How airlines can cut costs and improve the passenger experience through automatic document checks

In today's fast-paced aviation industry, airlines face a critical challenge: checking passengers have correct travel documentation whilst maintaining efficient operations. As commercial travel continues to expand, so do the complexities surrounding immigration, visa regulations and entry requirements for passengers travelling across international borders. Is integrating a solution that offers automatic document checks a smart option for airlines?

Painful challenges for airlines

Airlines face significant risks and costs when passengers arrive with incorrect documentation. These include thousands of dollars in fines, costly repatriation expenses, operational delays, brand reputation damage and poor passenger experiences. Many airlines are unaware of their total annual spending on inadmissible passengers and repatriation.

The complexity becomes clear when we consider what check-in staff must verify in seconds: multiple visa categories spanning tourist, business, student, work, family, investor and transit visas. They must also check various entry types, different visa formats, primary travel document validity and any additional required documentation. All of this must be done when facing down enormous queues of passengers wanting to get on their way.

Automating document and rules checks: our solution

TravelDoc is designed to streamline this complex process. The system provides real-time document requirement checks in under one second, with immigration rules coverage for of over 200 territories. It supports more than 30 languages and processes over 1 billion rule checks annually. Our team of experts research, interpret, translate and upload new rules into TravelDoc every day - whilst also offering you 365-day support. But TravelDoc doesn't just bring you quality and accuracy, it also brings you efficiency as it checks documents 98% faster than manual checks.

Measurable benefits for airlines

1. Reduced operational costs
   By implementing automated verification, airlines can reduce manual checks required by ground staff, minimise the risk of fines and penalties, lower repatriation costs and enable more efficient staff allocation.
   
   
2. Enhanced operational efficiency
   TravelDoc delivers real-time cross-checks against current immigration regulations from over 200 countries, instant evaluation of passenger travel credentials, clear, jargon-free results and comprehensive coverage across all route networks. In doing so, TravelDoc enables faster passenger processing, shorter check-in queues, smoother boarding processes and the potential to reduce required check-in desks.
   
   
3. Improve passenger experiences
   Passengers benefit from early identification of documentation issues, reduced wait times, greater confidence and the ability to resolve issues (such as visa requirements) before airport arrival.
   
   
4. Risk mitigation
   The solution helps protect airlines from both compliance risks and reputational damage. In today's social media environment, documentation errors can quickly become PR challenges.
   
   
5. Integration and implementation
   The software is flexible and integrates with existing airline systems and departure control systems (DCSs). TravelDoc has already been integrated with the most trusted and reliable DCSs in the market - Amadeus, Navitaire, TravelSky, Res2 and KIU. As a result, when passengers check in, their ID and travel details can be automatically sent to TravelDoc without any manual input.
   
   
6. Support from human experts
   Behind the technology stands a dedicated immigration rules team focused on daily updates of immigration regulations, cross-checking and validation of new rules, 24/7 expert availability and round-the-clock system monitoring.
   

Conclusion

In an industry where time is precious and regulatory compliance is paramount, automatic document checks aren't just a technological upgrade – it's a strategic necessity! By streamlining the verification process, airlines can significantly reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the passenger experience while ensuring compliance with ever-changing immigration regulations.

By Jason Spencer, Commercial Director