With every college student right now making their upcoming spring and summer break plans, I thought it would be fun to stray away from the usual chat about ChatGPT and move towards something else: digital innovation in the airline industry. This blog post will be split into two sections: one section focusing on technologies that have already been implemented/widely used in the airline industry, and another section highlighting the new technologies that have barely touched the surface. Without further ado, let’s fly 🙂
Does anyone remember when our parents would have to print our boarding passes at home and carry them throughout the entire airport (not to mention while handling numerous bags, their IDs/passports, and the mean security officer)? And, the stress that would fall on us when we realized that we didn’t have our boarding pass? Or, when you would have to stand in a line for check-in, baggage, security, and boarding, etc…? Most of these time-consuming tasks have been revolutionized by technology, and in turn, easier for us users.
Older Innovations
Before I cover the new, cool technologies, let’s go over some innovations that we don’t find that cool anymore (even though they helped save us a tremendous amount of time).
First and foremost: mobile check-in. In 2018, this idea was barely off the ground and no one knew how it would change the airline industry. As a Forbes writer stated in the Forbes “How Mobile Technology is Changing the Airport Boarding Process” article, “Whether this evolution will change the mind of the most determined boarding line jumper, however, is anyone’s guess”. If only she knew the impact that mobile check-in would have for not only flyers but employees as well. Now, we don’t have to stand in a check-in line and can instead check in two days in advance from wherever we are in the world. Likewise, airline agents don’t have to spend time searching for our boarding passes while giving us attitudes.
Another invention that has disrupted the airline industry has been self-service kiosks and electronic bag tagging. I know some people prefer talking to the agents, but I honestly have no problem with printing my boarding pass right when I walk in and moving on. The amount of time that these two services have saved is incredible, with Alaska Airlines claiming that electronic bag tag has “reduced the time guests spend in airport lobbies by about 40%” (Smithsonian).
This is just an honorable mention, but the “Plane Train” in the Atlanta airport has to be one of the top 10 innovations that have ever existed in the airport industry. I feel like I am in New York City when I ride it.
New Technologies
Now, let’s move on to some more fun technologies that could potentially disrupt aviation as we know it.
Delta’s “The Parallel Reality Experience”. This invention is crazy to me and I still do not fully understand how it works. This personalized experience based out of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport allows customers to see their flight information on a big screen. But here’s where it gets even cooler, up to 100 flyers can stand underneath the screen at a time. However, they only see their own flight information, no one else’s. This is possible through “multi-view pixel technology” where a sensor detects where the customer is standing (called“biometric object detection”) and displays their flight information (Delta). As customers roam around to different areas, they can still see their personalized content until they fully walk out of the viewing area.
Attached below is a short video showing how this process works:
The Spencer Project: KLM’s Spencer features a robot that guides customers throughout the airport and can react to any needs that they have. In reference to our class discussions, we talked about how although robots are increasing in smartness and ability, they will never be able to know why things are the way they are, especially in social and emotional settings. Although Spencer is a relatively new invention, it is programmed to deal with social situations. For example, the robot can sense whether it is communicating with individuals, couples, or families. Through analyzing the people around them, the robot learns and complies with social rules, something that was unimaginable for a robot to do. However, the manager of Product Innovation at KLM stated that Spencer is not meant to take jobs away from people, instead, The Spencer Project is focused on “how robotics would augment our processes”. This statement reminded me of the “Why People and AI make Good Business Partners” TED Talk, where the speaker stated that AI and people must work together, not against each other to achieve unthinkable outcomes.
Attached below is a picture of Spencer. He looks a bit creepy, but I’m sure with more research and design, the engineers can create a friendlier-looking robot.
Augmented Reality and Biometric Identification: The Gatwick airport uses augmented reality to help customers navigate the airport. All customers have to do is pull up the application and the guidance will route them to wherever they want to go in the airport through a camera. Airport security and check-in all over the world have begun to use biometric screening to make the security process safer and shorter at the same time. Instead of taking out identification documents, customers can authenticate themselves through facial recognition and/or fingerprint scanning. Imagine your face clearing the entire security checkpoint line for you. You would never have to deal with long queues ever again.
Attached are pictures of both the AR and Biometric Identification:
What this means for the Airline Business:
As noted in various class discussions, businesses need to think big when it comes to the future. Businesses can not merely think of the “next step” but instead, to keep up with the competitive market, think 10-20 years from now. With the airline industry still recovering from the COVID-19 halt in business, it will be interesting to see what steps airline companies will take to stay afloat in a new digital age. Will they jump toward the new technological opportunities, or will they fall behind and get bought out? I guess we will have to see, maybe while being aboard a self-flying airplane.
I hope you all enjoyed this post while imaging yourself on a beach or traveling the world.
Thanks for reading,
Liah Fland
P.S. Does anyone remember when the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport had these big ants on the wall as an art exhibit? If you do, you deserve a cookie. 
Citations:
Delta Parallel Reality Article: https://news.delta.com/mediakit/parallel-realitytm-experience
Delta Parallel Reality Video: https://youtu.be/ECXBi2w9kZU
Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliewu/2019/06/29/how-mobile-technology-is-changing-the-airport-boarding-process/?sh=6833c26db4b9
Smithsonian Electronic Bag Tags Article:https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/will-electronic-bag-tags-make-air-travel-less-chaotic-180980469/
Ted Talk-Human and AI’s: https://www.ted.com/talks/shervin_khodabandeh_why_people_and_ai_make_good_business_partners
Atlanta Airport Ants: https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/farewell-beautiful-bizarre-atlanta-airport-ceiling-ants/
Spencer Project Article: https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2016/04/socially-aware-spencer-robot-guides-passengers-at-schiphol/
Biometrics and AR: https://robosoft.medium.com/10-emerging-technologies-that-are-reshaping-the-flying-experiences-for-the-airline-industry-4af86995315Biometric Picture: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/biometric-screening-airports-spreading-fast-some-fear-face-scanning-systems-ncna982756