PAM – The world’s first and only passenger concierge

Karima Kouidri

Meet PAM. The world’s first and only passenger concierge.

PAM will guide passengers, create a better experience and help airports make more money” Contact us for a demo. Your own airport concierge to provide all passengers with up to the minute information about flight time, gates, delays and more. Developed by MEXIA to also integrate Queue Wait times, marketing offers and continued engagement even when passengers leave the airport. Easy to use without any App download.

 

Happy Thanksgiving From Airport Benchmarking

Karima Kouidri

On your way to see your loved ones for the Holiday whe wish you a Happy Thanksgiving

You can download our mobile app Airport Advisors (ios and Android)  and tell us how where

airports’ services at this time of the year…

Android download here : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.airportsadvisor&hl=fr

Ios here : https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airports-advisor/id1204560216?l=fr&ls=1&mt=8

 

AI taking off at airports today?

Karima Kouidri

By utilising AI, airlines can provide passengers with a more seamless and personal experience.

The term “Artificial Intelligence” is applied broadly to many diverse types of computing problems and solutions. Today’s technology, combined with immense data feeds, means we have reached a tipping point that enables new types of AI applications, such as autonomous vehicles and secure, biometric verification systems. It is these technologies that have the potential to have the biggest impact on how people get on and off planes, and how airlines get planes in and out of airports, within the next couple of decades.

Imagine arriving at the airport in your self-drive car, having your bag collected by a robot, presenting your biometric (probably your face) to a camera to get yourself through all the check points and boarding a plane. The planes are already pretty much flown by computer (fly-by-wire), in many ways the future is now.

SITA, the global IT and communications provider to the air transport industry, revealed some interesting research on artificial intelligence in a recent report: SITA 2017 Air Transport IT Trends Insights.  Predictive tools using artificial intelligence and cognitive computing are likely to be adopted by half of airlines and airports over the coming five to ten years. Specifically, over the next three years, 52% of airlines plan major AI programs or R&D, and 45% of airports will invest in R&D in the next five years. However, a few front runners are already trialing predictive modeling, machine learning and data mining. These efforts are mainly focused on initiatives that will provide passengers with more relevant information about their journey to create more seamless and personal experiences.

On time

One area of real interest is flight disruption. This is a huge cost for the air transport industry – estimated at US$25 billion – so there is a strong desire to remove as much uncertainty as possible. The causes are many, with weather being a major culprit. Airlines and airports are focusing on technologies that will make them more responsive when faced with issues in their operations. This will enable them to improve their performance and customer services.

Airlines in particular are looking at how technology can help minimize the impact of disruption on the passenger experience and their business. Over the next three years, 80% of them plan to invest in major programs or R&D into prediction and warning systems, which rely heavily on AI.

On line

Another technology that is catching the attention of the industry is chatbots. Today, 14% of airlines and 9% of airports use chatbots, for example KLM, British Airways and Avianca. The SITA 2017 Air Transport IT Trends Insights shows however, that there is significant appetite among air transport CIOs to embrace this technology over the next three years. By 2020, 68% of airlines and 42% of airports plan to adopt AI-driven chatbot services.

These computer programs, that mimic human conversation, can help with customer queries, do check-ins and book flights. A machine taking your reservation via voice commands has already landed.

In fact, AI is already embedded into all kinds of different areas and aspects of the airport operation and experience, from the new biometric systems using facial recognition, to cameras that can “see” and tell you things like queue times or detect operational incidents that need attention.

And more AI is coming as the air transport industry faces the challenge of significant growth. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger demand is expected to double over the next 20 years resulting in 7.2 billion passengers traveling in 2035. To manage this growth, the industry will rely on technology and AI will become more prevalent. It will be part of the fabric of the industry, from building smarter planes, to using autonomous vehicles at the airport, smarter air traffic control and flight operations, and recovery from disruption. It will be in the hands of both staff and passengers, with bots and APIs feeding apps on smartphones. It will be in the airport’s infrastructure to analyze video in real time for issues, for biometric screening and for boarding systems.

