Qatar Airways: First air cargo carrier introducing Interline Bookings on its Digital Lounge Portal

Continuing its commitment to digitalize and enhance the booking experience, Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s leading air cargo carrier, becomes the first air cargo carrier to offer online bookings with instant confirmations to interline partners through its innovative Digital Lounge portal.

Interline partners can now manage online bookings seamlessly, eliminating the need to contact local station staff and significantly reducing the manual exchange of booking emails. This enhancement not only streamlines the booking process but also enhances operational efficiency, providing real-time access to booking information and updates.

The Interline booking feature is currently being used by American Airlines Cargo and Latam Cargo to manage all their bookings on Qatar Airways Cargo flights. The air cargo carrier aims to extend Digital Lounge to all its interline partners in the coming months.

Mark Drusch, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo, said: “Digitalization is a cornerstone of our strategy, and we are proud to continue setting new standards in the cargo industry. As the first air cargo carrier to offer online bookings with instant confirmations to our interline partners, we are committed to innovation and improving the booking experience for both, our partners and customers. Our teams actively gather customer feedback to enhance the user experience on the Digital Lounge portal, and we have made significant progress since its launch in 2022.”

Faisal Karamat, Vice President Cargo Customer Experience at Qatar Airways Cargo, remarked: “Since the launch of Digital Lounge, we have welcomed over 6,800 registered customers and 15,000 users to the portal, achieving nearly 500,000 online bookings. The portal’s intuitive design and user-friendly layout have received high praise, underscoring its success in meeting customer needs and driving digitalization in the cargo industry. We are continually exploring ways to enhance our Digital Lounge, and the introduction of the new Interline feature is a testament to our commitment to adding valuable functionalities.”

With the Digital Lounge’s user-friendly interface and a host of features like tracking and tracing, uploading of multiple dimensions per shipment, notifications configuration per air waybill, BUP bookings with ULD details, allotment bookings, and a personalized experience for consolidators, the Digital Lounge portal offers a unique and efficient booking experience. Customers can complete their bookings in just 2-3 minutes, supported by a 24/7 centralized in-house technical support team.

Recently, Qatar Airways Cargo introduced a new industry feature 'My Allotments', on the portal, that provides real-time visibility, prevents overbooking, and optimizes shipment planning. Along with its own e-booking portal, the airline’s omnichannel approach provides several industry booking options for its customers, ensuring a connected and improved e-booking experience.