Saudia to launch smartphone services

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) will launch a bouquet of smartphone services in the first week of January, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, its director general, announced Thursday. He said the new services would work on iPhones running the iOS7 operating system or later versions.
Addressing a press conference at Jeddah Hilton after attending the graduation of a new group of trainees of the airline’s “Future Pioneers” program, Al-Jasser said the new services would enable the national flag carrier to cope with the latest developments in the aviation industry.
“Passengers will be able to make reservations, purchase tickets, pay through Sadad, issue boarding passes, select seats on Saudia flights and keep the boarding pass in the PassBook using the new system. It will also provide information about flights and preserve passenger information,” Al-Jasser explained.
He said the new service would help passengers save a lot of time and energy and enable them complete most of their travel procedures without visiting a travel agent or a sales office. The new service is available in both Arabic and English and passengers will be able to use Hijri dates for reservations.
Al-Jasser said the service would be available for domestic flights in the first phase while passengers traveling on the airline’s international flights would be able to avail themselves of the service in the next stage. It will also be linked with the airline’s Alfursan frequent travelers program while passengers are given options to purchase tickets using different currencies.
“We’ll also make this service available on Android system in the near future,” the director general said while disclosing plans to further develop the airline’s website as well as smartphone applications to accommodate the latest technological developments and strengthen Saudia’s competitive position.
During the graduation ceremony, which saw 60 trainees receiving their certificates, Al-Jasser emphasized the airline’s strategic plan to train the national cadre to take up important positions in the organization.
Omar Abdullah Jefri, executive vice president for joint services, said the Future Pioneers program provides trainees with intensive courses in aviation economics, development strategies, presentation skills, report writing, positive interaction, facing pressure of work and exploring personal capabilities.