On the ground

At the airport, AI can be used to manage robots for a wide range of functions from information/guidance robots, to check-in, immigration and porter robots, to airport operations and security. They can be equipped with face recognition, they can understand spoken language, print or show information on screens, scan passports and boarding pass, process visas, and show people the way. And they can be used to integrate airport, airline, government and security systems.

SITA has already taken steps in this direction with the creation of two passenger service robots. One challenge facing airports is the management of peaks and troughs in passenger flows, especially when passengers arrive at the airport. KATE, SITA’s robotic check-in kiosk, makes use of both WiFi and geo-location technology to navigate autonomously to busy areas of the departure hall, without the need for cabling or other fixed attachments. These robotic kiosks will also automatically return to their docking stations when they are low on power or need to be resupplied with boarding passes or bag tags. These abilities enable airport staff to focus on customer relationship management rather than spending time on procedural checkpoints, creating potential to smooth the passenger journey.

Leo is SITA’s self-service baggage robot that can check in and collect passengers’ bags when they arrive at the airport and process them for flight. It is a very easy process for passengers: a simple scan of a boarding pass and Leo will look after the rest.

AI, augmented by robots, can also support flight operations, facility management, baggage handling and cargo operations, while also being present behind the scenes in airport operations. Robotic arms already work with humans to increase efficiency and reduce chronic injuries in many sectors. There is no reason why air transport should be any different. Autonomous dollies, for example, can transfer bags and equipment between the terminal building and aircraft. AI can also reassign gates when necessary, and co-ordinate ground crew to accommodate schedule variance and service interruptions.

Working Together

Across the air transport industry, there is a need to retain, store, clean, process, curate and make accessible all possible data.   This brings us to the concept of collaboration and sharing data. Progress will be made if everyone involved is prepared to share. SITA, which is owned by the air transport industry, is in the unique position at the center of the airline and airport community and has the potential to leverage this data for the benefit of all stakeholders. Already SITA’s research teams are exploring new ways of using and managing data.

AI has a great future as a key enabler for air transport, to make it more efficient and improve the passenger journey. With the global shift towards self-service and the increase in passenger demand, AI in at airlines and airports can only take off further.

Jim Peters, CTO, SITA 

Image Credit: Robert Stearns / Pexels

source : https://tinyurl.com/yb2at6cy

Heathrow Airport to enhance the customer experience

Karima Kouidri

Heathrow Airport partners with AOE for OM³ Suite to enhance the customer experience.

Heathrow will strengthen its digital services and infrastructure to create a simple process for the 300 brands to share their products with customers, leading to greater choice within the current Reserve and Collect service. To turn vision into reality, Heathrow is collaborating with some of the world’s best technology partners to deliver these innovative solutions.

London Heathrow Airport has announced that it will launch AOE’s OM3 as a significant step in transforming the airport’s digital experience. The announcement is further proof of the accelerating momentum that the OM3 suite has generated in the aviation industry, coming shortly after Auckland Airport and AOE announced a similar partnership.

OM³, or Omnichannel Multi-Merchant Marketplace, is a comprehensive suite which multi-retailer venues such as airports can use to digitalise their non-aviation revenues, thus providing their customers a unified and seamless online and offline experience.

Heathrow will strengthen its digital services and infrastructure to create a simple process for the 300 brands to share their products with customers, leading to greater choice within the current Reserve and Collect service. To turn vision into reality, Heathrow is collaborating with some of the world’s best technology partners to deliver these innovative solutions.

AOE CEO Kian Gould comments: “Our OM³ Suite continues to build momentum for Heathrow and we are especially excited to be part of Heathrow Airport’s strategy to digitalise their entire business model to benefit both passengers and employees. As one of the world’s most important airports, Heathrow is at the forefront of the aviation industry, continuously innovating to improve its offering. Our goal is to be a long-term partner in this effort to enhance the passenger experience.”

Heathrow has a long-term vision for digital transformation, and AOE will provide an omnichannel platform that will integrate seamlessly with the existing infrastructure. In addition to providing a sophisticated, convenient on- and offline shopping experience, the OM³ Suite will ultimately integrate with numerous additional features including loyalty programmes, lounge access, parking and VIP services. Another feature of the platform is the capability to provide passengers with real-time information, helping make the most of their time in the terminals.

