Star Alliance is facilitating digital and mobile service
integration among its air carrier members. Via a new digital
services platform, developed with Accenture, carriers can share data and use it
in their own websites and mobile apps. That means airlines could, for example,
enable at check-in on their own apps seat selection for partner airlines rather
than requiring the passenger to do so through the partner carriers' platforms.
Two carriers have launched services using the platform, a Star
Alliance spokesperson said. United Airlines launched a seat selection feature
for Singapore Airlines this month, and Lufthansa is using it to track baggage
across partner carriers. Other projects likely will be seen in the second or
third quarter of this year, the spokesperson said.
"The gist of the project was to create a
platform that allows member airlines individually to offer services which they
cannot offer on their platforms today, rather than us building a Star Alliance
app," he said. "Customer research shows they don't want to go to
another app but want to use the technology they're used to using."