Airline to notify passengers via messaging app when checked bags need to be opened for security checks
Service covers domestic flights at Gimpo, Jeju, Cheongju, Gimhae and Daegu airports
Eastar Jet announced Wednesday that it will roll out a new "baggage inspection alert" service on KakaoTalk, together with the Korea Airports Corporation.
The service will cover domestic flights at Gimpo, Jeju, Cheongju, Gimhae and Daegu airports.
Under the service, when a security check on a passenger's checked baggage turns up a suspected prohibited item requiring further inspection, the airline will send the passenger a KakaoTalk message directing them to visit the inspection office.
Previously, when a baggage inspection was needed, passengers were notified through airport announcements or individual phone calls. This created inconvenience, as passengers sometimes missed the announcements, and the airline had to spend considerable time calling each passenger individually.
With the new service, Eastar Jet will quickly send passengers who need a baggage inspection the relevant information via KakaoTalk. This will make it easier and more convenient for them to check what steps to follow.
The airline said the change will also reduce the workload involved in making individual phone calls. Eastar Jet will use the freed-up time to improve customer service and airport service quality, further enhancing passenger convenience.
Beyond this new service, Eastar Jet operates a range of other passenger convenience offerings at airports. These include self-service bag drop kiosks, which let passengers check in baggage on their own without waiting in line at the counter, and kiosks designed for passengers with mobility issues.
"We introduced this service so that passengers can be informed more easily and conveniently when unexpected additional procedures, such as a baggage inspection, arise at the airport," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will continue to expand convenience services that passengers can feel the benefit of, across all areas including airports and in-flight service."
Meanwhile, Eastar Jet is actively expanding its route network to give passengers more choices. The airline plans to open new routes from Incheon and Busan to Xiamen, China, in October, followed by routes connecting Cheongju to Xiamen and Busan to Hangzhou in December.
likehyo85@heraldcorp.com
