successful firms, specifically in the accommodation and travel industry. Systems that work with international airlines such as EasyJet, Hawaiian Airlines, and United Airlines have seen how document verification helps initiate digital transformation.
Passengers can easily recognize themselves remotely and digitally with online identity verification, and they just have to take an image of their government-issued ID (driver’s license and a passport) and a corroborating selfie. Moreover, the digital identification stage is usually included in the mobile app on its online website.
ID verification documents help airlines in two following areas:
- Combat online fraud by providing secure e-commerce and online financial transactions
- Enhance client check-in that also reduces costs
Let’s deeply dig into these points to understand these areas better.
1. Enhance Client Check-in while Reducing Costs
Since mobile and web apps began, airlines have looked for diverse ways to streamline the client check-in process. Usually, it’s because the check-in experience is time-intensive for users. Nobody wants to stand in long queues to be scanned by an airline frontman for their documents. Hence, passengers welcome a user-friendly and more streamlined check-in procedure.
Moreover, check-in logistics are determined by the cost of the airline. Standard check-in models assign workforce statically to desks for minimum hours per flight, independent of credible client appearance at check-in counters. Moreover, ID verification document assists airlines in building new check-in samples that are cost-effective and more accurate.
- Self Check-in: Passengers can also perform a self-check-in and confirm their identity using the smartphone app with some airlines at the airport. In this scenario, the client’s documents are verified remotely, automatically reducing their check-in time.
- Immediate Mobile Check-in: Mobile check-in is a standard offering in many airlines. However, stepping in on a small mobile screen is complicated precisely when it needs concluding forms with substantial personal information. It also reduces smartphone check-in times from two minutes to 20 seconds by performing identity document verification while booking a flight. Rather than asking customers to fill out lengthy and complicated forms, they simply take a picture of their Government ID using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and then upload it from any platform. This technique eases the onboarding process and validates that the client is the same as they claim to be by omitting the step of comparing a current selfie with an ID image.
- Safe Onboarding: Newer passports involve a Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip with an e-form, all personal data, documents and the passenger image are secured by a security certificate. Moreover, the document validation app can easily read the NFC chip content. They can also execute the verification process through their mobile phone by scanning the NFC on their passport before check-in to the flight. This helps to confirm the identity for security purposes without needing a security workforce to conclude this task.
2. Combat Online Fraud by Providing Secure E-commerce and Online Financial Transactions
An increasing number of customers purchase online tickets, so airlines have updated their websites to provide retail services. However, airline services have also a threat of cyberattacks and hackers as other online financial services. Document verification assists airlines by providing an extra security layer while users execute financial transactions using their online platforms and helps eradicate fraud.
Protect Frequent Flyer Program
Imposters and hackers try to attain control of credible frequent flyer accounts by stealing the account holder’s miles. The aim is to utilize those stolen miles to buy services from partner programs. Document checks are an exceptional fraud deterrent for many imposters who don’t want to share their likeness with the airport community as they want to defraud.
Secure Digital Airline Ticket Purchases
In a few cases, imposters want to purchase airline tickets by using fake credentials and impersonating clients based on data they buy from the dark web. Hence, online verification documents assist in preventing online bots and scams.
Enhance Digital Client Experience
It’s vital to prevent fraud, enhance user experience, optimize conversions, and avoid client drop-offs. Hence, airlines use online verification documents to simplify transactions by scanning the government ID. Moreover, the system automatically extracts data and can be utilized to fill online documents. This is helpful for the user to finish the online process.
Final Verdict
The airline was projected to increase dramatically as COVID-19 vaccines are available, so more travellers are willing to travel. Online verification of documents is the critical pillar that sustains this type of growth, and ID verification documents help airlines embrace the new digital era and get back into business.