Gatwick launches its first passenger app with personalised user experience

Karima Kouidri

Gatwick airport is launching a new passenger-facing app,

one of the several digital innovations that e-retailers can use to their advantage to target the airport’s travellers.

The free app would offer personalised flight alerts, real-time queue updates for check-in and security, intuitive navigation using beacon technology and shopping, restaurant and airport offers instantly redeemable just with a touch of a button.

This means that the holidaymakers and business travellers can enjoy a more seamless experience when travelling through Gatwick as it boasts a range of features. Just with one tap users would be able to receive real-time flight updates on flight status and gate information straight to their phone.

Gatwick has already installed 2,000 navigation beacons guiding travellers through terminal buildings, as part of the airport’s £2.5bn transformation programme. The next move is to accompany this feature with instantly redeemable shopping and eating offers that could be ultimately used by retailers, to send exclusive offerers specific to travellers’ terminals as they pass the stores nearby.

Cathal Corcoran, Chief Information Officer, Gatwick Airport, explained: “Our new app is just one of many exciting digital initiatives that our award-winning digital team is developing. We are transforming the way airport information is communicated and will soon connect passengers to intelligent chatbots using Facebook [RDX VFAC ] Messenger, Skype, and other popular apps. He continues: “The airport’s 2000 wayfinding beacons are also a world first and have the capability to enable augmented reality wayfinding for passengers, making it easier to navigate the airport’s two terminal buildings.”

Other initiatives going live soon as part of Gatwick’s ‘digital transformation’ programme include advanced chat-bots, augmented reality wayfinding and the airport wise-use of Internet of Things.

How Biometrics, Bots & Apps Improve Passenger Experience

Karima Kouidri

As we look to the future, passenger numbers as well as expectations are increasing every year – they are projected to double to nearly eight billion by 2036. Technology plays a very important role in improving the passenger experience. Maneesh Jaikrishna, Vice President, Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa, SITA tells us what to expect in 2018.

ACCORDING TO the 2017 SITA Passenger IT Trends Survey, Indian passengers are becoming more familiar with the use of mobile technology as they use frequently use it on their airline journey. While the use of technology among Indian airline passengers remains high at check-in (87 per cent) and booking (52 per cent), 2017 saw that self-bag drop usage climbed to 21 per cent from 12 per cent in 2016.

Maneesh Jaikrishna, Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Eastern & Southern Africa says, “In India, travellers are increasingly demanding the use of self-service and mobile technology in the airport to speed up their journey. This expectation, in many cases, is running ahead of availability in Indian airports today.” The research shows 54 per cent of passengers would rather opt to use self-bag drop than go to an airline check-in counter, compared to 33 per cent globally and well ahead of the current usage.

Jaikrishna adds, “This is good news for the industry as it provides airports and airlines the opportunity to fully benefit from technology to speed up the journey and drive operational efficiencies, helping them meet the demands of rapidly growing passenger numbers across the country.” India is expected to see passenger numbers grow by 337 million over the next 20 years to 2036, quadrupling from the 141 million passengers in 2016.

Another area that is gaining the attention of passengers is the use of biometrics. India’s national biometric identity system is the largest in the world with over 1 billion enrolled members and Indian passengers have shown greater willingness to use biometrics to speed up their journey through the airport. In 2017, 70 per cent of passengers in India said they would definitely use biometrics if given the option, removing the need to show a passport or boarding card at key points in the airport. This was well above the global average of 57 per cent.

“With only 31 million people flying in 1950, compared to a forecast of four billion in 2017, it’s easy to create a fantastic experience when you’re only dealing with a few people. So how can airports deliver the experience passengers want in this new era of super-busy, low-cost air travel?”, tells Jaikrishna whose firm SITA is the communications and IT solution provider for the world airlines and airports, and is constantly working to bring new solutions to the air transport industry and to examine the potential of breaking technologies. Here, Jaikrishna speaks about the new innovations to help airports improve the passenger experience.

BIOMETRICS, BOTS, AND APPS

Biometric boarding: SITA has worked with JetBlue and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) using biometrics for paperless and deviceless self-boarding. The technology uses facial recognition to verify customers’ identity at the gate. There’s no need to show passports or boarding passes. Behind the scenes, the camera station connects to the CBP to instantly match the image to the passport, visa or immigration photos in the CBP database, and verifies the flight details.

KATE: KATE solves the problem of long check-in queues. It is an intelligent check-in kiosk – a robot – that takes itself to congested areas in the airport, using data that’s already available thanks to SITA’s collaborative solutions. KATE improves the passenger experience by reducing check-in times.

