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The future of airline travel
 It’s about ease and personalization
From chic lounges to GDS tracking,
the friendly skies are about to get friendlier—to travelers and their time. Say goodbye to long lines and hello to bar code check-in.
When travelers complain about the hassle and discomforts of flying, they might suspect their gripes fall upon deaf ears—but it turns out the airline industry has been listening all along.
The future of air travel will address these concerns, according to Robert Buckman, Amadeus’ director of airline distribution strategy and an air travel “futurist.”
“Airline customers will begin to see a more engaging, ‘humanized’ experience,” Buckman predicts. These innovations range from travel itineraries delivered to cell phones to baggage check-in “pods” that make checking luggage as easy as mailing a letter. And going forward, the problem of lost luggage will be all but eliminated if GDS tracking technology is used for baggage, Buckman adds.
Check-in with ease
Perhaps the most welcome change will be a speedier journey through check-in—a must-have for travelers spending more time than they’d like on pre-departure thanks to increased security measures. Self-serve kiosks have already popped up at airports all over the world. Amadeus is working on second-generation self-check-in programs to be unveiled at a later date that will allow travelers to check-in from the Internet and mobile phones, as well as kiosks.
And looking further into the future, bar code check-in, 3-D face digitization and fingerprint-based ID systems being developed will mean a faster—potentially even instantaneous—security screening.
Of course it’s not just spending too much time in the airport that frustrates travelers—it’s also the discomforts of flying. Most agents can’t even count the number of times clients have complained airplanes make them “feel like a sardine” due to cramped quarters.
Creature comforts
Delta’s seating—at least its first class accommodations—will no longer be an issue when their 777 Long Range aircraft is launched this spring. The international BusinessElite® seats recline into a fully-flat position, optimal for snoozing.
And for passengers who aren’t sleepy, HBO On Demand is part of the in-flight entertainment. Internet access will also be an on-flight perk in
the future, Buckman predicts.
The power of choice
Looking into Buckman’s crystal ball, you’ll see air travel that’s faster and smarter—but note “cheaper” is not on this list. “Increasingly, airlines are experimenting with a la carte offerings—giving passengers a choice of fare groups and letting them add premium seat selection, bonus mileage, access to lounges and the like,” he explains.
Still, those extras might be worth a higher ticket price to many of your clients—sometimes you just can’t put a price on leaving a flight feeling well-rested.
Talking up the experience of travel—rather than simply the experience of the destination—can mean more profitable segments for travel agents. This is yet another welcome trend on Buckman’s list.
“Travel customization improves customer service and profits,” he says. “We will likely see more of this as airline business models—and the technology that powers them—continue to evolve.”
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