As Singapore Airlines expands both its Australian and European networks, it is also changing another part of the long-haul journey: baggage. After several years of offering Airportr’s off-airport baggage service in the UK, the airline is expanding the partnership into Frankfurt and Zurich. Passengers can have their bags collected before travelling to the airport, while those arriving in Zurich can have their bags delivered directly to their destination. Airportr chief revenue officer Ultan O’Brien (pictured) looks at how Singapore Airlines is rethinking baggage for long-haul travellers.
What does the passenger data behind the UK service’s NPS of 93 show about who’s using it and what’s driving satisfaction?
Airportr’s door-to-flight service allows passengers to have their checked baggage collected from their home, hotel or office and delivered directly to their flight, so they can arrive at the airport without having to take their bags through the departure hall or bag drop. In the UK, the service as offered by Singapore Airlines has achieved an NPS of 93, with particularly strong uptake among long-haul business and premium leisure travellers connecting to the Asia Pacific region.
Among Singapore Airlines customers, the rate at which eligible passengers book Airportr alongside their flight is 30 per cent higher than at other mature full-service carriers. Business travellers also account for 6 per cent of Airportr’s Singapore Airlines users, twice the 3 per cent average across other airlines, suggesting the service is especially valuable to time-conscious corporate passengers.
The NPS of 93 reflects the positive impact of removing baggage from the airport journey. Passengers save time when they arrive at the airport and move through the terminal more easily, which makes the overall experience faster and more convenient.
Why were Frankfurt and Zurich chosen as the next markets for expansion?
Frankfurt and Zurich are important points in Singapore Airlines’ European network in addition to being airports where the Airportr service is already operational with other airlines, making these hubs a natural expansion pathway. Within the UK and DACH regions, the Airportr service now reaches four of Singapore Airline’s nine largest European hubs by passenger volume.
Passenger demand was another factor; 18 per cent of Singapore Airlines passengers using Airportr live outside the markets where the service currently operates, compared with a 10 per cent average across other airline partners. This shows that demand for our service travels with Singapore Airlines passengers rather than being associated with any one location, making it important to offer the service beyond the UK.
The expansion also builds on several years of joint success in the UK market. Extending the partnership to Frankfurt and Zurich gives Singapore Airlines’ passengers who are Changi-bound or originating from Changi Airport the same door-to-flight experience in two of Europe’s busiest gateways. Because Airportr was already operating at both airports with other airline partners, the local logistics network, airport handling processes, baggage induction procedures and technology were already in place. That meant Singapore Airlines could build on an existing operating model rather than start from scratch in each market.
How Airportr sees the relationship between airline-led services like this one and the airport-operated bag-drop services now appearing at hubs such as Edinburgh and Budapest?
We see airline-led services and airport-led bag-drop services as complementary rather than competing models. Both address the same challenge: reducing the time, queues and inconvenience associated with checking in baggage, while easing pressure on terminal bag-drop. Edinburgh Airport already uses Airportr’s door-to-flight service in partnership with easyJet, demonstrating how airport- and airline-led models can work together.
City-based check-in and bag drop services provide another model. City Airport Train allows passengers to check bags in Vienna’s city centre, with similar options available through Arlanda Express and KLIA Ekspres in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong’s Airport Express. We also partner with SBB, Switzerland’s national rail operator, to integrate the flight, rail connection and baggage transfer from the passenger’s departure station into a single booking. Airportr differs in that it is built as an integrated baggage platform – or Baggage-as-a-Service – connecting airline and airport systems with off-airport baggage services to move baggage processing beyond the terminal, create additional capacity and give passengers more choice over how they travel with bags.
But each model addresses the crucial baggage-handling pressure point, moving baggage processing earlier in the journey and taking different forms depending on the market and operating model. They can absolutely coexist and complement one another.
Is there a case for extending off-airport baggage services to the Australian end of Singapore Airlines’ network, given growing AU–Europe traffic via Singapore?
Australia is a major long-haul market for Singapore Airlines, with passengers travelling from seven Australian gateways through Changi and onward to destinations across Europe. For passengers already making a long journey, being able to spend less time managing bags at the airport and avoid carrying them for part of the journey can make the overall travel experience significantly easier. Singapore Airlines also has a high proportion of business travellers, a customer segment that aligns well with the service and strengthens the case for expansion into new markets.
The case also becomes compelling as service coverage grows at the European end of the network. With the service available in the UK and expanding to Frankfurt and Zurich, extending it to other parts of the journey could give passengers more consistent access to the same benefit when travelling between Australia, Singapore and Europe.
What is the commercial case airlines are making internally for investing in baggage as a loyalty/retention lever, rather than a pure convenience add-on?
Airlines are starting to look at baggage differently, recognising it as a major part of the loyalty equation and a frontline customer experience moment. Baggage sits at a point in the journey where a relatively small improvement can significantly influence how passengers view the airline overall.
Bag drop, luggage handling and reclaim are highly visible touchpoints, so removing friction in these areas can do more than make a single trip easier; the positive impact can extend to brand perception, loyalty program participation and revenue growth, particularly when thinking about frequent flyers with considerable lifetime value.
Off-airport baggage services can also have a direct role in airlines’ loyalty programs. Lufthansa Group integrated Airportr into its Miles & More program in 2024, allowing members to earn and redeem miles when they purchased the service. This gives passengers an effective way to use their loyalty currency while making the baggage benefit more closely tied to their relationship with the airline.
Customer data supports that connection: 22 per cent of passengers said baggage delivery increased their loyalty to the airline offering it, while 15 per cent said the availability of the service could influence which airline they choose. In Q1 of 2026, Airportr delivered an NPS of 90 across thousands of users, further demonstrating the impact the availability of our service has on passenger satisfaction.
A better baggage experience can do more than improve satisfaction scores. It can transform baggage from a cost center into an integral, optimisable aspect of the air travel journey. It can create new ancillary revenue opportunities while simultaneously increasing the efficacy of loyalty initiatives, reducing congestion and streamlining baggage processes, all without adding operational complexity or cost.
Author bio
Ultan O’Brien is chief revenue officer at Airportr, where he leads commercial growth and partnerships with airlines and airports. He brings extensive experience across travel technology, SaaS and inflight connectivity, including senior roles at Viasat and Boxever. At Airportr, he focuses on scaling Baggage-as-a-Service, creating new commercial opportunities and improving the passenger journey.
duniapermainan.id