Technology makes just about everything better, and air travel is no exception. Technology makes airports more efficient and solves the problems plaguing airlines. Here are 5 ways air travel will be improved by technology in 2017.
- Luggage will be tracked by RFID bag tags
RFID is hardly new technology. It's been used quite successfully for a number of years by McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Hong Kong International Airport. Things will be different in 2017 as more major international airlines will begin using them.
Delta Airlines has announced that they have invested $50 million adopting RFID across 344 stations to track the 120 million bags they manage. Delta is only the first airline of many to fully embrace the technology.
Delta have also updated their smartphone app to send push notifications to their passengers.
- It'll be easier to get to the gate and lounge
Air travel in the US is uncomfortable thanks to all the security, but this problem is another one that can and will be solved by technology in 2017.
These days airports make use of technology to predict and analyse airport queues. Information from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cameras, and analysis from the airport and airline systems is brought together through sophisticated algorithms that predict how queues will move. So people can enter an airport and have a good idea of how long they'll be stuck in a queue. This information also allows airlines to move resources around to keep lines short.
If the system predicts that queues could get pretty long, then extra security staff could be sent out to move people through the queue faster. According to travel industry expert and CEO of Cariloha Jeff Pedersen, "Passengers greatly benefit from this queue analysis technology and it's already happening. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Orlando International Airport are two airports making use of this technology to great effect."
- Air travel will have less hassle and more security
There's no need to make travel frustrating by making it more secure. There needs to be a fine balance between keeping passengers secure and ensuring they have a smooth journey. There is less identity fraud already thanks to the introduction of ePassports and these passports can also include biometric technology so passengers can smoothly pass through checkpoints. SITA has already developed a Smart Path system that allows passengers to board a plane with a simple biometric check.
The journey for a passenger starts with a facial scan to capture their biometric details. These biometrics will be checked against their travel documents, particularly their passport, and then it creates a secure single token. This enables passengers to move through every step of their journey, from checking in and moving past border control, with just a simple facial scan without needing to pull out their passport all the time.
- Scan and Fly
Airlines invest in automation so passengers move past check-in lines and head straight to the restaurants and shops. Almost every airport has some kind of check-in kiosk. People are checking in their own bags more often. Nearly two-thirds of airport offer assisted bag drops, but over a quarter of them allow passengers to handle everything on their own. It's faster to do it by yourself and there's less need to wait for help from an agent. It's expected that there will be even more of these self-service bag drop areas in 2017 and it's expected 72% of airports will have them by 2019.
- Stress will be reduced by information sharing
Both airlines and airports are making better use of technology to provide passengers with personalised information about their flights. This could be done through an app made by the airline, through Facebook messenger, or through a third party app such as TripIt and TripCase. No matter how the information is sent out what matters is that passengers can use their smartphones to keep up with all the latest information about their flight.
Passengers need information but they should only receive the right information and only at the right time. Airlines can now send real-time information about their baggage, flight, and potential queue times. SITA provides app developers with a lot of this information which is then integrated into apps. If this information is combined with beacon technology then it gives airports the power to send better information to passengers depending on whereabouts in the airport they are.
Some airports have powered up their apps to allow passengers to quickly move through the terminal, and find a nice meal or a neck pillow. A great example of this is the Miami International Airport app. Passengers can use the app to find information and support on their own individual journey as they move through the airport.
The information includes updates about their gate, flight times, and baggage collection. It also includes information on food and retail outlets, with the suggestions based on their location. Passengers also receive an indoor map complete with "blue-dot" functionality, map rotation, and turn-by-turn directions including information about things near them and how long it should take them to move from one part of the airport to another.
We expect that we'll be enjoying much smoother journeys next year and for years to come with all the travel technology coming up.