On December 17, Chongqing Airport officially launched the “Chongqing Fly Frequent Flyer Program” and rolled out the “Chongqing Fly Member” WeChat mini-program, upgrading its transfer products and services. Reporters learned that among the series of transfer upgrades released by Chongqing Airport, the new “inter-airline transfer” service stands out as a highlight. This service offers greater convenience for transferring passengers, significantly improving the ease of in-transit flights, and has won high praise from consumers.
“Save an Hour, Enjoy the Flight”
Passengers Praise Chongqing Airport’s New Inter-Airline Transfer Experience
As a media worker in the travel industry, “frequent flyer” Beibei was pleasantly surprised to find that the services for flights transiting through Chongqing have been comprehensively upgraded. Recently, Beibei flew from Shenzhen to Tianshui, Gansu for an event. Although the flights were operated by two different airlines, she was able to transfer at Chongqing Airport without having to collect her luggage. Even the transfer boarding process was handled by the ground service team, who escorted her directly from the gate of the previous flight segment to the gate of the next. Such fast and thoughtful service even surprised the well-traveled Beibei.
She did the math for reporters: during the transfer, there’s no need to spend 20 minutes queuing to collect luggage and another 20 minutes rechecking it — just this one process alone saves over 40 minutes. And that’s not all. With no need to exit the sterile area or go through security again, and with internal shuttle buses going straight to the gate, this new service can save at least another half hour of transfer time. All in all, what used to be an inter-airline transfer process taking more than an hour and a half can now be completed in about 30 minutes, saving a full hour.
Reporters learned that as one of the first airports in the country to offer on-site inter-airline transfers, Chongqing Airport has long been a pioneer in domestic inter-airline transfers. After the operation of Terminal 3, Chongqing Airport was also the first in the country to trial inter-terminal, inter-airline transfer services, using internal shuttle buses to transport transfer passengers and saving them considerable transfer time.
Connecting the Airport’s Three Major Ground Service Companies
Chongqing Airport Fully Achieves Seamless Inter-Airline Transfers
It is reported that the upgrade of inter-airline transfer services is just a small part of Chongqing Airport’s “Chongqing Fly Frequent Flyer Program.” The newly launched “Chongqing Fly Member” WeChat mini-program also integrates more value-added transfer services. Passengers can search for the “Chongqing Fly Member” mini-program on WeChat, enter the “Chongqing Fly” WeChat service account, click on the “Chongqing Fly Member” section, register as a member, and then conveniently use practical service features such as check-in, flight inquiries, airport navigation, and parking fee payments through thisplatform. They can also accumulate member points through flying and airport spending, enjoy member benefits, and redeem points for products. Even exclusive lounges, usually reserved for VIPs, can be accessed for free by checking in regularly.
The reason transfer passengers can fully enjoy inter-airline transfers and a range of other value-added transfer services is based on the comprehensive integration of services among Chongqing Airport’s three major ground service companies.
A Chongqing Airport official stated that currently, there are three ground service companies operating flights at Chongqing Airport: Chongqing Airport Ground Services, China Southern Airlines Ground Services, and Air China Ground Services. Currently, flights served by Chongqing Airport and China Southern Airlines ground services have already achieved inter-airline transfer services, accounting for about 80% of the total number of flights at Chongqing Airport.
On the day of the launch, Air China and Chongqing Airport signed a framework agreement. The inclusion of Air China’s flights in Chongqing Airport’s inter-airline transfer service family is about to be realized. At that time, the three major ground service companies at Chongqing Airport will achieve fullinformationsharing and unified dispatch coordination, fully realizing the goal of seamless inter-airline transfers. Chongqing Airport will also become one of the first large airports in the country to achieve full coverage of inter-airline transfer services.
“Chongqing Airport’s inter-airline transfer service fully demonstrates an international hub airport’s insight into and responsiveness to passenger needs. Through inter-airline transfers, Chongqing Airport has greatly shortened transfer times, simplified transfer processes, and transformed what used to be a hectic transfer journey into an enjoyable and pleasant trip. It must be said that Chongqing Airport’s approach in this regard is highly forward-thinking,” said an industry observer.