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Archive Category: Airports

American Airlines Vacations revamps travel agency and consumer vacation websites

EzRez Software, Inc., a provider of online travel packaging and merchandising solutions, has signed an  agreement with American Airlines Vacations for the carrier's revamped travel agency and consumer vacation websites.

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Business travelers lift Virgin Atlantic’s financial performance

Virgin Atlantic has managed a pretax profit of 41.6 million pounds ($76.1 million) on record annual sales of 1.91 billion.

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Atlanta Airport expands Wi-Fi, cell phone coverage

There's the old saying that whether you go to heaven or hell, you will have to change planes in Atlanta. Soon, at the world's busiest airport, you will have improved cell phone coverage and greatly expanded access to the Internet on Wi-Fi connections

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week announced the details of a $5.4 million multi-faceted contract with SITA for wireless and management services. SITA's system for Atlanta includes the design and implementation of an airport-wide Wi-Fi and cellular wireless network, as well as management of the airport's new fiber, cellular and Wi-Fi network for a period of one year.

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Hong Kong airport picks RFID baggage tracking

HONG KONG -- As one of the busiest airports in the world, Hong Kong International Airport annually has about 35 million passengers and handles three million tons of air cargo. Last month, it was named the world's best airport by SkyTrax (UK) and received a special recognition award from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This week, not resting with its top rankings, the airport announced that to "improve customer satisfaction" a baggage tracking infrastructure using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) will be installed.

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Minneapolis airport expands neutral host Wi-Fi

MINNEAPOLIS -- Two years ago, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was one of the world's first airports to offer public access to neutral host Wi-Fi. The wireless Internet service to travelers has now been expanded to include the Humphrey Terminal, through an agreement between the Metropolitan Airports Commission and wireless service provider Concourse Communications Group.

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Travelers say TSA airport screening is not working

SAN DIEGO -- The Transportation Security Agency has a problem with the traveling public's perception of airport security screeners, and this is hurting business for the airlines. An on-going survey of airline passengers shows that while most screeners are seen as professional and polite, there is considerable inconsistency in practices and procedures from one airport to the next. Worse than just being a hassle, most passengers believe the screening does little to improve security.

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Detroit Airport now has Wi-Fi network access

DETROIT -- By this time next year, it will not be news that a major airport is providing travelers with high-speed wireless access to the airport. This is remarkable because it was just a couple of years that the first airport in the world installed a Wi-Fi network.

The latest major airport to announce the availability of wireless Internet access Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) at the the state-of-the-art McNamara Terminal / Northwest WorldGateway. Through the Christmas and New Year's holiday, Wi-Fi access will be available and free of charge to travelers flying through Detroit's McNamara Terminal.

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Sprint plans Wi-Fi at 2,100 airports and hotels

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas -- Through a combination of Wi-Fi Zones built and managed by Sprint and roaming agreements, Sprint plans to provide customers with high-speed Wi-Fi access in public locations such as airports, convention centers and hotels at speeds 50 times faster than standard dialup. The service is expected to be available later this summer in over 800 locations, with over 2,100 locations planned by the end of the year.

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12 airports, 565 hotels now have Wayport Wi-Fi

AUSTIN, Texas -- With installations at 565 hotels and 12 airports, Wayport is justified in claiming to be the world's largest provider of Wi-Fi (802.11) wireless and wired high-speed Internet access. This week, Wayport passed the 2.5 million mark for customer connections, and has undertaken an extensive advertising campaign to heavily promote its high-speed Internet service to business travelers and hoteliers.

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Wayport and CNN to provide wireless at airports

AUSTIN, Texas -- Wayport, the world's largest provider of Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless and wired high-speed Internet access in hotels and airports, has announced an agreement with CNN Airport Network, the only satellite-delivered television service specifically designed for waiting air travelers. The two companies said the agreement would allow a complete neutral-host Wi-Fi wireless high-speed Internet solution to the 38 airports in the United States with access to CNN Airport Network.

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San Francisco Airport launches wireless

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and T-Mobile USA have announced the availability of high-speed wireless Internet access for passengers traveling through SFO with T-Mobile HotSpot service. As part of a multi year lease agreement for T-Mobile to offer Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless broadband (WLAN) service throughout the airport, SFO becomes the latest airport to offer travelers the convenience of using their notebook computer or PDA to check e-mail or surf the Web with a super fast, reliable wireless connection.

