Asiana Airlines expands Happy Mom services
MANILA, Philippines - Following high demand and appreciation from travelers, Asiana Airlines (OZ) has expanded its Happy Mom services, a unique set of services for passengers traveling with infants. Happy Mom services include exclusive check-in counters for those with infants, free breastfeeding covers, free infant slings inside the cabin, and cabin baby seat installation and rental.
Over 1,000 families have utilized the services since its launch last month in 10 international airports. Happy Mom services were initially available in the Asiana hub Incheon International Airport and in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Sydney.
“With the steady rise of international travel, families with infants are also on a steady increase. According to the 2008 boarding results, around 20,000 infants boarded the planes. It is highly anticipated that the Happy Mom services will have a good response. We will increase the services to all our international destinations starting next year,” said Asiana Airlines Airport Services vice president Joo Yong-Suk.
Asiana will now offer the services in 66 international airports, and in long-haul flights of up to 10 hours. For other airports that Asiana operates in, passengers can request the service from the Asiana airport manager. The Happy Mom services have also been extended to children up to 36 months of age. The Asiana Lounge in Incheon has also now opened its doors and is allowing children under seven years old to enter for free. Most other airlines only allow infants aged 24 months and below.
Asiana formulated the service to resolve the inconveniences experienced by travelers with infants in airports and cabins. They underwent three months of passenger monitoring, trial, and preparation in nine domestic and international routes, and 10 airports.
The exclusive check-in services include express check-in, boarding, and baggage. Their baggage is also given a priority tag for travelers to faster claiming. For breastfed babies, mothers will not have to feed them in the galley but request for the use of a free breastfeeding cover.
Asiana already provides a bassinet service to a limited number of passengers. But since the average size of infants of less than 24 months sometimes exceeds the bassinet’s specifications, parents are faced with the inconvenience of carrying their infants during the flight. Asiana has contracted Agabang, a Korean infant product company, to provide infant slings inside the cabin. A flight will have a maximum of three infant slings.
For larger babies with purchased children’s tickets, Asiana is providing free installation of baby seats upon request. This way, passengers will not be inconvenienced by having to bring along their own baby seat.
The provision of breastfeeding covers, free infant slings and cabin baby seats are all airline industry firsts from Asiana Airlines.
