As the Spring Festival is approaching, the Spring Festival has also ushered in the first wave of passenger peaks. Related** shows that the peak of civil aviation passenger volume and flight volume will occur around February 8 (the 29th day of the lunar month) and February 16 (the seventh day of the first lunar month).
In recent days, the peak hours of arrivals and departures at major hub airports have been significantly extended. As far as the eye can see, there are crowds of people in front of every check-in counter and outside every security lane. In this Spring Festival travel with high demand for homecoming, family visits, and tourism, how can the majority of passengers spend the least amount of time and energy to enjoy the most comfortable flight journey? Today, the reporter of this newspaper will send you a "smart flight strategy" from all aspects such as ticket purchase, arrival, and transfer, to help you get twice the result with half the effort in the New Year!
Ticket purchase: the rules are clearer and the cost is clearer
Buying a ticket is the "starting point" for a thousand miles to return home.
During this year's Spring Festival, the public's enthusiasm for travel "ignited" the whole of China. In the past ten days, tickets for the peak hours of popular railway lines have been "hard to find", and with sufficient capacity and constantly improving route network, civil aviation is regarded by many passengers as a "guaranteed option" to return home - no matter where you are, you can always embark on the journey home with a ticket after buying a ticket.
If you want to fly further, through flights are worth paying attention to. In the past, air travel was more popular due to the large number of flights and good timing.
Favored by residents of first- and second-tier cities. Now, with the help of through flights, passengers from more regions will enjoy the convenience, comfort and efficiency of civil aviation.
Through flights are a better connecting service. Different from ordinary connecting flights, through flights can achieve "one payment, one check-in, one security check, baggage direct check, and worry-free throughout the journey", that is, the entire flight ticket price is paid at one time; Check-in for all flights at the departure airport at once; Complete all flight security check procedures at the departure airport, and passengers who do not leave the quarantine area during transit do not need to repeat the security check; Passengers who have completed the check-in baggage check-in formalities at the departure airport do not need to claim their checked baggage at the transit airport. In the event of an involuntary change or involuntary refund due to flight irregularities, the Participants of the through flight shall provide the passenger with free refund and change and assist the passenger in handling ticket endorsement and other service guarantees in accordance with the relevant agreements.
Currently, many airlines are offering through flights for both domestic and international travelers. Passengers can purchase through flights operated by the same airline and the same airline group on the airline's app, or they can purchase through flights operated by different airlines on the OTA platform. It is important to note that not all connecting flights are through flights. If you're not sure if your flight is a through flight, you can ask your airline's customer service.
If you want to fly affordably, airlines**, apps and mini-programs are worth spending a little more time exploring. Through these direct sales channels, passengers can fully understand the products, offers and additional services launched by major airlines for different groups before purchasing tickets, such as member's day** tickets, mileage redemption upgrades, special passenger service reservations, etc.; After purchasing a ticket, passengers can also get a more direct and efficient service.
For example, Air China will implement the "two-hour free and preferential refund mechanism" for domestic tickets from November 17, 2023 (inclusive), and China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines will include ticket purchases in the scope of free refunds and changes from January 10, 2024. On the airline**, APP and mini program, passengers can read the content of the rules in detail and consult; For eligible tickets, information modification and refund can be completed directly. There are also some airlines that have launched a refund fee calculator so that passengers can spend every penny clearly.
Departure: There are also "mind maps" for luggage transportation
Buy your ticket and your journey is about to begin.
When I go home during the Spring Festival, the luggage of large bags and small bags carries the wanderer's attachment to home. If you find it too hard to carry heavy luggage, you may want to try the luggage storage services offered by major airlines and airports.
With the continuous improvement of digitalization, the baggage service of the civil aviation industry is also constantly improving. Log in to the **, APP, and mini programs of major airlines and airports, and passengers can easily see options such as "Luggage Door to Door", "Baggage Butler" and "Luggage to Home". The reporter learned that the current baggage custody service is divided into three types: "luggage door to door", "baggage port to door" and "luggage door to port". Among them, "baggage door-to-door" refers to the delivery of passengers' luggage from residence to residence; "Baggage port-to-door" means that the passenger's baggage is delivered directly to the residence after the aircraft has landed; "Baggage Gate Arrival" refers to the delivery of a passenger's baggage from the residence to the airport of departure. At the same time, the range of baggage care services is expanding due to the increasing diversity of passenger needs. For example, Harbin Airport has launched a "ski door-to-door" service with local characteristics, passengers do not need to wait to pick up ski equipment after arriving at Hong Kong, and the staff will help pick up ski equipment according to the information provided by passengers and send it directly to the major ski resorts in the province, so that passengers can feel the joy of hands-free and easy travel. It should be reminded that when booking this type of service, passengers must read the relevant instructions in advance to confirm the time and place of handing over the baggage, and whether the relevant items can be checked in.
