Are you Ready to Become your own Passport?

Future trends in the travel industry definitely rhyme with technology. Indeed, as Diane Evans points it out on her article “Paperless travel only eight years away” technology will re-think the current way of travelling. Fingerprint boarding passes and eye-scanning passport could make the old fashion way of queuing through customs obsolete. However, is the environment ready for such a change? Will it affect customers’ feeling of safety and security?

Long Range Fingerprint Scanner (AIRprint™)

© 2011 Advanced Optical Systems, Inc, http://www.aos-inc.com/index.php/products/airprint

The long-range fingerprint scanner AIRprint™ is a concept developed by Advanced Optical System, Inc for rapid, long-range collection of fingerprints. The device can capture up to 6.5 feet away in less than five seconds. Used in the travel industry this device will allow customer to use fingerprints as a passing board. However, in terms in security will this device be efficient? The advantage of such a device will decrease the waiting time and boarding should be running more smoothly. One of the disadvantages is that each individual has different fingerprints which make you unique. Nevertheless, every single object you touch is signed by your fingerprints. Which make it easy to recognize. Knowing that technology can recognize fingerprints from a long range distance there is no doubt that technology could also be reproduced on a 3D printer. This threat is probably similar of faking passports nowadays. Communication will play a key role in the development of such device in order to avoid fear for travellers.

The Eye-scanning Passport (IRIS example, Heathrow Airport)

Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) is replacing customs in Heathrow airport for customers that enrolled. IRIS allows passengers to walk through an airport, board a plane and enter another country without ever having to physically go through a single security or border control checkpoint. However, some consumers are reluctant to these new technologies and share their concerns. American traveller, online forum said: “The idea that my details (identity) would be stored in a cloud somewhere, accessible to any major bank, government, corporation, or, in the worst case, hacker, does not make me rest easy at night. The money I earn and my passport are two of the most important external ‘things’ outside of my physical body. Without these things, my experience of ‘freedom’ as an adult, and individual is limited.”

What is definite is that travelling in the future will not be the same as today but the real question is to what extend consumer will be keen on using technology?

Maria Hunova & Sylvain Sevenier

Key Words: Technology, Future, Paperless Travel, Airport

Diane Evans. (2012). Paperless Travel only Eight Years Away. Retrieved on March 20, 2012, from www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1150975&c=setreg&region=2

Amadeus IT Group SA. (2012). From Chaos to collaboration; How transformative technologies will herald a new era in travel. 2DML12/ 03762

Airports Empower Passengers by IT

SITA, known as the société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques, is the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology. According to a research result of '2011 SITA Airport IT Trends Survey', which is released on February 28, 2012 by SITA, the airport IT trends can be concluded into several important points as followed.

1. ‘Improving customer service’ is ranked by respondents as the primary driver for new technology investments.
2. Self-service continues to grow, and passenger touchpoints, such as e-gate and common bag-drop functionality have a trend of increasing.
3. Mobile services investments for passengers and staffs will keep taking priority part of airport investments.
4. Services on mobile and social networks are set to support the airport’s digital communication.
5. Mobile phone notification of flight status and delays remains at the top of airport mobile investments.
6. Offering retail services by way of the mobile is also a strong desire of airports.
7. Mobile phones and FIDS screens, which are employed to direct passengers around the airport, has now expanded to the entire communication ecosystem within and around airports.
8. Digital display and passenger processing technology will be developed to improve operational efficiency.
9. A new theory is raised that information technology is driving the business of customer communication and engagement at the airport setting.

Beyond that, there are 3 airport IT trends that are needed to be discussed in depth.

Dynamic display solutions
As for advantages of dynamic display, firstly, David Saleme, concessions manager for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority indicated that dynamic signage has advantages of frequency of impressions, flexibility and creative content. Secondly, Saleme proposed that it’s a good strategy to combine content with promotion and advertising offers to create non-aeronautical revenue. Thirdly, Engalls, assistant director of aviation, information systems, McCarran International Airport, added an incredible advantage that the ability to dynamically display whatever information in any part of the terminal at any point in time.

With regard to the future of signage technology, Saleme related 3 trends. First, a growth in the use of large format digital media will be seen continuously. Second, large format digital media will release advertisements to catch the eyes of customers. Third, there will continue to be an increase of interactive technology incorporated into digital displays, including touch technology is going to continue to become more prevalent at the airport setting.

Information distribution: social media
Ingalls remarked that using various forms of digital communication to push information out to customers in real-time is a great benefit. Thanks to people are quite interactive in social media, which enhances the ability to directly interact with customers, and to personalize the experience. Nowadays, there are so many different channels for direct interaction with the customer, such as a direct communication link to the customer or end-user.

Keith Gerr works as a marketing director with FlightStats, a company weaves a combination of consumer products along with its own website and additional products that an airport can purchase, such as data feeds, as a way to provide data consistency to airport partners. He says that his company has been zeroing in on the fact that airports want to deliver a great customer service experience. As a network, FlightStats has the website, apps and data relationships.

Scott Hopkins, product development for the airport segment at FlightStats says that the company’s fundamental goal is to have a huge traveling consumer base and to be able to connect airports with that traveler base.

Passenger processing: customer service
Complimentary Wi-Fi has been provided in McCarran since January 2005, and initially that was a customer service item. Through providing Wi-Fi service, Mccarran has earned a considerable amount of revenue from sponsors and other types of arrangements related to the Wi-Fi service. Ingalls says, to me, that’s a great example of having your cake and eating it to — providing the experience to the customer while still earning the revenue.

To conclude, customers have the technology in their hands. Airports must continue to put the power of process into the hands of travelers. Engalls believes that technology is becoming a much more integrated part to the master planning process for airports, and it should be.

http://www.aviationpros.com/article/10628052/airports-empower-passengers