News

Malaysia Airlines gets on board with self-service

February 20, 2011

To simplify customers' travel experiences, Malaysia Airlines is investing about $100 million in its Passenger Services System over the next 10 years, according to a story on The Star Online.

"We are committed to simplifying air travel and offering customers more choice," said Tengku Datuk Seri Azmil Zahruddin, Malaysia Airlines managing director and CEO. "The system enables us to provide customers with faster service, faster online purchases, more Enrich miles redemption options online and new services."

He said as a global carrier, the company understands the importance of embracing new technologies to ensure passengers enjoy seamless service.

"Upgrading to a new reservations platform is the equivalent of a heart transplant for an airline," he said. "After months of planning, we successfully moved to a new system in 13 hours and transferred some 1.5 million passenger records. Over 3,000 reservations and ticketing staff worldwide were trained in preparation for this change.

"We are investing in technology to enable customers to enjoy seamless service delivery at their convenience," he stresses.

Malaysia Airlines launched the iPad MHkiosk, a self-service kiosk using the MHmobile interface that allows passengers to book and purchase flights, search for flight schedules and flight status, check-in and choose their preferred seat, check on the status of lost baggage and enjoy exclusive deals whenever they are in KL Sentral.

Using the self-service MHkiosk also means customers get a waiver on administrative fee for travel. The concept and functionality of iPad MHkiosk is very similar to the MHmobile (iPhone application). The key difference is the iPad MHkiosk caters to customers who walk in to the ticket office, whereas MHmobile offers convenience for customers on the move.

The airline plans to offer self-service sales kiosks at ticket offices and retail outlets in the future. Malaysia Airlines has also introduced 12 self-check-in kiosks that are equipped with touch-screen technology and passport and card readers. They also print 2D barcode boarding passes.