Mobile passport control: Miami International Airport is the first airport to integrate the CBP Mobile Passport Control into its mobile app.

TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

SITA invests significant time and effort with its airline and airport partners, investigating how new technologies can help the industry become more efficient and improve the passenger journey. So what can we expect for the future?

Internet of Things: In airports, IoT can be used to track assets and resources. Using that data, and ideally sharing it, can streamline all sorts of processes including resource allocation, boarding, baggage handling and aircraft turnaround times. Intelligent machines, which are a cross-over of IoT and AI, can do basic tasks that make the passenger journey better, such as the use of personal locator beacons (PLBs) so the relevant teams and equipments are ready at the gate the second an aircraft arrives at the gate, reducing the potential of delays. It all adds up to smoother airport operations, more efficient passenger journeys and, ultimately, a better, more personalised, passenger experience.

Artificial Intelligence: Using cognitive computing, predictive analytics and other progressive technical capabilities, airlines and airports can predict and, therefore, mitigate the impact of any disruptions. That’s good for business and for passengers. They are also investigating AI-driven chatbots, to give passengers access to more information in a very simple way. Flight Information Displays (FIDs) will be able to recognize the passenger, based on their biometric data, and provide the exact information you need at that exact moment, for example your gate number and how long it will take to walk there.

Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology: SITA has worked with British Airways, Heathrow, Geneva Airport and Miami International Airport to investigate how blockchain technology can make the air transport industry more efficient and secure. While we’re several years away from blockchain/ distributed ledger technology becoming a mainstream enterprise technology, it’s becoming very clear that it will have an opportunity to make a significant difference to data sharing. And the more data is shared across the industry, the better the decision-making and therefore the better the passenger experience.

When there is a delay, there are often differences between the information provided by passenger apps, airport flight information displays and airline agents. If everyone has access to the same data, passengers can be given accurate and consistent information, and operations can be streamlined. And the beauty of blockchain is that the data is accessible for all parties involved and each party retains control over their own data.

As we look to the future, passenger numbers are increasing every year – they are projected to double to nearly eight billion by 2036 – and passenger expectations are also increasing. With these developments it’s clear that technology has a major role to play in improving the passenger experience.

source : https://tinyurl.com/ycl2ahzn

Tallinn Airport among ten best in the world

Karima Kouidri

According to the airport guide, Sleeping in Airports, Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL) is the third best airport in Europe and the ninth best in the world,

based on the overall experience determined by travellers who had taken the site’s 2017 airport survey.

In the annual survey, the guide asked travellers to rate airports worldwide based on their overall airport experience. People ranked their experiences on comfort; services, facilities and things to do; food options; immigration and security; customer service; navigation and ease of transit; cleanliness; and last but not least – sleepability.

“The best airports in the world are the ones that inspire you to book a trip based on the receiving airport alone. From ultra-efficient processes to friendly staff and a wide array of activities you never thought you’d find in an airport, these airports become a memorable part of any trip,” the guide said, adding that the best airports were continuously working to improve. “We’re constantly seeing new developments and ideas come to life, creating a more spectacular travel experience than we thought possible.”

Like a living room

Sleeping in Airports said that, of all the airports voted onto its list of best airports in Europe, Tallinn gathered the biggest number of comments. “Voters wrote in with praise for the world’s ‘coziest’ (and perhaps most inventive) airport. It sounds as though TLL has put particular effort into surprising travellers lately – with locally-themed gates, children reading the airport announcements, and seating made from local fabrics.” Travellers also took delight at the airport book exchange. Just recently, Tallinn became the first airport in Europe to feature a gym within the airport terminal – that also has views onto the runway.

“In general, the consensus among voters is that waiting here is very similar to waiting for a flight in your own home or living room,” the guide said. “The different areas look like they could be your living room, or a cafe in a hip part of town. All gate areas reflect different aspects of Estonia, so you learn and admire even while at the airport arriving or departing,” one survey respondent was reported as saying.

However, the voters wished Tallinn Airport connected to more cities. The lack of flight connections is a well-known issue in Estonia and a constant headache for domestic travellers, many of whom are forced to use the airports in Helsinki and Riga, the capitals of Finland and Latvia respectively, instead.

The airport guide concluded that all in all, the Tallinn Airport proves that bigger isn’t always better – “and that a little bit of love goes a very long way”.

source :https://tinyurl.com/yabutsvs

Haneda Robotics Lab

Karima Kouidri

Haneda Robotics Lab selects seven robots for trials at HND

The seven robots will be trialled at Haneda Airport in 2018, starting from 9 January. 

Japan Airport Terminal Co. has unveiled seven robots, which will be trialled at Haneda Airport to help simplify the airport experience, particularly for foreign passengers.

