Passport Autofill for Airlines and Travel Booking Companies

Airlines and travel booking companies are required to collect identity data as part of their compliance.

However, this requirement seriously impacts booking conversions and basket size:

severely increases the duration of a booking, leading to timeouts and cart abandonment
leads to higher CPA (cost per acquisition) and lower conversion rate
reduces customer willingness to engage with upsell opportunities such as seat, luggage, food and entertainment upgrades, and cross-sell opportunities such as insurance, carbon offset, car hire, hotels, trips and package deals
lowers data accuracy, which must be corrected manually at check-in - leading to higher costs, longer check-in queues and frustrated customers
prevents early passport expiry detection, which can lead to unfilled seats

There is a significant opportunity to streamline the booking/check-in process to drive both increased revenue and cost-out.

Passport Auto-fill is a new universal browser extension that helps complete bookings/check-in up to 60% faster.

With our private API, you can detect the presence of Passport Auto-fill. This allows you to directly ingest the customers’ details (after they enter their Lock Password). Contact us for more details.

1. WHY DON’T AIRLINES STORE PASSPORT DATA?

Airlines are generally cautious about holding onto large amounts of passport information due to several reasons, primarily centered around privacy and security concerns. Here are some key factors:

Data Privacy Regulations: Airlines operate in a highly regulated environment, and there are stringent data protection laws in place globally. These regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, require companies to handle personal data responsibly. Collecting and storing extensive passport information increases the risk of non-compliance with these regulations.
Security Risks: Storing a massive amount of sensitive passport information poses a significant security risk. If airlines were to experience a data breach, it could lead to unauthorized access, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrime. Airlines prioritize safeguarding customer data to maintain trust and protect individuals from potential harm.
Target for Cyber Attacks: Airlines, being high-profile targets, are susceptible to cyber attacks. Storing a large database of passport information makes them attractive targets for hackers seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to valuable personal information.
Operational Burden: Managing and securing a vast database of passport information involves significant operational and financial challenges. It requires robust cybersecurity measures, regular updates, and compliance checks to ensure the data’s integrity, all of which contribute to increased operational costs.
Limited Need for Retention: Airlines generally only need passport information for the duration of the flight and related processes, such as check-in and security checks. Once the flight is completed, there is often no compelling reason to retain this information. Minimizing data retention reduces the risk associated with holding sensitive data over an extended period.
Customer Trust and Perception: Airlines recognize the importance of maintaining customer trust. A commitment to data privacy and security helps build a positive perception among passengers. Airlines prefer not to collect more data than necessary to fulfill their operational requirements, reflecting a responsible and customer-centric approach.

In summary, airlines avoid holding onto large amounts of passport information to comply with privacy regulations, mitigate security risks, manage operational burdens, and uphold customer trust in an increasingly digitized and interconnected world.

2. WHY IS THE PASSPORT AUTO-FILL BROWSER EXTENSION IMPORTANT?

The Passport Auto-fill browser extension is significant for several reasons, aligning with the challenges and concerns faced by airlines regarding the storage of passport information:

Enhanced Security Measures: By utilizing a browser extension for passport auto-fill, airlines can significantly enhance security. The extension can be designed to fill in passport information dynamically during specific stages of the travel process, reducing the need for airlines to store extensive data. This minimizes the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access.
Compliance with Data Privacy Regulations: The extension can be engineered to adhere to data privacy regulations such as GDPR. Since it only interacts with the browser during specific transactions, it helps airlines maintain compliance by limiting the amount of stored data and ensuring that personal information is handled responsibly.
Reduced Operational Burden: Passport Auto-fill streamlines data entry processes, reducing the operational burden associated with managing and securing large databases of passport information. This not only leads to cost savings but also allows airlines to allocate resources more efficiently.
Customer Trust and Perception: Offering a Passport Auto-fill solution demonstrates a commitment to customer trust and privacy. Passengers are likely to appreciate the airline’s proactive approach to data security, enhancing their perception of the company as responsible custodians of their sensitive information.
Cybersecurity Resilience: The extension can contribute to the overall cybersecurity resilience of airlines by minimizing the attack surface. Storing less data reduces the attractiveness of airlines as targets for cybercriminals, thereby enhancing the overall security posture of the organization.
Operational Efficiency: Passport Auto-fill enhances the efficiency of data entry processes, contributing to a smoother travel experience for passengers. The streamlined process can reduce queues, minimize errors, and improve overall operational efficiency for airlines.
Limited Data Retention: Passport Auto-fill ensures that only necessary information is processed and transmitted during specific stages of the passenger journey. This aligns with the principle of limited data retention, addressing concerns about holding onto passport information for extended periods.

In summary, the Passport Auto-fill browser extension is significant as it not only addresses the challenges faced by airlines regarding data security and privacy but also contributes to operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. By adopting such a solution, airlines can strike a balance between providing a seamless passenger experience and ensuring the responsible handling of sensitive information.

3. Advantages of Not Retaining Passport Information

Privacy Assurance: Passengers often appreciate airlines that prioritize their privacy. By not retaining passport information, airlines can assure customers that their sensitive data is not stored unnecessarily, contributing to a positive perception of the airline’s commitment to privacy.
Reduced Security Risks: Not storing passport information minimizes the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access. Passengers may feel more confident knowing that their personal details are not stored for extended periods, mitigating concerns about potential cyber threats.
Simplified Compliance: Airlines can more easily navigate data protection regulations by limiting the retention of passenger information. This can streamline compliance efforts and reduce the administrative burden associated with adhering to privacy laws.

