Technology has changed the way we use to interact with our surroundings. Travelling was never been so easy than it was a decade ago. Information Technology revolution has bought consumers and service providers on common platform. Booking flights is a click away. You can travel to any country, choose your choicest time and hotel. But, there is a huge room for improvements.
When you think about airport, what's the first thing comes to your mind? Long queues at check-in and security counters? Flight delays, lost luggage, gate change confusions and what not. Well, this three simple innovations will transform our Airport experience.
1. Facial Recognition
Faicial Recognition technique uses human biometric information to speed up the security checks. The trend is catching up faster, Gatwick Airport already has this technology in place which uses facial recognition technology to make sure the stop time for passenger is always below five minutes.
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| Image source: iomniscient.com |
Michael Ibbitson, the airport's chief information officer explains:"We track your face at four points on the journey through security, to get real time feedback on how long it is taking".
This technology could enhance our travel experience with far more application in future. Jim Slevin, HRS's transport manager, said: "We see this going towards ticketless travel. Biometric can replace proxy of a ticket."
As per Motherboard.com reports, Washington dulles Airport this week implemented their pilot program testing "Targeted Biometric Program" which will will use facial recognition at custom checkpoints to catch impostors. This move also drawing flak from civil liberties groups and privacy advocates.
2. Mobile Payment System
Today, smartphones has become an integral part of everyone's life and payment through mobile with services like Apple Pay already making waves. Airline industry too catching up this trend.
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| Image source: 9to5Mac.com |
As futuretravelexperience.com reports, Jetblue becomes the first airline to accept contactless payment via Apple Pay in-flight, and now they have make this service available for payment on the ground. JetBlue website reads:"In addition to onboard purchases, customers will be able to use Apple Pay to complete purchases on the JetBlue app starting later this year." A passenger now select a flight and can pay with single touch on their iPhones and iPads. And major retailers at airports now accept Apple Pay. If you're a Apple user, next time when you walk for a coffee on airport, don't search for your wallet, pay through your iphone.
3. Wearable Technology
Wearable technology gained real traction in this year with Apple annoucing it's flagship wearable device Apple Watch. And there is little doubt that wearable tech present great oppurtunity for airlines and airports to engage directly with their passengers to provide efficient service throughout the journey.
Now, with smartwatch you can bypass the security gates with boarding pass on your watch screen.
And many airlines shown their interest in investing wearable tech to make customer airport experience better. At Japan Airline, Andrew Kenji Wang, Manager Planning Group web sales, told to FutureTravelExperience.com: "Google Glass has been embraced for aircraft maintainance and loading activities, but it is the smartwatch that the airline has identified as having passenger-facing benefits. The carrier previously developed a mobile phone that could transform the same tasks as the gate terminal, but customers were complaining that staff keep looking at their mobiles. Allowing staff to use smartwatches for some of these tasks, and to be pinpointed by the central desk when needed, has helped increase productivity, and passengers are happy that the smartwatches are being used for professional, rather than personal reasons."
As per SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Survey, 77% of the 6,277 passengers surveyed are comfortable with airline staff using wearable technology to help them on theit journey.
Source: BBC News, Futuretravelexperience
Source: BBC News, Futuretravelexperience
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