The line-up of robots can perform a variety of tasks, ranging from helping to transport luggage to providing assistance with language translation.

“Cinnamon”, for instance, can converse with passengers through its built-in artificial intelligence system and provide directions to various points within the terminal.

The seven robots will be trialled in the airport environment from 9 January 2018. The robots cover three categories: security, translation and logistics/baggage transportation.

The trials follow the recent launch of the 2017 Robot Experiment Project led by Haneda Robotics Lab, which is a central element of Japan Airport Terminal Co.’s efforts to accelerate the introduction of robots to Haneda Airport.

With Japan facing a labour shortage due to an ageing population, the country is investing in robotics to provide assistance. The airport operator has said that it hopes to have robots in place across Haneda Airport by 2020, when an influx of visitors is expected for the Tokyo Olympics.

source: https://tinyurl.com/y8cewfd9

 

 

 

 

 

Hitachi Takes Airport Robot Artificial Intelligence to the Next Level

Karima Kouidri

Hitachi’s customer service robot EMIEW3 can switch languages based on what it hears. Image via Hitachi

APEX Insight: With the ability to interface with both passengers and the airport itself, Hitachi’s EMIEW3 robot is an excellent listener and provider of information. New active-learning AI technology promises to improve the quality of customer service provided by the human symbiotic robot.
Hitachi has developed technology that enables its human symbiotic service robot EMIEW3 to spontaneously learn how to respond to questions that it could not previously answer. Through active-learning dialogue data-based artificial intelligence (AI), EMIEW3 can learn about information that may change frequently, such as flight status, and correctly respond to customer enquiries.
EMIEW3, like Aldebaran’s NAO, is a fully humanoid robot, although it only stands three feet tall. With a cartoon-like helmet and a glowing red heart, EMIEW3 gathers sensory input and operational data from security cameras, all of which is processed in the cloud before being sent back to the robot itself.
The robot’s connectivity gives it the power to find opportunities to assist beyond its own line of sight. While providing service, EMIEW3 can switch languages based on what it hears: The video below shows EMIEW3 greeting a lost passenger in Japanese, and immediately switching to English when the traveler asks, “Where is the tourist information?”

Hitachi’s service robot is also physically self-sufficient – should EMIEW3 fall over, it can stand up on its own. This is a big deal in robotics, as this video by Boston Dynamics shows.
Airports have been designing interiors that can support robot staff, and several trials of robot guides have already been run. Those robots tend not to be humanoid, though, more closely resembling mobile check-in machines with a few nods towards anthropomorphism. A robot resembling the people with whom it interacts, with constant access to ambient information about not only where and when planes are landing, but also when travelers in the area seem lost, is a game-changer. EMIEW3 is not just a standalone robot, but a physical extension of the airport itself.
Hitachi is not new to the robot game, of course, having innovated in robotics for over half a century, demonstrating a robot with artificial intelligence as early as 1970. EMIEW3 was most recently demonstrated at the Halcyon Dialogue VIP Robotics Showcase in Washington, DC this week, and it just can’t wait to show you to your gate.

https://tinyurl.com/ydemlbe8

 

You’ll never get lost in an airport

Karima Kouidri

You’ll never get lost in an airport again with Apple Maps’ indoor mapping

 

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Raise your hand if you remember what a joke Apple Maps was when it launched? It was a complete disaster.
These days, Apple Maps isn’t as embarrassing and actually pretty feature-packed. And in some ways it’s ahead of Google Maps (yeah, I can’t believe it either). Case in point: indoor mapping for airports and shopping malls.

Mapping the outside world isn’t easy, but compared to indoor mapping, it’s a piece of cake.

Whereas you only need to drive a bunch of camera-equipped cars up and down streets to take pictures and pull data from satellite imagery — I’m over-simplifying things here, so please don’t drag me — creating accurate maps for indoor spaces with multiple floors is much more difficult.

It’s why nobody — not even Google, which introduced indoor mapping for retailers, transit hubs, and malls in Google Maps for Android way back in 2011 — has really done it very well yet.

