Copa Airlines: An NCR Case Study

Copa Holdings is a leading Latin American provider of passenger and cargo services. The company, through its operating subsidiaries, provides service to 55 destinations in 27 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is one of the youngest and most modern fleets in the industry, consisting of 67 aircraft: 41 Boeing 737NG aircraft and 26 EMBRAER-190s.

Copa Airlines saw the opportunity to drive efficiencies and improve the passenger experience by implementing web and mobile self-service technologies to divert passenger traffic away from the check-in counters. By launching m.copaair.com, Copa looked to empower their customers by offering them convenient access to critical travel information and enabling them to quickly check-in for their flights. In order to close the self-service loop, mobile boarding pass delivery following web and mobile check-in allows passengers to bypass check-in lines at the airport—ensuring an efficient and stress-free journey.

Copa Airlines worked closely with NCR Corporation to implement a comprehensive mobile self-service solution that includes mobile website functionality, mobile boarding pass delivery and web check-in. Copa Airlines required an intuitive and engaging mobile website to extend its brand and optimize its customers’ experience. Now, Copa Airlines travelers can visit m.copaair.com, a fully mobile optimized site, to check flight status and timetables as well as check-in for a flight.

Following mobile check-in, passengers are able to have their boarding pass sent to their phone in the form of an email web-link message. By following this link, passengers can access their secure, fully-optimized, IATA standard 2D boarding pass. The boarding pass also contains itinerary information in plain text to help passengers better manage their travels. Having received the boarding pass, passengers are free to skip queues at the check-in counter and proceed straight to security where their mobile boarding pass is scanned and validated. “Not only can passengers do their check-in via their mobile phone, they can also use the new mobile site for real-time checks of Copa flight status, including any possible delays, cancellations and estimated time of arrival and departure,” said Diego Quesada, eBusiness Director for Copa Airlines. “The new tool also will allow Copa Airlines passengers to access important information such as travel policies or timetables for upcoming flights.”

NCR is also integrating web check-in capabilities for Copa Airlines, so customers who choose to check-in on their PC can receive a mobile boarding pass straight to their handset.