Chris Annetts, Retail and Service Proposition Director, Heathrow Airport, adds: “We have a long-term vision to deliver a seamless digital experience for all our passengers, both inside the airport and in the comfort of their homes. This partnership with AOE is the next step towards building seamless end-to-end experiences for passengers and enabling us to interact with them more efficiently for an enhanced and memorable journey.”

source : https://tinyurl.com/yc943tqk

 

 

How is automation changing airport security?

Karima Kouidri

Consider the last three times you went through airport security. How long did you wait in line? Did you take your shoes off? Was your laptop and tablet in your bag?

Chances are, you’ll remember different experiences at each instance. That’s because airports around the world are going through a massive digital transformation, altering their fundamental designs and core technology to accommodate a rapidly growing rate of annual travellers.

The aviation industry is investing heavily in enhancing the checkpoint to improve speed, safety and the overall passenger experience. This influx of advanced, interoperable systems has made automation at the checkpoint not only beneficial, but also necessary for airports of the future.

Smarter security
In today’s continually heightened threat climate, safety is always first and foremost on the mind of airport managers. Every day threats are changing and becoming more sophisticated – so it’s critical that the technology used to identify these threats is consistently becoming more advanced.

One way to enhance this process is by reducing manual handling, and promoting standardization and automation. Today, many airports are requiring that passengers use bins to send all of their bags, electronics, jackets, etc. through the scanner. The standardized size enables the system to focus on one square area, and more efficiently identify potential threats, rather than trying to differentiate between several items pushed together. Each bin is also tagged with an RFID chip, which allows it to be easily identified and tracked once a potentially dangerous item has been identified.

Experts in the security industry are constantly working with TSA, ECAC and other regulatory bodies to improve detection algorithms and capabilities in an effort to enhance security. As these algorithms and regulations evolve, you can expect to see more security lanes capable of identifying a laptop without it being taken out of a bag, and, eventually, the ability to identify and analyse liquids.

Saving time and money
A universal truth of the travel industry is that everyone wants to move faster and spend less. The emergence of new technology is enabling both. Today, some airports are even able to maintain standards of five minutes or less from the time a passenger enters security zones until they leave.

One of the primary reasons this is possible is because airport security experts have redesigned the flow of the security checkpoint. Now, with automated machines once a passenger pushes their belongings on to the conveyor, passengers are then free to walk through security without waiting for the people around them.

In the screening process, detection algorithms identify potential threats and divert bags off of the main conveyor for further inspection. Remember the RFID tags? Now, when an alarm sounds on a bin, it can be taken to any number of systems all connected to the same network to be scanned and searched. This enables security operators to simultaneously clear several bags, and avoid an inevitable bottleneck.

By automating the process, every step is tied together – and that translates to money. The cost per passenger is lowered because more people are processed per hour, with the same amount of security personnel and fewer necessary lanes.

A better passenger experience
As is true in every industry, there is a chain reaction that follows modernization within individual airports and airlines resulting in a battle royale to win over passengers.

Imagine this – you need to fly from Sydney to New York and either direction you fly around the world will be within an hour or so difference in flight time. What makes your decision? For most travellers, it’s the amenities.

With 25+ hours of travel, passengers are looking for the most comfortable airline and the airport where they will have a more relaxing layover. As a result, more airports and airlines are investing heavily to improve the passenger experience, from artificial intelligence technology in customer service and mobile updates to automated boarding procedures.

The checkpoint is no different. If passengers have the choice between two relatively equidistant airports, they will be less inclined to choose the one where they know the security check will take longer. That’s why airports are implementing technology that allows the passenger to leave belts and shoes on, leave laptops and tablets in bags, and move through the checkpoint as efficiently as possible.

With the increased security threats around the world, airport managers are constantly trying to balance the effectiveness of technology with the overall happiness of the passenger. More advanced, automated systems are the answer. You can expect to continue to see enhancements at the checkpoint and beyond, that provide travellers with increased functionality, higher standards of security and less time spent waiting.

