Ask anyone old enough to tell you, the experience of going to the airport, hopping on a plane, and getting to your destination has not exactly improved since the early days of commercial passenger flight. Longer lines, tighter security, fees out of nowhere, and poor infrastructure have made going to the airport and getting to your destination pretty painful at times. So, what can be done to help passengers get the most out of their airport experience? I spoke with JustFly, an online travel agency based in North America, to see what they see coming down the pipeline for travellers looking to actually enjoy their time in transit to their destination.
Mass Transit Optimization
One thing that can drive a traveller crazy is getting to and from a busy airport and successfully getting into the building with both you and your vehicle in safe hands. One such way to ensure that your mode of transport is covered is taking mass transit. Unfortunately, many major cities and their respective cities haven’t embraced this for various reasons. As we move forward it is expected that public transit routes should only grow. This could have a profoundly positive effect on congestion at airports and nearby roadways. An example of a city that has recently adopted a highly efficient method of transit to their respective airport is Toronto. According to JustFly’s review, The Union Pearson Express is one of the best new airport-dedicated public transit options available in a major city. Running from Toronto’s crowded downtown core directly to Pearson International Airport, riders can get to the airport in just 25 minutes, severely cutting down transit time to Toronto’s busiest airport.
Tracking of Luggage
While the rate in which bags get lost or misplaced has dropped significantly over the decades, it is still a possibility in today’s streamlined airports. One way this can be avoided, or at least corrected, is using tagging. While some more advanced companies are getting ahead of this, it is believed that bluetooth tagging could become a standard practice in the world of luggage, allowing all bags to be tracked in real-time as they make their way around a busy airport. The big obstacle to this is who will manage this. While some luggage makers are designing this technology themselves, it is also believed that airports should share the burden of developing this kind of technology as well.
Optimizing Human Processes
Probably one of the single biggest improvements that can be made at major airports is automation of all the various human elements of getting from point A to point B. While a human workforce will always be necessary at airports, there are many processes that could be automated. From boarding and security to customs, there exist many choke points where people would be better off helping fliers who are the exemption and not the rule.
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