4. Considerations for User Experience

Efficient Check-In Processes: While not retaining passport information may contribute to enhanced security, airlines need to ensure that the check-in process remains efficient. Implementing technologies like Passport Auto-fill can help streamline the entry of necessary information without compromising security.
Consistent Travel Experience: Passengers may appreciate a consistent travel experience across airlines. If a particular airline has robust measures in place to ensure efficient and secure processes without retaining passport information, it can contribute positively to the overall user experience.
Communication and Transparency: Clear communication is key. Airlines should transparently communicate their data handling practices to passengers, explaining why passport information is not retained and how their privacy and security are prioritized.

5. Potential Challenges

Repetition of Information: Passengers might find it slightly inconvenient if they need to provide the same information repeatedly for various travel-related processes. Solutions such as Passport Auto-fill can help mitigate this challenge.
Cross-Border Travel Considerations: In some cases, retaining passport information may be necessary for regulatory or security reasons, especially for international flights. Airlines need to strike a balance between security requirements and passenger convenience.

6. WHY WOULDN’T EACH AIRLINE MAKE THEIR OWN EXTENSION?

Now, let’s explore the advantages of vendor neutrality:

Compatibility Across Airlines: A vendor-neutral auto-fill extension is designed to work across various airlines, ensuring a consistent user experience regardless of the carrier. This streamlines the travel process for passengers who may use multiple airlines for their journeys.
Comprehensive Features: A vendor-neutral solution can incorporate a wide range of features that cater to the needs of passengers across different airlines. This might include streamlined passport auto-fill, secure storage of travel preferences, and compatibility with various booking systems.
Centralized Security Measures: A third-party vendor specializing in browser extensions may have dedicated resources to focus on security. They can implement robust security measures, undergo regular audits, and stay vigilant against emerging threats, providing a secure solution for users.
Ease of Adoption: Passengers can adopt a single vendor-neutral auto-fill extension for their travel needs, simplifying the process of managing passport information and preferences. This ease of adoption contributes to a more user-friendly experience.
Flexibility and Scalability: A vendor-neutral solution can adapt to changes in technology, airline processes, and security standards more quickly. It has the flexibility to evolve and scale its features to meet the dynamic needs of the travel industry.

In summary, a vendor-neutral auto-fill extension offers a more seamless, secure, and adaptable solution for passengers by addressing the limitations associated with single airline-specific extensions. It ensures a consistent and comprehensive user experience across different airlines, ultimately enhancing convenience and security for travelers.

7. WHERE DOES CUSTOMER DATA GET STORED?

Customer data is stored on their device, and is not copied or sent anywhere else. Customer data is NOT synced to the cloud. Customer data is encrypted, and can only be accessed with the password they provide. The password is required to edit data and to perform auto-filling.

8. WHICH AIRLINE BOOKING SITES DO YOU WORK WITH?

Passport Autofill is designed to work with world’s largest airlines sites, including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines Group, United Airlines Holdings, Lufthansa Group, Air France–KLM, Southwest Airlines, Turkish Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Canada, Emirates , Virgin Australia, (Aer Lingus) International Airlines Group , (British Airways) International Airlines Group, (Iberia) International Airlines Group, (LEVEL) International Airlines Group, (Vueling) International Airlines Group, Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz Air, Pegasus Airlines, SAS Group, S7 Airlines, Jet2.com, TAP Air Portugal, Aegean Airlines, TUI Airways, Ural Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Finnair, UTair Aviation, Volotea, Air Europa, Nordwind Airlines, Smartwings, Virgin Atlantic, Azur Air, Smartavia, Air Astana, Red Wings Airlines, Belavia, Icelandair Group, Sky Express, AirBaltic, Air Serbia, Azimuth, Pegas Fly, TAROM, Azerbaijan Airlines, Yamal Airlines, Air Malta, NordStar, Croatia Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Luxair, Loganair, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, WestJet, Volaris, Frontier Airlines, Aeroméxico, VivaAerobus, Allegiant Air, Hawaiian Airlines, Azul Linhas Aereas , Avianca Holdings, Aerolíneas Argentinas, SKY Airline, JetSMART, Boliviana de Aviación, Flybondi, Wingo, Easyfly (Promovols), Satena, Star Perú, Voepass, Ecojet, Atsa, Qantas Group, Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Regional Express Holdings, Fiji Airways, Air Tahiti, Aircalin, Air Tahiti Nui.

We are adding more partners all the time, and we’re happy to work with you!

We have developed a series of best practices based on our observations of over 100 booking sites, and we can make these available to you through our consulting arm. Please contact bizdev@passport-autofill.com.

We also offer dedicated security-focussed conversions with out security team, please contact security@passport-autofill.com

9. WHICH TRAVEL BOOKING SITES DO YOU WORK WITH?

Passport Autofill is designed to work with the world’s largest travel booking sites including Agoda, bravofly, BudgetAir, Expedia, Omio, Rome2rio, Ryanair.com, Kiwi, eDreams and Mytrip.