CWT - Technology

Technology

Cellular devices serve multiple travel-related purposes

Surveys have shown that the vast majority of air passengers travel with a mobile phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). Business travelers, in particular, tend to be the most technologically savvy. Acknowledging this trend, airports, airlines, and rail services are looking to take advantage of the potential uses of these devices to improve customer service.

Japan began using mobile devices to improve airline customer service in 2004, and globally, further enhancements have been made in the last five years. Recently, pilot programs have been developed to test the use of mobile devices as boarding passes at airports throughout the United States. Rather than print a paper boarding pass, travelers receive a barcode that is displayed on the mobile device containing passenger and flight information. Details regarding U.S. airlines and airports offering this option can be found at the Transportation Security Administration Web site.

Text messaging capabilities can further communicate information about rebooked flights, gate assignments, flight departure and arrival times, and weather alerts. Experts predict that by the end of the year, nearly 90 percent of the world’s airlines are expected to offer Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging to update passengers on their flight status.

Sources: ATW Online, www.sabreairlinesolutions.com, www.ana.com, www.tsa.gov, www.aircanada.com