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BT rolls out Wi-Fi to British airports and hotels

LONDON -- Pierre Danon, the CEO of BT Retail, is on a wireless mission to bring commercial broadband to Britain. In the past week, BT has taken a big step towards establishing a comprehensive Wi-Fi network by installing 80 additional live hotspots at Hilton hotels, four airports and motorway service stations. Agreements are in place for another 40 hotspots soon.

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AT&T, Wayport enter Wi-Fi roaming partnership

AUSTIN, Texas -- The aggressive expansion of wireless services for travelers continues. Wayport and AT&T announced today have joined to provide Wi-Fi wireless and wired high-speed Internet access in more than 475 hotels and 10 airports in the United States. This roaming relationship agreement will enable AT&T Wireless customers to roam onto Wayport's neutral-host high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network.

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Oslo Airport gets public wireless Internet access

OSLO -- Oslo Airport has become one of the few airports and public places in Europe providing paid access to the Internet through its existing wireless Internet facility, which is available throughout the airport and allows passengers to access Internet. The airport's new wireless access network was developed by Nomadix, a California-based supplier of public access systems, and 3C Communications, based in Luxembourg and Europe's leading specialist credit and debit clearing house.

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Tablet PC used in airport security pilot program

SAN RAFAEL, California -- Autodesk has extended its Homeland Security Initiative to take advantage of the Microsoft Tablet PC with a successful pilot program at an unspecified major airport in the western United States. 

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T-Mobile to provide Wi-Fi to big 3 US airlines

BELLEVUE, Washington -- T-Mobile USA has announced an agreement with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to provide Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless broadband Internet access in each airline's clubs and lounges across the United States, giving even more airline customers convenient, reliable access to the Internet, corporate e-mail and other business applications at super-fast speeds 40-50 times faster than standard dial-up connections. 

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Wired and wireless access installed at Schiphol

AMSTERDAM -- After tough competitive testing, a system providing both wired and wireless universal Internet access has been chosen for Schiphol Airport. Attingo B.V., the operator at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for all public access Internet services, and Nomadix, a provider of mobile, have completed the technical product evaluation and installation of Nomadix' Universal Subscriber Gateway II at Schiphol Airport.

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LGC Wireless installs systems at Florida airports

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- LGC Wireless has been chosen to install its products in Palm Beach International and Orlando Sanford International Airports, enabling wireless coverage throughout both Florida airports. LGC Wireless says its systems allow for improved wireless capacity and coverage, ensuring passengers are never out of touch, airports become virtual offices and every call arrives safely at its destination.

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Lufthansa launches wireless baggage control

FRANKFURT -- Lufthansa Systems has launched a new baggage management solution that integrates passenger baggage information across an airline's entire operation. The wireless, Web-enabled Baggage Management System was designed to give airlines real-time tracking status information about their passengers' luggage, regardless of its location within the airline's network.

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SITA's terminals increase at American airports

ATLANTA -- SITA's latest IP-enabled and Java based version of its Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE) has been embraced by major airports across the Americas, with a claim of helping reduce the cost of running check-in desks by around 15 percent and speeding passenger handling by up to 25 percent.

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Fort Lauderdale airport picks Foxcom Wireless

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Foxcom Wireless, a provider of in-building wireless communications, has been selected by two major wireless operators to install their ModuLite System in the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ModuLite, a multi-service platform capable of supporting multiple wireless services and multiple operators over a single common infrastructure, was selected to enable seamless wireless cellular coverage throughout the airport.

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European airports get wireless Internet access

Cisco Systems is working with Internet access providers across Europe to equip international airports with broadband technologies and enable high-speed, secure Internet access for business travelers on the move. In total, 19 EMEA airports are using the Cisco Mobile Office, providing an ever-increasing number of business travelers with the benefits of wireless, high-speed Internet connectivity.

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Air Canada begins trial of wireless IBM kiosks

TORONTO -- Air Canada has begun using new wireless, mobile IBM self-service kiosks in a trial program to help expedite passenger check-in at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson Airport. The mobile kiosks represent the first jointly developed solution resulting from the strategic partnership recently formed by IBM and Air Canada.

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Minneapolis airport gets neutral-host Wi-Fi

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is up and running with high speed Wi-Fi Internet access in what is being described as the first neutral-host wireless network at a major U.S. public facility. It was developed by Massachusetts-based Concourse Communications Group and iPass Inc., a global provider of secure remote connectivity services. The system is delivered across an end-to-end Cisco system.

