Wellington - Air New Zealand is to equip youngsters travelling alone with a smart wristband to give parents regular updates on their whereabouts, the company said this week.
The “airband” has an embedded computer chip which is scanned at key stages of a child’s airline journey, providing text message notifications to parents and relatives.
Air New Zealand believes it is the first time such technology had been used by an airline.
“Having your child travel on their own can be a nervous time for both children and their guardians,” said Carrie Hurihanganui, the airline’s general manager of customer experience.
“We identified that there was an opportunity to enhance the experience for kids, while at the same time giving caregivers further peace of mind and visibility of their journey.”
The wrist band will be offered to all children between 5 and 11 years of age who are travelling alone, but those aged up to 16 can choose to opt in to the service.
The airband will be offered on a complimentary basis to under-aged passengers until February 3, and charged for after that date. dpa