Grabbing some extra time on holiday is always a boon for any traveller. Even if it’s just a couple of hours, to grab a final breakfast or last drink by the pool, it can make the world of difference to a homeward journey, and can turn a mad dash for a flight into a more relaxed trip to the airport.
Now, for travellers flying in and out of Cape Verde’s largest international airports, Sal and Boa Vista, the chance for bonus beach time is becoming a regular thing. This is all thanks to an extended partnership between Amadeus and ASA Cape Verde Airports to implement Amadeus’ Airport Common Use Service (ACUS) mobile solution.
The cloud-based tech means users of the app are able to check in and drop off bags at hotels within Cape Verde, before heading off to the airport free from the burden of lugging bags along with them.
The service, seen here at a 'pop up' event in September 2017, even allows for Cabo Verde's handling agents to issue boarding passes and bag tags on site at a flyer's hotel or resort. The luggage is then whisked off to the airport by the ground handling firm.
“We are pleased to extend our partnership with ASA and Cabo Verde Handling to improve the experience of travellers on the islands. With the steady growth of tourism in Cape Verde, it is important to simplify airport infrastructures to welcome new passengers” said John Jarrell (below), head of airport IT at Amadeus.
“The ability to have a luggage-free journey from hotel to airport is a significant advantage for passengers and is just one of the ways in which both airports and customers can benefit from our ACUS agreement.”
In 2016, Amadeus implemented its ACUS common use check-in solution (currently adopted by more than 30 airports worldwide) at Cape Verde’s four international airports. ACUS Mobile has now been added as an additional solution and service and comes with separate Amadeus ACUS mobile hardware devices that are used locally at Cape Verde hotels and resorts.
Jorge Benchimol Duarte, CEO of ASA Cape Verde Airports said: “We aim to bring the best service to airport passengers. Working with Amadeus has helped us to increase our airports’ productivity in the most cost-effective way and with ACUS Mobile, we can now make Cape Verde an even easier place to travel to and from, with smooth check-in facilities from the hotels in our islands. Taking the pressure off the terminals and improving the passenger experience is a win-win situation for us.”
Last year Cape Verde revealed a 13.6% increase in tourists coming to the island, with British visitors leading the uptick with over 20% of all tourists coming from the UK, as well as staying the longest with an average of nine nights per trip.
