There is an emerging importance of Mobility in the travel industry and one of the major attributes for mobility solution is to transform the Airport operational efficiency and push them towards the next level enabling better customer experience and getting things enabled at one go. For a moment lets imagine ourselves at an airport. The images that flash our mind are that of crowded lines, flight delays, people scrambling for their luggage and uncertainty on taxis. This is not a happy situation for both the passenger and the airport authorities.
Airports need to change fast and adopt the latest technology to fulfill the security issues without causing inconvenience to the passengers. Mobile technology can go a long way in providing better experience at the airport and improve processes leading to cost reduction. However, the initial investment would need to be made by the airports and the return on investments may look low initially but if the strategy is played well, then it can soon lead to substantial cost savings or additional revenues for the airports.
1. Flight and Airport Information : The first aim of any airport should be to develop a mobile application that provides basic features like real time flight information, terminal maps and check-in facility. The flight information needs to be personalized and timely. The application can also help in booking the taxi at the destination.
- Terminal Check
- Comparison of travel options – directions, fares, parking, etc.
- View the latest airport security guide
- Mobile-friendly terminal maps
- Full shop and restaurant listings
- Live flight updates on demand
The application can also have a destination guide so that the passengers can browse important information at leisure.
2. Indoor Positioning: One of the main advantages of using mobile technology is that the mobile phones can provide location. However, in the last couple of years reliable indoor positioning mechanisms have emerged that can provide accurate location of the users. The airline/airport staff is always looking for the missing passengers and make continuous announcements on the PA systems. Delayed check-ins sometimes result in delay of flights. With the help of indoor positioning, it would be possible for the airline staff to locate the passenger and ping him to board the flight. Automatic alarms can be set so that passengers are reminded to start moving towards the gate some time before the boarding time.
The approach of airport authorities towards use of mobile technology at airport is very critical towards success of the mobile initiative. There is a general tendency to approach mobile application development the same way as website development. However, this approach is a sure shot recipe for disaster. Mobile technology offers so much more than an average website due to features like location, camera, accelerometer, etc. On top of this, the mobile phone is very personal as is always “ON” unlike any website accessing device like laptop. The involvement of any user on a website is much lower than that on mobile phones and hence it is imperative from the brand and facilities perspective that the airport authorities either hire mobile experts or hire consultants who can program manage the implementation of mobile technology for the aurthorities.
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