A pilot project aimed at optimising payment processes within the open aircraft IT platform BoardConnect has been launched by Lufthansa Systems and Munich-based intelligent payment solution provider optile. The partnership is focused on enabling passengers to make convenient in-app payments for digital content and shopping services.
optile’s open payment solution gives BoardConnect users the option to make on-board purchases using their preferred payment method. Passengers need only to enter their payment data once when booking their ticket through the airline app. They can then make further payments using the previously chosen payment method.
According to both companies, this considerably simplifies the purchasing process, increases security and allows passengers to fully focus on their requested content, while enabling airlines to maximise their ancillary revenue potential.
“We at optile are very happy to collaborate with Lufthansa Systems in this pilot project since it will bring connectivity between airlines, their passengers, and external partner services to the next level,” said Jan-Oliver Stueck, corporate relations director at optile.
During a trial phase, Eurowings passengers used the simplified payment method provided by optile and BoardConnect in Retail inMotion’s on-board shop. Lufthansa Technik supplied the necessary hardware for the wireless access point.
“Partnering with optile allows us to offer our airline customers an open and flexible payment solution, enabling payment with a single click and supporting multiple payment methods (e.g. AliPay, PayPal, etc.),” said Jan-Peter Gaense, head of passenger experience products & solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “Passengers will love the seamless payment process which makes it really easy to buy products and services. This will help airlines to keep the passenger in their ecosystem throughout the entire journey.”
