Passengers traveling through Budapest can benefit from the “bud:connects” transfer assistance desk. If they have checked luggage and less than three hours to catch their next flight, they can also access the Fast Track Lane route for free

BRNO, 3 February 2020 — Leading travel-tech company Kiwi.com and Budapest Airport are improving the existing bud:connects program by adding “Smart Pass” to bring even smoother and more efficient travel for virtually interlined passengers.

Every booking made on Kiwi.com that requires a transfer through Budapest Airport, Kiwi.com now offers a “Smart Pass” which provides the Fast Track Lane option at no additional charge, as well as assistance at the bud:connects desk.

Customers who are traveling with checked luggage and have a connection of fewer than three hours can show the Smart Pass QR code to security personnel and be escorted through the Fast Track Lane at Budapest Airport, ensuring that they have enough time to catch their next flight.

“Our desire is to do everything we can to ensure each and every one of our self-connect passengers has the smoothest journey through our airport,” explains Kam Jandu, CCO, Budapest Airport. “Partnering with Kiwi.com is a key element which has seen us create an innovative service in the region. With competitive elapsed journey times we are already seeing an improved passenger journey – results which will help secure future bookings. As this method of travel becomes more popular, we’d encourage other airports to invest in the self-transfer market,” adds Jandu. 

bud:connects was launched in August 2019 to deliver a hassle-free and seamless experience to all customers with itineraries connecting through Budapest, as well as Virtually Interlined itineraries from Kiwi.com; which combine flights from airlines that do not normally cooperate.

“We are proud to cooperate with Budapest Airport and its bud:connects transfer product. Bringing together Kiwi.com Virtual Interlining technology and state-of-the-art onsite transfer assistance provided by bud:connects staff not only enhances passenger experience for our Kiwi.com customers but also improves connectivity through Budapest airport overal,” comments Zdenek Komenda, CBDO at Kiwi.com.

Customers traveling with Kiwi.com who need information or have disruptions in their trip — like a missed connection due to a delayed flight — are protected by the Kiwi.com Guarantee. They can visit one of the two “bud:connects powered by Kiwi.com” desks at the airport (in terminals 2A and 2B), and they will be assisted by agents specially trained in Virtual Interlining and Kiwi.com Guarantee.

“The plane was delayed, and the passenger had a very short connection. I called the gate and escorted her through passport control. When she boarded the plane, she was really happy!” said one of the agents at Budapest Airport.

By providing the passengers with a faster and smoother transfer, Kiwi.com gives Budapest Airport the possibility to increase the number of connections it can facilitate, which will lead to even faster growth.

Last year, Budapest Airport serviced 110,000 self-connected passengers, a number that is expected to double in the next three years.

Both services, ‘bud:connects’ and ‘SmartPass’, are available on Kiwi.com’s partners’ portal Tequila as well. With Tequila, partners of all sizes can start selling Virtually Interlined flights, buses and trains from the Kiwi.com’s inventory almost immediately, and benefit from all the tools the innovative company invented so far.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

About Kiwi.com

Founded by Oliver Dlouhý and Jozef Képesi in 2012, Kiwi.com is an online search engine allowing users to combine transportation from non-cooperating carriers. It is powered by its proprietary algorithm (Virtual Interlining) that allows users to combine flights and ground transportation from over 750 carriers, accompanied by industry-leading Kiwi.com Guarantee. Today, the company sees more than 100 million searches every day and employs over 2,600 people worldwide. Kiwi.com ranked seventh in the 2017 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA list, becoming the highest-ever rated Czech company. Following the previous success, Kiwi.com ranked fifth in the very same program in 2018. In November 2019, the company announced a change in its vision of becoming the first Virtual Global Supercarrier and won the People’s Choice Award at Phocuswright Conference in Miami.

About Budapest Airport (BUD)

Notes for Editors

• Budapest Airport is the best airport in the Region, as recognized by Skytrax in six consecutive years from 2014 to 2019, based on passenger ratings. Budapest Airport has become the lead airport in terms of passenger growth and together with its airline partners is a key contributor to the development of tourism in Hungary and Budapest. 
• Budapest Airport’s terminals are home to 54 airlines which transported 16.2 million passengers to 156 destinations in 53 countries in 2019 (8.8% growth rate in 2019 vs. 2018). 
• Budapest Airport in 2019 handled 135.521 tons of cargo.
• Monthly passenger traffic growth December 2019 has exceeded +8%.
• Budapest Airport’s route development includes:

Already launched:

• • Ryanair twice-weekly service to Kharkiv, 16 January 2020.

To launch:

• • Sunday Airlines weekly service to Sanya, 23 February 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines 12 times weekly to Prague, 27 March 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines seven times weekly to Belgrade, 27 March 2020;
  • Wizz Air twice-weekly service to Zaporizhia, 29 March 2020;
  • Wizz Air daily service to Paris Orly, 29 March 2020;
  • Ryanair twice-weekly service to Lviv, 29 March 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines 12 times weekly to Brussels, 30 March 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines 12 times weekly to Bucharest, 30 March 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines 12 times weekly to Stuttgart, 30 March 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines seven times weekly to Sofia, 30 March 2020;
  • American Airlines four times weekly service to Chicago O’Hare, 4 May 2020;
  • Korean Air three times weekly service to Seoul Incheon, 23 May 2020
  • Wizz Air daily service to Brussels, 1 June 2020;
  • Wizz Air twice-weekly service to Kharkiv, 1 June 2020;
  • Wizz Air twice-weekly service to Lviv, 3 June 2020;
  • Wizz Air twice-weekly service to Santander, 3 June 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines weekly service to Dubrovnik, 7 June 2020;
  • LOT Polish Airlines weekly service to Varna, 7 June 2020