Manchester Airport partners with Airportr to introduce home bag collection

Courtesy MAG

This will be the first time Airportr has collaborated with an airport operator to create a fully integrated baggage service, which allows passengers to check-in baggage before arriving at the airport.

The service allows passengers to have their luggage collected straight from their home prior to the date of their departure, meaning they can travel to the airport bag-free, head straight for security, and reunite with their bags in baggage reclaim at their final destination. The service will be available to passengers travelling with partner airlines which include Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Finnair, however those travelling on other airlines can also make use of the service by having their bags collected from their homes ready for collection when they arrive at the airport.

MAG will be the first airport operator in the UK to use the Airportr service within its own infrastructure, with baggage processed in a dedicated facility away from the traditional terminal check-in areas. It will also be the first to digitise the service, meaning passengers can book and pay online via Manchester Airport’s website.

The new system creates a ‘win-win’ scenario, where the passenger experience is enhanced with a convenient at-home service, whilst also unlocking operational efficiencies for MAG by reducing the amount of baggage processed in the terminal. The move makes MAG a leader in technology enabled baggage services in the UK airports, alongside Airportr’s existing partnerships with airlines at London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.

Passengers can choose an allotted one to three-hour collection slot prior to their departure date, and as late as the morning of their flight. A vetted driver will arrive at their home, collect their luggage and take it directly to the airport for check-in and processing. Travel documents are scanned when the luggage is collected, and passengers can follow real-time driver and bag tracking via the use of digital bag tags, providing peace of mind that their bags have arrived safely.

Passengers can book the service through the Manchester Airport website at www.manchesterairport.co.uk alongside other travel extras including FastTrack security, car parking and lounges. Other ways to book include via the Airportr website at www.airportr.com/manchester or via a partner airline.

Andrew Harrison, CEO Airport Services, MAG said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Airportr today, which will allow our passengers to streamline their airport experience, through an efficient and secure process, meaning they can arrive at the airport with one less thing to think about and get ready for their trip.

“MAG is working hard to find new and innovative ways to enhance every step of the passenger journey through our airports, and this new partnership, which is a market first here in the UK, is another crucial development in that process.”

Randel Darby, Founder and CEO, Airportr said: “We couldn’t be more excited to see this ambitious project materialise. In combining MAG’s operational and digital capabilities, and our shared appetite to innovate the airport experience, we have been able to create something unique.

“Our new airport-backed model raises the bar in terms of operational delivery and is designed to enable us to add more airlines to the future. This will open up home bag check-in to more passengers – key to our goal of transforming the passenger experience and airport operations. Manchester is the UK’s second technology hub and home to its biggest airport outside of London, making it the perfect place for us to realise our ambitions for growth.”