Passengers passing through future airports will increasingly use electronic services designed to make their trips faster, safer and more convenient…
Passengers passing through future airports will increasingly use electronic services designed to make their trips faster, safer and more convenient. ARINC Incorporated will demonstrate three such technologies this week at Passenger Terminal Expo 2005, Booth 5000, in Cologne, Germany.
Check-in for flight was once a face-to-face transaction with trained airline representatives. Now it is increasingly automated, and passengers with electronic tickets have become used to checking themselves in, by using self-service passenger kiosks. ARINC has now taken the passenger kiosk one more step with its new SelfServ technology. SelfServ allows passengers from many different airlines to use the same kiosks. Sharing airport facilities reduces overall costs and cuts the floor space required when many airlines operate their own proprietary kiosks.
Asking local directions to hotels and train stations, or inquiring about the weather at a flight destination is traditionally accomplished at an airport Information Desk. This week, ARINC and its business partner Interactive Kiosk Systems will demonstrate their iNFOSite solution, an all-purpose passenger information kiosk that provides directions, maps, and travel guidance-and works around the clock.
The iNFOSite system also displays local advertising, provides messaging capabilities for passengers, and accommodates the needs of foreign visitors by providing information in multiple languages. iNFOSite caters to the needs of disabled passengers with a touch- screen interface and keyboard at wheelchair-accessible height, and the capability to display enlarged text on the screen.
The final innovation on display at Booth 5000 will be ARINC`s iMUSE Express check-in system, a portable check-in desk designed to work in hotel lobbies, convention centers, and other locations where airline passengers gather. It can function anywhere a standard Internet connection is available. By checking their airline luggage at the hotel, and receiving boarding passes before leaving for the airport, passengers who use iMUSE Express can avoid airport check-in lines and save time for more important activities.
The airlines also benefit, because off-site baggage collection smooths out peak traffic times and makes baggage operations more efficient. Airports benefit because more off-site check-ins mean fewer passengers will need to queue up in the terminal.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