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KLM deploys IBM self-service passenger check-in

AMSTERDAM -- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has introduced a new self service check-in system, based on IBM kiosk technology, at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The new "KLM e-check-in" system prints boarding passes, allows passengers to choose seats, update their frequent flyer status and obtain receipts for e-tickets. The specially designed e-service centers are also equipped with an integrated passport reader, which allows passports and visas for passengers traveling to the US and Australia to be processed directly.

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The need for biometrics in airport security

By Ken Smith | Editor, SmartTravelNews.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- While there are some legitimate concerns about civil liberties with overly intrusive airport security systems, it is only a matter of time before new personal identification technology is as common as a paper boarding pass. You don't have to look too far over the horizon to see the boarding pass being replaced by something like a wireless smart card transmitting real-time authentication data at the boarding gate.

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SchlumbergerSema launches smart card contest

SAN FRANCISCO -- SchlumbergerSema launched its e-gate Open 2002 developers' contest at the JavaOne Conference this week. The contest is an international event that challenges students and software developers across the globe to create innovative e-business security applications using SchlumbergerSema e-gate technology, which allows smart cards to be plugged directly into the USB port of any computer, without the need for a traditional reader.

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GoAmerica offers Boingo at airports and hotels

GoAmerica, a provider of wireless data solutions, and Boingo Wireless have agreed to provide GoAmerica's corporate customers with access to Boingo's ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi service. Launched two months ago, Boingo's Wi-Fi service offers high-speed wireless access in major hotels, airports, coffee shops and other popular business traveler locations. 

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Americans support national IDs at airports

STAMFORD, Connecticut -- The research and advisory firm Gartner reports this week that 41% of U.S. citizens are opposed to the creation of a national identification database. But, the survey also shows overwhelming support for the use of national IDs at airports and as a means to gaining entry to the United States.

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Bluetooth tracking tests wireless airport security

AALBORG, Denmark -- BlueTags, a Bluetooth tracking technology specialist and Red-M, a developer of advanced wireless networking solutions have announced the completion of the successful wireless security trial at Billund Airport in Denmark. Over 500 passengers participated in the successful trial focusing on enhanced security, reduced waiting periods and location-based services.

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BlackBerry used by police at Boston airport

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) is arming State Police troopers with wireless handheld computers to check up electronically on passengers, airport employees and vehicles at Logan International Airport.

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Magazine exposes airport wireless weakness

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Computerworld magazine has exposed a security weakness in wireless technology used to screen baggage. Wireless networks used to support bag matching and curbside and roving-agent check-in are inherently insecure and offer few safeguards against hackers, IDG's Computerworld reported in an exclusive article.

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Aptilo launches products for mobile networks

STOCKHOLM -- Aptilo Networks launched this week a product line for local mobile networks, with Internet access and local network services in public locations. An installation that uses all of the components was completed two months ago at Copenhagen Airport, where passengers now have wireless Internet access while waiting for their planes.

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Wireless security camera for airports introduced

OKLAHOMA CITY -- AARO Broadband Wireless Communications has introduced its broadband wireless enabled security services including pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) cameras that are viewed and controlled using Aaro's secure, wireless radio network. In addition to wireless remote control, Aaro's service allows for the capture of still images and digital movies from these cameras.

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Aptilo installs public wireless at Copenhagen Airport

STOCKHOLM -- Copenhagen Airport is opening its wireless local area network (WLAN) to the public this week. Named CPH-WIZ (Copenhagen Wireless Internet Zone), the network will provide coverage for large portions of the transit hall.

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82% of Americans favor airport fingerprinting

LOS GATOS, Calif. -- In an independent consumer survey, 82% of respondents said that they would be willing to have their fingerprints scanned, using biometric fingerprint authentication technology, for increased airport security. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for Identix, a company producing an array of Internet and wireless Web secure transaction processing services, including fingerprinting.

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Wayport buys nine Laptop Lane airport locations

AUSTIN, Texas -- Wayport, a provider Wi-Fi (802.11b) wireless and wired high-speed Internet access throughout airports and hotels, is expanding its airport footprint and lineup of airport business services for the traveler with the purchase of nine strategic Laptop Lane locations.

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