The Changing Face of Travel
JCDecaux introduces new study on airports of the future
One of the latest studies carried out by JCDecaux Airport, The Changing Face of Travel, is almost a time travel into the future. The analysis provides valuable insight into the advancements one might expect to see in airports within the next few decades, from digital passports and facial recognition to electronic bag tags for real-time bag tracking and in-flight biometrics for personalised entertainment.
The Changing Face of Travel delves deep into the travelling passenger’s mindset. From the first step of the journey, booking, right through to the last, baggage reclaim, the study analyses the differences between current traditional procedures followed at the airport and what passengers expect to see in airports in the future.
One of the key areas of change is passport control where, according to the study, passenger satisfaction falls considerably.
Surveys suggest that 92% of passengers would consider using biometrics instead of a passport or a boarding pass. This means that the vast majority of travellers are open to facial and iris scanners, fingerprint recognition, and digital passports. Investments in these technologies are already taking place with examples such as the first fully biometric terminal in Atlanta, US.
Another interesting focus in the study is the satisfaction levels of tech and non-tech users in each stage of their airport journey. Findings show that the disparity is at its highest in the departure lounge, where dwell-time is remarkably high. This proves an opportunity not only for tech to be made more readily available but also for the non-tech side of things to be made more enjoyable. Again, there are already significant investments in place to make airports an ‘experience’ in themselves, such as the Jewel development in Changi Airport, Singapore, which offers gardens, attractions, and many other exciting opportunities within the airport.
Overall, this study is a useful overview of both the direction and the scale in which airports are evolving. It is also a smart guide for advertisers on how to take advantage of these changes and to turn them into opportunities to improve their audience’s journey.
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