TIDMVELA
RNS Number : 7445V
Vela Technologies PLC
25 July 2018
25 July 2018
Vela Technologies plc
("Vela" or the "Company")
easyJet partnership with AirPortr
The Board of Vela (AIM: VELA), the investing company focused on
early-stage and pre-IPO disruptive technology investments, notes
today's press release announcing that AirPortr, the London based
travel technology start-up, has entered into a partnership with
easyJet. This will allow easyJet customers to check in luggage for
all flights to any easyJet destination across Europe from London
Gatwick.
Vela has an interest in 162,736 shares in Portr, the owner of
AirPortr, equivalent to approximately 3.1 per cent. of AirPortr's
issued share capital.
Commenting on the news, Antony Laiker, Executive Director of the
Company, said:
"At just GBP40 for 4 bags, this is a very compelling offer for
passengers to be able to travel "bag free" - no need to arrive at
the airport so early or join the long queues.
Both airlines and passengers are increasingly aware of the
issues of managing baggage, particularly at busy times. easyJet has
always been an innovative company and now joins a growing list of
partnerships airlines enabling passengers to experience the benefit
of a check-in service away from the airport."
Excerpts from easyJet's press release are copied below:
easyJet, Europe's leading airline, has launched a partnership
with home bag drop service AirPortr, giving passengers travelling
from London Gatwick the option to check their luggage in online and
then collected from their doorstep by friendly, professional
drivers and taken directly to the airport
Research shows that over three quarters of travellers would
prefer to be luggage free for the day of their flight, which is why
easyJet and AirPortr have partnered to provide this service
allowing travellers start their trips at home.
AirPortr will pick up luggage from the passenger's doorstep, and
safely deliver it to easyJet's bag drop before it is flown to one
of the airline's 110 destinations from Gatwick. Customers can then
collect their baggage at their destinations baggage reclaim.
Since 2016, AirPortr have collected over 69,000 bags, skis and
bikes which have been checked-in and delivered to more than 320
destination airport baggage reclaims around the world. easyJet is
confident this new service will help make travelling even easier
and for its passengers.
The service is available for flights to any of easyJet's
destinations across Europe from London Gatwick, the airline's
biggest UK base. The premium product allows passengers to check in
a piece of luggage add chose a 1 hour pick-up time slot for as
little as GBP30. Alternatively, a GBP40 value product offers
tremendous value for money, and includes collection of up to 4
pieces of luggage within a 3 hour window.
Andrew Middleton, Director of Ancillary Revenue at easyJet,
said:
"We are excited to be introducing AirPortr's services to our
passengers, starting with Gatwick services. Whether a flight is for
business or leisure, we are confident the home bag drop service is
a fantastic initiative to improve a traveller's experience.
"easyJet is proud to continue to develop our product offering
with innovative companies such as AirPortr."
Randel Darby, CEO of AirPortr, said:
"Particularly when flying short-haul with hold luggage, a
disproportionate amount of journey time can be spent on the ground
getting to and through the airport. We're delighted to work with
easyJet to overcome this, starting their passengers' journey at
home, saving valuable time and providing hassle free travel, all at
an affordable price.
"With easyJet's reputation for leading digital innovation, we
will see the service integrated into the customer journey in new
ways, such as being offered alongside great baggage fares when
booking a flight.
"We're proud to be working with an airline with a start-up
mentality but Europe-wide scale, as we continue to lead the
development of at-home bag check-in services."
For further information, please contact:
Vela Technologies plc
Brent Fitzpatrick, Non-Executive
Chairman Tel: +44 (0) 7802 262
Antony Laiker, Director 443
Allenby Capital Limited
(Nominated Adviser)
Nick Athanas /Asha Chotai Tel: +44 (0) 20 3328
5656
Smaller Company Capital Limited
(Broker)
Rupert Williams/Jeremy Woodgate Tel: +44 (0) 20 3651
2910
About easyJet
easyJet is Europe's leading airline offering a unique and
winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's
primary airports, with great value fares and friendly service.
easyJet flies on more of Europe's most popular routes than any
other airline. easyJet carries over 83 million passengers annually,
of which more than 13 million are travelling on business. easyJet
flies 308 aircraft on more than 1000 routes to 154 airports across
33 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one
hour's drive of an easyJet airport.
easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on
local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance
with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline
supports a number of local charities and also has a corporate
partnership with UNICEF which has raised over GBP10m for the most
vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.
The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in
the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its
seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is
22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same
aircraft on the same route.
Innovation is in easyJet's DNA - from our launch over 20 years
ago when we changed the way people fly to the present day where we
lead the industry in digital, web, engineering and operational
innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for our
passengers.
About AirPortr:
AirPortr is the digital service leading a movement to change the
way people travel to, and through, the airport. It enables
thousands of passengers to experience bag-less, stress-free travel
every month.
Founded in 2014, the company set-out to address one of the few
aspects of our lives that hasn't been improved by technology and
innovation and accordingly, in 2016, AirPortr launched the world's
first fully integrated home bag check-in service with British
Airways.
Customers are greeted by professional and friendly drivers who
collect their bags from any location within the London service
area. This then allows them to travel bag-free to the airport, skip
the queues, and head straight to security, collecting their bags in
the normal way at their destination.
AirPortr uses powerful, innovative technology to manage the
service and customer experience from end-to-end. This includes
fully complying with all airline policies and government
regulations, including the validation of boarding passes and IDs in
real-time. Unique tamper-aware seals ensure the highest levels of
security throughout the process.
Since 2016, AirPortr has transported over 69,000 bags, skis and
bikes to more than 320 destination airport baggage reclaims around
the world, achieving an average customer rating of 4.7 stars on
Feefo.
More recently, American Airlines, easyJet and Finnair have
joined the AirPortr digital platform in London, opening up the
service to even more passengers.
For more information, please visit www.airportr.com
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END
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