In The News: WorldKoins partners with AirAsia in conversion of leftover currency; movable kiosks for fast check-in at Hong Kong airport; Maxim’s Travel’s new branded mobile app
STARTUPS: WorldKoins lets AirAsia guests convert leftover currency into credits for shopping or good cause
WorldKoins app converts travellers leftover monies into credits
Collecting leftover coins and currency from travellers to donate to a choice of causes is not a new venture, as many startups in various parts of the world have launched apps or machines to do just that.
For example Coin⇌Back, a Bangkok based social enterprise founded in 2014, places kiosks in places such as departure halls of the airports, hotels, malls and other public places to receive coins or currency, with the money collected donated to a worthy cause.
In Malaysia a mobile app WorldKoins is doing the same, collecting leftover currency from travellers but with a difference. Instead it is converting the unused money to credits that travellers can do with as they wish – shop online with participating merchants, use as eGift cards and vouchers, transfer to PayPal or donate to selected charity organisations.
WorldKoins is offering this service to AirAsia customers on selected (AK codes) flights from Kuala Lumpur in a six-month pilot programme with the low cost carrier. The collaboration, to last till April next year, gives the airline’s passengers the option to convert their unused Malaysian ringgit-denominated currency into WorldKoins credits.
The AirAsia cabin crew will help travellers on board the selected AirAsia flights to join the WorldKoins platform by keying in the relevant information such as the mobile numbers and the amount to be deposited into their device. They will then receive an SMS to activate their account and, after 72 hours, they can start conducting transactions on the WorldKoins app where they can check their WorldKoins balance and redeem various e-gift cards etc.
Travellers can use the app to locate a DropKoin partner at the airport, hand over the leftover currency and WorldKoins will convert them to credits for them to use as they wish.
Martijn Langhout, co-founder of WorldKoins, said with the app travellers can make full use of their leftover currency.
“It is usually very hard to exchange small amounts of currency at the money changers, and WorldKoins is a great avenue to help travellers use that leftover money in a more meaningful way.”
Siegtraund Teh, AirAsia group chief commercial officer, said the partnership with WorldKoins was another way to strengthen the airline’s offerings to its guests.
“We also hope to make this service available in all flights after reviewing the pilot stage.”
The WorldKoins app is free to download on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY: Hong Kong airport reinvents check-in with movable kiosks
Faster and seamless check-in at HKIA with movable kiosks (Image credit: Hong Kong Airport)
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world’s busiest airport, handling 42.2 million departing passengers in the first seven months of this year, and an efficient flexible check-in process is one of its priorities.
The airport has signed an agreement with Amadeus that enables it to deploy iCUSS, described as the “world’s first hot-swappable battery powered movable check-in kiosks with both a self-service and full-service mode”, at its terminal.
Powered by Amadeus Airport Common Use Service (ACUS), the cloud-based mobile kiosks can be rapidly placed and relocated for travellers to check-in themselves or by the airport staff.
Benefits for both passengers and the airport include:
- Easier and faster check-in to any airline as the kiosks ‘SmartCheck’ app and simplified user interface enable airport staff and travellers to access any airline from any kiosk. Passengers can check-in, validate their travel documents, pick their seat and print bag tags and boarding passes from any kiosk.
- With swappable batteries, WiFi or 3G/4G connections and wheels, the kiosks can be used by the traveller or airport staff anywhere around HKIA’s 850,000sqm terminal. They can also be moved off-site so check-in can be made at train platforms, hotels, convention centres or any other location where people will be travelling to the airport from.
- Save costs as the cloud-based applications deployed on the kiosks removed expensive network costs and resources for both the airport and its 100 airline customers.
Vivian Cheung, deputy director of airport operations, Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the use of the kiosks gave the option to travellers to check-in at their convenience, reduce process times, save airlines resources and free up space in the terminal.
TOUR OPERATOR: Australia’s Maxim’s Travel broadens digital reach with a branded mobile app
Maxim’s Travel’s uses mobile app to be more engaged with customers (Image credit: monkeybusinessimages/iStock)
Smartphone penetration in Australia is projected to reach 81% and mobile travel sales are predicted to reach 45% of all online travel sales by 2020. Companies like Maxim’s Travel are turning to mobile to capture this market, as well as to extend its brand and be more engaged with with its customers.
The Sydney-based travel management company, an affiliate of integrated travel service provider Helloworld group, has chosen Travelport Trip Assist to support and connect with travellers at every stage of their journey with a fully branded app.
With the Travelport’s agency mobile tool, which was launched in Asia Pacific in July, the agency can provide smart itinerary management for customers, ensuring all trip changes are reflected within the app.
Travellers are also able to call an agent from directly within the app. They can also access detailed trip segment information and real-time messaging functions including push notifications, flight related updates, new trip alerts, trip specific reminders and mapping functionality.
“We are excited to pioneer Travelport Trip Assist in Australia, which will improve our ability to provide the right experience and information, at the right time in order to meet the expectations of today’s mobile first travellers,” said Chris Goddard, managing director of Maxim’s Travel.
Maxim’s Travel’s mobile app is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Featured image credit: AgFang/iStock-Getty Images