Whether it is "one-click check-in", or go to the airport to use self-service equipment or go to the counter to check in baggage, once the luggage is gone, many passengers will always worry about their luggage to arrive, whether they get on the plane, and when it will appear on the baggage carousel. In fact, many airlines and airports already support baggage tracking. Similarly, on the **, APP, and applet of major airlines and airports, passengers can query the key node information of their checked baggage anytime and anywhere.
Of course, not all bags can be checked in with one click. What should I do if I carry a lot of items and my luggage is overweight? In this regard, smart civil aviation also provides a lot of help to passengers. During the Spring Festival, the "three super" luggage (oversized, overweight, and overweight) appeared frequently. In order to allow passengers to travel with luggage more smoothly, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, Yangzhou Taizhou Airport, Yichang Three Gorges Airport and other airports have successively introduced intelligent baggage measuring machines. This measuring function can quickly measure the volume and weight of passengers' luggage, and intelligently match the baggage allowance requirements of different airlines and different classes. Passengers only need to place their luggage on the baggage intelligent measuring machine, and after a few seconds, they can quickly determine whether the carry-on baggage is over-bound.
Arrival: Ground transportation transfer "One click to understand".
When you arrive at your destination airport, your home is right in front of you.
As airports are generally located far from urban areas, passengers often need to connect to other means of transportation upon arrival at the airport. In recent years, with the increase of integrated aviation hubs, in addition to ground transportation such as buses, taxis, and online car-hailing, more and more large airports have also introduced rail transit such as high-speed rail, urban rail, and express lines.
With so many options to choose from, how do you make the best choice? With the advancement of information technology, more and more airports are now able to "explain this complex issue with one click". "In order to make it easier for passengers to leave the airport, we updated the Beijing Capital International Airport Mini Program before the Spring Festival to connect all the landside traffic information of the Capital Airport to the 'Airport Transportation' module. Bai Liming, an employee of the Information Technology Department of Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd., told reporters. It is reported that through the "airport transportation" module, passengers can not only obtain real-time information such as the number of taxi waiters and waiting times at each terminal, but also can see the departure time of the airport express rail and the next departure time.
With the continuous improvement of the level of informatization, the airport can provide more and more smart services for passengers in terms of various transportation connections. For example, passengers arriving at Changsha Airport through Hunan Airport's "Hang Xiang e+" WeChat*** can directly purchase bus tickets to and from the airport with their real names; On the Hebei Airport Passenger Service Mini Program, passengers can not only check the high-speed rail timetable of Zhengding Airport Station, but also jump to the railway 12306 Mini Program for follow-up operation ...... with one click
Nowadays, Internet access has become a rigid need for people, especially after the flight lands, whether it is to report the safety of the family, contact the pick-up driver, or use electronic payment methods to buy bus tickets, passengers' demand for Internet access is indispensable all the time. Accessing the Internet is not a difficult task for domestic travelers, but it can be a bit of a hassle for international travelers.
In the first Spring Festival after the smooth transition of epidemic prevention and control, international flights are speeding up the recovery. "When international passengers land, many people will search for airport Wi-Fi as soon as they land." Bai Liming told reporters that there are many needs for everyone, such as getting in touch with family and friends through social software, as well as entry declaration, work needs or leisure and entertainment. However, at present, passengers generally need to use the mobile phone verification code for real-name authentication when accessing the airport Wi-Fi, and overseas passengers who have not opened the mobile phone international roaming service will not be able to access the Internet because they cannot receive the verification code.
In response to this situation, most airports have set up online number collection machines in key areas with large passenger flows, and international passengers can get a randomly assigned Internet account after scanning passports and other documents. At present, although the number pick-up machine and navigation equipment of the capital airport have covered all the key nodes of passenger entry and exit, the implementation effect of the existing services is still not satisfactory for large terminals with large passenger flow, wide area and complex layout.
In order to improve the online experience of passengers, Capital Airport has developed a Wi-Fi passport login function for passengers. "In recent years, the accuracy of mobile device cameras has continued to improve, and the identification technology has matured, which has laid the foundation for us to launch more convenient services. Bai Liming said. Now, passengers can upload their passports through the mobile phone photo function as long as they select "Passport Login" on the Portal authentication page of the Passenger Wi-Fi at Capital Airport, and then they can go directly to the Internet after the system automatically identifies and processes and completes the authentication, and the whole process is simple, convenient and fast.
Editor in charge: Cheng Xuehan.