Apple’s first stab at indoor maps is limited to airports and malls, but I think it’s a good first start. I’d rather have it done really well than done in a half-baked way the way Google Maps’ implementation is right now

Indoor maps for Apple Maps was first announced at WWDC with a gradual rollout for a dozen or so airports in various cities around the world with the launch of iOS 11.
As of Thursday, Apple Maps has detailed indoor maps for 34 U.S. and international airports. Apple’s also added floor plans for malls in nine U.S. cities, but doesn’t list any specific ones. (I guess you’ll have to go to your local mall and find out?) You can find a list of all airports that have Apple Maps indoor mapping on Apple’s website here.
The tech giant invited me to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to walk through JetBlue’s Terminal 5 of gates, shops, and restaurants to check out indoor mapping for myself.
I was extremely skeptic at first, but after trying it out, I’m inclined to say they might have just figured out how to make navigating through airports a little less stressful.
Reducing pre-flight stress
I think most people will agree with me when I say airports aren’t exactly places anyone really wants to spend a lot of time in (unless maybe you’re The Points Guy living it up in a first class lounge).
Despite having a zillion signs to guide you, airports are messy and invite stress even if you’re the really chill type. There’s a good chance you’ll walk in the wrong direction from where your gate is. Or you’ll walk down a seemingly-endless terminal looking for dining or a shop, only to discover the options are lame.

Whatever the case is, being at an airport sucks. They’re not places I’d choose to explore because I’m not there to have a good time. I’m there to catch a plane to wherever I need to go, and that’s it.

Having indoor maps of airports, however, alleviates a lot of this pre-flight stress and anxiety that I and many people feel after passing through security check.
Instead of wasting time wandering through a terminal looking for, say, a Starbucks at 7:30 a.m., you can literally fire up Apple Maps and look at the floor plan of your terminal and see if there is one inside, what time it’s open, and where it’s located.
Just knowing what’s inside of an airport — like what your dining and shopping options are or where the restrooms are located — relative to where your boarding gate is makes a big difference in informing travelers on how best to use their time.
Very straightforward
Indoor mapping works exactly as you’d expect it to. Opening up Apple Maps when you’re in an airport with indoor mapping reveals a “Look Inside” button listed underneath the terminal name.
Tap it and you’ll be brought to a map of the ground floor. As you zoom in on the map, you’ll see additional location points for things like restrooms, baggage claim areas, staircases, dining and shopping, and boarding gates.
Tapping on the “1” (ground floor) opens up indoor maps for all the different floors available. In the case of Terminal 5, I could bring up floor plans for four levels and one underground floor.
Areas that have indoor maps are presented in white. Everything else is grayed out so there’s no confusion as to what information you’re looking at.
Your location appears as a blue dot and there’s also a directional arrow that turns as your iOS device moves, just like for outdoor maps.
From there, you can take a look at the airport terminal shops and layout in 2D or swipe down with two fingers for a 3D view.
Apple says it’s working with the owners of supported airports (in my case, the Port Authority) to nail down this feature. I’m told indoor maps in airports and malls are accurate down to three meters, and constantly updated when old vendors close and new ones open up.

True enough, I walked down through several floors of Terminal 5 and the maps were indeed pretty accurate. The MUJI to Go and Baked by Melissa cupcakes shops were exactly where Apple Maps said they’d be, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover there was an Aunt Butchie’s Bakery Café and not nothing at the very end of one really long hall.

The feature is by no means perfect, though. It doesn’t tell you if there’s moving walkways ahead, where seats/tables are, or where USB charging ports might be. These are minor things that could easily be added in later, but would have been great today.
I also wish there was a way know see the time to indoor destination. When I’m at the airport and I’m trying to figure out if I should goto that McDonald’s on that’s nowhere near my gate, my decision usually comes down to whether or not I have time to get there and come back. It’s nice knowing where the McDonald’s is located inside of the terminal, but an estimation of how long it’d take to get there and maybe even how long the line would be during certain hours would be extra useful.
For security purposes, indoor maps doesn’t show everything. Things that are irrelevant for travelers, like maintenance closets or staff office rooms aren’t included in the schematics.
And speaking of security, Apple says it’s not tracking your every movement within an airport or mall, monitoring where you’ve eaten or what stores you’ve stepped foot in, because it respects customer privacy. Unlike Google, Apple’s main business isn’t advertising and it doesn’t need to sell your main data to companies in order to keep the lights on.
I’m also told that the navigating features are done securely on your device and not associated with your Apple ID in any way. So that’s another plus over any Google Maps tracking. This approach to privacy is no different from iBeacons, the little Bluetooth transmitters that vendors can install to ping your iOS device when it’s within range. They collect no personally identifiable information.
A big step forward for mapping
What Apple’s doing with indoor maps may not seem like a big deal, but it is. It’s constrained to 2D and 3D for now, but just imagine what it could look like if Apple adds augmented reality to it. It could be immersive as what Google’s promising with Tango-based Visual Positioning Service (VPS) mapping system.
Like how Google Maps changed the way we navigate the world, I predict indoor mapping will be just as impactful.

source : https://tinyurl.com/yd4mjmxn