By Rapiscan Systems’ Lauren Presley, senior director of product management; and Hooman Shakouri, senior director of global marketing

source : https://tinyurl.com/y8esejc8

 

Airlines continue to improve the mobile passenger experience

Karima Kouidri

The modern age of the smartphones that we now take for granted began a decade ago with the 2007 release of the Apple iPhone (running the iOS operating system), and in 2008 with the HTC Dream (running the Android operating system).

Today, some 51% of the world’s population are unique mobile users, according to data highlighted by global Internet media company Travelzoo during a briefing this week in New York.

“We’ve gone digital,” declared Travelzoo head of publishing Tara Kraft, as she shared the latest stats in New York. Image: Mary Kirby

As the world has gone digital, there has been an explosion in app development. The Apple App Store alone, which currently features well over 2 million apps, is on track to reach 5 million by 2020.

It’s now easy to pull up hundreds of airline apps on your smartphone to check flights, upgrade statuses, view loyalty information and book a ticket. But airlines are not resting on their laurels; they continue to improve the passenger experience by releasing new features and functionality. American Airlines is the latest to do just that. The carrier has redesigned the booking process by moving it from an external browser booking tool to a native in-app experience.

What once re-directed me to an external mobile browser now keeps me inside the app.

This native in-app experience makes all the difference to a person on the go. A frequent flyer wants to be able to seamlessly move through an app, not run into a clunky user experience.

If I see fit, I am now able to search for flights, swipe left of right to change flight preferences, select #PaxEx options, book seats and pay, all while walking down the street with one hand behind my back. I can snag that seat two rows in front of me – while others are boarding. The app design is clean, modern and boasts an intuitive UX.

American has also rolled out a new bag tracking feature, described in detail here. For bags that arrive at the airport early, the passenger receives an alert to visit the baggage services office rather than waiting at the belt for the luggage.

The enhancement will certainly help alleviate some of the confusion of flying partner airlines, as it ensures passengers can use the United app for all flight segments.

source : https://tinyurl.com/yc4jkmag

 

KLM launches Messenger customer chat on KLM.com

Karima Kouidri

As of today, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will offer Facebook Messenger users in Japan,

South Korea and South Africa the option of asking questions to service agents via Messenger customer chat on KLM.com. In this way, customers are offered quick and personal service when booking tickets, changing bookings or in case they have baggage-related questions. KLM is one of the first airlines in the world and one of a select group of companies taking part in the pilot for this chat service in collaboration with Messenger.

This pilot with Messenger is a next step in KLM’s social media strategy. KLM wants to be present on the social media platforms used by its customers. Customers frequently use Messenger to ask questions to KLM. The integration of Messenger customer chat into KLM.com makes it even easier to get a personal answer from KLM, which can be reread at any given time.

The small-scale pilot will be available in Japan, South Korea and South Africa, with agents communicating in Japanese, Korean and English. Customers can use Messenger customer chat via a ‘chat now’ button that will appear on relevant KLM.com pages when a service agent is available. The pilot will serve to guide further roll-out of the service in the future. In six Western European countries, KLM already has a direct chat service via KLM.com, available via the website itself. The new chat service via Messenger is a next step in KLM’s social media integration.

‘The introduction of Messenger customer chat on KLM.com is a new step in KLM’s social media strategy. KLM wants to be where its customers are and make it convenient for them to ask questions throughout the entire customer journey. The integration of Messenger customer chat into KLM.com makes it even easier to have a personal conversation with KLM, which can be reread and continued at any given time or place.’

Pieter Groeneveld, Senior Vice President Digital Air France – KLM
KLM social media pioneer

KLM is the world’s first airline offering customers the option of receiving travel documentation and flight status updates via WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter and/or WeChat. Since 2009, KLM has gained a reputation as a pioneer in the field of social media services and campaigns. KLM has more than 25 million fans and followers on various social media platforms. KLM is mentioned more than 130,000 times a week on these platforms, of which 25,000 are questions, which receive personal replies from more than 250 service agents – the world’s largest social media team. KLM offers customers 24/7 support via WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, LinkedIn, WeChat and KakaoTalk (South Korea) in nine different languages and in Italian during office hours.

source : https://tinyurl.com/y8qzg72q