AI in the travel industry: The journey will never be the same
With features like virtual travel, niche offerings, better personalization, and on-the-fly changes, AI in travel is redefining the industry.
Travel is roaring back after the pandemic, better than before. Technologies that helped us shop and do business during lockdowns are now used throughout the travel industry to help us have faster, more convenient, contactless travel experiences from trip planning to airport security and hotel check-in.
Travel technology, often referred to as “traveltech,” has revolutionized the way we plan and organize trips. With the emergence of digitized, contactless travel, various online travel agencies like Expedia, Booking.com, and Kayak have made it possible for customers to effortlessly book their entire journey online, including flights, lodging, and transportation.
When we arrive at our destinations, if we haven’t already done so from home, we can easily reserve a rental car via an app, and check-in via self-service at the rental car pick-up area. Some hotels even allow check-in, check-out and keyless access to a room using their mobile app, which can save time and reduce physical contact.
Even the airport experience, which is still largely a physical one of ID cards, passports, and visas, is becoming digitized. Paper identification may soon become antiquated, much like the paper airline tickets we used to tote around as our tangible token to the skies.
Passport stamps become relics
My grandchildren will likely laugh at the thought of having a physical passport that you must get stamped upon entry or exit of a country. While passport stamps were often a source of pride – depicting how many countries you’ve been to – their days are numbered.
On a recent trip to South Korea, I didn’t receive a stamp at all, just an arrival slip. Many other countries, including Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel, don’t offer entry or exit stamps anymore. And some like the US, UK, New Zealand and Canada) only issue entry stamps
In fact, the EU is preparing to implement its Entry/Exit System (EES) later this year which would eliminate all stamps into and out of the 29 countries in the European Union.
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Biometrics and the travel experience
Biometric technology has been gaining popularity in recent years, and it’s become an essential aspect of contactless travel.
Biometric systems use unique physical characteristics such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans to verify travelers’ identities. This eliminates the need for traditional ID verification and minimizes physical contact. Biometric technology can be used for check-in, boarding, and even for passport control.
The number of biometric touchpoints in airports will rise 320% over the next few years, according to a forecast from Valour Consultancy and P.A.ID Strategies.
According to their estimates, automated e-gates will also see considerable adoption of biometric tech over the forecast period. Biometric systems will be in place at 78% of self-boarding gates by 2030, the report predicts.
With adoption and acceptance of this technology growing, we’re fast approaching an entirely biometrics-based airport screening system.
Passengers’ faces will become their “digital IDs” for all checkpoints along their air journey. While we can accidentally leave our passports at home or in the hotel room, our fingers and faces are firmly fastened. I recently became a customer of CLEAR, the iris-scanning short-cut to passport control at many major airports; my only regret is not doing it sooner for better travel experiences.
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Redefining the airport experience with traveltech
What would the journey look like in an airport that has fully implemented contactless travel experiences? Corinna Schindler, Global Vice President Business Line Verification at Veridos, describes passengers passing through a biometric corridor on the way to airport security, where cameras verify their identities.
“In this ideal scenario, the entire process takes place while they are on the move, so that travelers don’t even notice the security check,” Schindler wrote in an article on the Border Security Report.
In addition to simplifying and speeding up the authentication process, this system eliminates direct contact with equipment and airport staff. “The entire trip becomes less bureaucratic, more convenient and far faster due to reduced waiting times,” she added.
This futuristic traveltech is a fast-moving river of security and convenience.
As Tim Hudson of Gensler, a workplace design firm, imagines it, instead of standing in a long, slow moving security line, travelers can relax and enjoy that space redesigned.
“Imagine the security checkpoint as an art gallery that showcases local talent, a nature walk, or an exhibition hall for innovative technologies,” he wrote. “Ultimately, these transitory spaces will be a prime opportunity for airports to differentiate themselves and showcase the best of what each host city has to offer.”
Contactless traveltech services boost satisfaction
According to Revinate, 80% of hotel guests said they’d download a hotel app that would allow them to check in and out. Thirty-five percent expect contactless payment and 26% said they want digital room keys – with a 7% increase in customer satisfaction scores for those who use mobile keys.
HotelMinder’s number is even higher with 73% of hotel guests preferring to use digital keys from an app.
And according to Frost & Sullivan, increased spending on contactless solutions for better digital customer experience (CX) will result in a nearly 10% rise in customer retention.
From booking to airport security, rental car pick-up and hotel check-in, traveltech is driving the future of travel experiences by prioritizing speed and convenience – the less time waiting, the better.
