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Industry Trends/Innovations
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- Continental’s Houston passengers can board without paper boarding passes
- Hotels continue to make “green” upgrades
- Increasing number of U.S. airlines to offer flat-bed seats
Continental’s Houston passengers can board without paper boarding passes
Continental Airlines passengers in Houston are now the first in the United States to board flights without paper boarding passes, as long as they have a cell phone or a PDA.
This unique new check-in procedure is currently available for Continental Airlines passengers at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The three-month pilot program, developed in partnership with Continental Airlines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), allows passengers to board flights using encrypted bar codes sent to the passenger’s mobile device screen. A TSA screener will confirm the bar code’s authenticity with a handheld scanner and passengers are allowed to pass through security checkpoints and board flights without a paper boarding pass. Passengers still need to show the proper photo identification.
TSA officials and Continental Airlines say the electronic pass allows screeners to better detect fraudulent boarding passes while improving customer service and reducing paper use. Other airlines in the United States hope to offer paperless boarding passes soon. The practice may become more widespread globally.
Sources: USA TODAY, www.chron.com
Hotels continue to make “green” upgrades
As previously reported in CWT Traveler, many hotels are continuing to work toward becoming more eco-friendly. Below is a list of features travelers can look for when evaluating environmentally friendly hotel options.
Environmental certification – Participation in the LEED certification program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one way that a hotel can prove its commitment to the environment. While few hotels in North America have earned this certification, many are working to incorporate elements of the program’s recommendations into their buildings and operations.
Water conservation – Low-flow showerheads and toilets help to conserve water, and water-efficient landscaping can make a big difference as well.
Energy conservation – Energy-efficient light bulbs are replacing incandescent bulbs in many hotels. In addition, some hotels have guest-room lights that are only activated when the guest’s keycard is placed in a slot by the door. When removing the card to leave the room, the lights turn off automatically.
Alternative energy sources – Solar panels can be found at some hotels, while others purchase a portion of their energy from sustainable wind projects.
Reduced waste – Another step some hotels have taken to reduce the waste they produce is the replacement of travel-size toiletries with wall-mounted shampoo and soap dispensers instead. Some have also eliminated the disposable plastic cups in their rooms and replaced them with glass.
Nontoxic products – Cleaning supplies, paints and sealants can contain toxic materials. Some hotels have taken the initiative to replace these products with nontoxic versions.
The use of locally grown foods and the availability of recycling facilities are a few other features to look for in a hotel. While a variety of different factors impact a traveler’s hotel choice, environmental factors are increasingly playing a part in that decision.
Sources: The New York Times, Canada.com
Increasing number of U.S. airlines to offer flat-bed seats
Whether it looks like the good old days or evolution, a growing number of U.S. airlines are offering flat-bed seats (reclining to a full 180 degrees) to their business and/or first-class customers. Beds on planes are not new—Pan Am’s Clippers had them in the 1930s; however, deregulation and increased competition changed the economics of the airline industry—and beds changed to seats.
Now the trend is reversing. Offering flat-bed seats to first-class passengers in 1996, British Airways led the way. South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines now all offer flat-bed seats. (Some others have angled lie-flat seats.)
U.S. carriers are trying to catch up and compete for premium passengers. United Airlines recently became the first U.S. carrier to offer flat-bed seats in international business cabins. Delta plans to introduce flat-bed business-class seats this year, and American Airlines is replacing some of its business-class seats with angled lie-flat seats.
Source: USA TODAY
