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Virgin Australia’s pop-up check-in service to aid Sydney cruisers
Virgin Australia has opened the country’s first pop-up check-in service to ease the journey home for fly-cruise passengers.
The check-in and baggage drop service has been introduced at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal and White Bay Cruise Terminal to allow easy offloading of bags before a later flight out of the city.
The service is created by Off Airport Check-In Solutions (OACIS) using Amadeus’ Airport Common Use Service cloud technology which connects remotely with the Virgin Australia system.
Virgin staff members are also on-site to assist disembarking passengers.
"Over 1.5 million passengers are transported to and from Sydney by cruise ship in peak season and many of those who disembark at Sydney’s cruise terminals then fly to another destination," said Virgin Australia group executive Rob Sharp.
"This new service means tourists can check-in and drop their bags off once their cruise ship has docked, and can then enjoy the freedom to explore the city, bag-free, before taking off to their next destination."
More than 350 cruise ships will visit Sydney during the current cruise season and New South Wales contributes about 58% of the estimated $5.3 billion cruise industry nationally, according to minister for roads, maritime and freight, Melinda Pavey.
"This agile technology will create a seamless travel experience for travellers and will allow Virgin Australia to get their guests up and away as quickly and smoothly as possible," said Matthew Lee, CEO of OACIS.
Virgin Australia said it will look to expand the service to other locations following the pilot program in Sydney.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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