New research suggests over half of airline travelers want to use mobile solutions for flight information, baggage status, and airport directions, and that most airlines and airports will be offering such services by 2016.
What impresses me about these findings is how unimpressive they are. I'd have thought everyone with a mobile device (ie pretty much everyone who gets on a plane) would want to use these services. Like, 99.9%. Also, I'd have thought every airline and airport would have arranged to offer such services by about two years ago.
Of course, the reason full coverage still lies in the future is (mainly) the lack of real time data. Or, in many cases, the lack of easily accessible, standardized data. For example, data about your baggage exists right now – otherwise they wouldn't be able to flash it up on the screens and the carousel displays. Getting the data to your mobile device is another matter. For other vital data streams – such as how long the lines are at check-in – you've got to have a human checking and reporting regularly (although you could probably calculate good estimates from CCTV feeds).
All of these solutions cost money to develop. Can the air transportation industry save time and money by pursuing standards? I hope so. Smart Thinking
Comments