Star Alliance, Accenture enhance seamless travel experience with digital services platform

STAR Alliance and Accenture have launched a digital services platform to create a more seamless experience for travellers in the 28-airline member network.

The platform can gather data provided by an individual member airline or third-party source and make it available to all members, allowing them to build it into their own digital applications.

"The longer-term aim is to allow customers to use any member airline's website or mobile application to obtain all the information they need for travel on several Star Alliance member airlines," the alliance said on Tuesday.

Once a service offer is available from the platform, member airlines can decide individually if and when they make it available to customers.

Currently, German airline Lufthansa and US airline United are the first two carriers using the platform.

For example, a seat selection feature launched on Feb 2 now allows a United Airlines customer to select a seat on Singapore Airlines flights booked via United's website or app.

Passengers travelling on fare types that include complimentary advance seat selection can choose a specific seat at the time of reservation for the entire journey on United Airlines and Singapore Airlines. This feature will be made available across the Alliance progressively.

Lufthansa is using the technology to provide baggage tracking information for its customers on journeys that include flights on other Star Alliance airlines.

Star Alliance CEO Jeffrey Goh said: "Most frequent travellers have a 'home airline' in our network and would prefer to control their entire travel experience through a single app or website."

He added: "We are therefore working to create central capabilities that can be shared for use by our individual members."