m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News

Archive Category: RFID

Challenge for online travel companies

Online travel companies are facing increasing competition from suppliers and search engines, which could pressure long-term earnings growth, according to a Merrill Lynch report.

Continue reading "Challenge for online travel companies"

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.

Continue reading "Hong Kong airport picks RFID baggage tracking"

Delta rolls out wireless baggage transfer system

CINCINNATI -- Delta Air Lines has implemented a wireless baggage transfer system at its Cincinnati hub. Delta said this technology will benefit customers by helping ensure quicker and more accurate baggage handling and transfer. Also it will provide more flexibility for customers when weather or other factors cause delays and cancellations in Cincinnati.

Continue reading "Delta rolls out wireless baggage transfer system"

Hertz courtesy bus drivers get handheld computers

REDMOND, Wash. -- More than 600 Hertz airport courtesy bus drivers have been equipped with Intermec handheld computers. Bus drivers can now alert staff at the #1 Club Gold booth that the customer is en route, instantly transmitting customer arrival data over the AT&T Wireless high-speed data network. The system was developed by the RFID unit of IBM Global Services, AT&T Wireless and Intermec.

Continue reading "Hertz courtesy bus drivers get handheld computers"

Boeing, Airbus sponsor forums on RFID tracking

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification and it may seem like more techno-jargon that's of little concern to the travel industry. But, just consider one possibility: an RFID tag in every piece of luggage that is tracked from the time it leaves the passenger's hands until it reaches the conveyer belt on arrival.

Continue reading "Boeing, Airbus sponsor forums on RFID tracking"

TSA selects eight airports for security tests

WASHINGTON -- The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has selected eight airport to participate in TSA's Access Control Pilot Program which will test Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, Anti-Piggybacking technology, advanced video surveillance technology and various biometric technologies.

Continue reading "TSA selects eight airports for security tests"

Wireless identity cards ease US border crossings

Wireless identity cards and tags for trucks and drivers are easing the traffic flow at US borders with Canada and Mexico. So, the question is: how long before similar technology is adopted for airline passengers?

Of course, there are some legitimate privacy concerns, and some hysterical fears, about national personal identity cards. But, it is likely that within the next several years airline travelers will be using a new type of identification and it will probably have wireless functions. And, the cross-border trucking industry is providing a working laboratory for the airlines.

Continue reading "Wireless identity cards ease US border crossings"

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.

Continue reading "SITA's terminals increase at American airports"