Vintage photos from the glory days of aviation in the ’60s show how glamorous it was to fly. Roomy airliner cabins; well-dressed champagne-sipping passengers; nice meals being served on actual tables; the pictures suggest that flying was much more enjoyable and, more importantly, a pleasurable experience. In contrast, air travel today is something to be endured, not enjoyed. However, the aviation industry is working together to overhaul every single aspect of the air travel experience, driven by technology. We hope to see these innovations more widespread in the next decade.
Emirates uses AR t ounlock immersive content on travellers’ phones
Checking in
This is one of the most inefficient processes of air travel. The task, in its current form, puts a major burden on both airlines and passengers, often causing unnecessary flight delays and ultimately costing millions of dollars. Face recognition technology has taken giant leaps forward in the last few years, and could be the answer to airport check-in woes. Finavia, Helsinki-Vantaa airport’s operating body, along with Finnair, has recently concluded its tests of facial recognition technology during the check-in process, for Finnair flights at the airport. The test-run was conducted over a period of three weeks in May, as a follow-up to a preliminary trial last year. The ultimate goal is to introduce biometric scanning in departure and transfer halls, and offer seamless check-in to make the process efficient. In future, facial recognition technology might completely remove the necessity of a boarding pass and visa, and even usher in the age of passport-less travel. Goodbye queues.
An Air New Zealand flight attendant using Microsoft’s HoloLens
Selling up
In a recent promotional effort, Lufthansa used VR headsets at the Frankfurt Airport to sell upgrades to premium economy, after economy class passengers experienced the premium offering virtually. This not only helped Lufthansa draw passengers’ attention to the new travel class, but also promoted the brand’s image as an airline that embraces innovation. Other airlines are also experimenting with similar technology to sell ancillary services and products. Last year, Emirates launched the world’s first interactive amenity kit in economy class. The bags, which include all the necessities for additional comfort on long-haul flights, like a toothbrush, earplugs and eye mask, use augmented reality technology to unlock immersive content on travellers’ phones. The airline partnered with Blippar, the world’s leading AR and visual discovery platform, to create a mobile phone application. Scanning the bags with the app unlocks a world of entertainment on the mobile devices of the customers.
Bagging it
It is estimated that baggage mishandling costs the air transport industry around US$2.9 billion annually. Rimowa and Lufthansa aim to simplify and improve the process, by introducing electronic baggage tags. Built into the luggage, the tag allows travellers to check in their luggage remotely, using an app on their smartphone, and drop it off at the airport. Rimowa’s app communicates with the airlines’ own apps to send flight information directly to the bag via Bluetooth, which can be viewed using the inbuilt E-ink display.
Experiencing it
In the near future, technology will also help airlines to directly improve the passenger experience. Air New Zealand recently collaborated with a company named Dimension Data, to introduce a project that uses the Microsoft HoloLens headset to serve its customers in a better way. HoloLens-equipped flight attendants, with the help of facial recognition and augmented reality, could identify passengers and call up details about their destination, allergies, and even the time since they’d got their last beverage! Although the project is still a concept, it can revolutionise in-flight services by offering a seamless experience tailored to passengers’ individual needs. The latest trends in the industry point towards a better future, and we might very well witness a new golden age of air travel.
Dhiram Shah is the Mumbai-based founder of LuxuryLaunches.com
