Skift Travel News Blog

Frankfurt Airport is set to expand its suite of biometric touchpoints to passengers of all airlines within the facility.

The technology – SITA’s Smart Path biometric solution, powered by NEC – is already available for Lufthansa and Star Alliance Airlines passengers, which has seen over 12,000 passengers use the facilities at check-in, boarding pass control and boarding gates, according to a release from Fraport.

The technology gives passengers the opportunity to use their faces as their boarding pass by registering in advance on their mobile device through the app or directly at the check-in kiosk with their biometrics-enabled passports. 

When their registration is complete, passengers will be able to pass through the facial recognition-equipped checkpoints without showing any physical documents. 

“Together with Lufthansa and the Star Alliance airlines, we have been offering this innovative service since 2020, an experience – with the help of SITA and NEC – which will now be extended to all airlines. We are the first European airport to offer all passengers a contactless and convenient passenger journey using biometrics. Our goal for the coming months is to equip at least 50 percent of all check-in kiosks, pre-security and boarding gates  with the new and pioneering technology,” said Dr. Pierre Dominique Prümm, Fraport AG’s executive director aviation and infrastructure.

United Airlines has announced that it will launch a suite of new tools and policies at the end of 2023 that have been designed to improve the travel experience for customers who use a wheelchair.

The new accessibility initiative will include a digital filter on united.com that will allow travelers to identify aircraft that can accommodate different sized chairs, and a revised refund policy that will adapt flight fares in the event that customers are required to purchase a higher-fare ticket to accommodate a specific wheelchair size. 

“By offering customers an easy way to know if their personal wheelchair fits on a particular airplane, we can give them the peace of mind they deserve when they fly with us,” said Linda Jojo, executive vice president and chief customer officer for United. 

“Plus, collecting this information ahead of time ensures our team can handle these special items with proper care and attention.”

United will also begin a six-month pilot program later this year at George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport to explore ways in which it can support customers in the event their wheelchair has been damaged or delayed while traveling, in collaboration with its Accessible Travel Advisory Board.

United and the U.S. Department of Transportation will deliver these initiatives through a mutual agreement to increase accessibility for customers who require the use of a wheelchair.

San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) has launched a pilot scheme featuring BBGO, a fully autonomous personal mobility vehicle from Blueberry Technology.

The BBGO has been designed to ‘supplement mobility needs for those who do not want to use a wheelchair, but who may still want support navigating through the Airport’.

The vehicle taking part in the pilot – named “Dorothy” after famed chemist, Dorothy Hodgkin – will offer users fully autonomous rides to their departure gates by simply scanning their boarding passes, with the added option of personalizing journeys to include stops at restrooms, shops and restaurants. 

In addition to the fully autonomous option, the BBGO can be steered by a user controlled joystick or via traditional manual pushing. For safety, the vehicle is equipped with an automatic collision avoidance system.

“We are very proud to be immersed in the ingenuity of Silicon Valley. Providing an opportunity to pilot test in a real airport environment allows us to be on the cutting edge of customer experience while supporting companies like Blueberry, who can see a real need and use innovation and technology to develop a solution,” said, John Aitken, SJC Airport Director.

The Finnish Border Guard will allow passengers on selected Finnair flights to and from the UK to pass through border control at Helsinki Airport using new Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) from 28 August 2023.

The pilot project forms part of a reported world first pilot program, which has been launched in cooperation with Finnair, the Finnish Police and Finavia.

DTC is a digital version of a physical passport, and according to a release from the Finnish Border Guard, is ‘equally reliable and will allow smooth and fast border crossings without compromising security.’

Passengers flying with Finnair on the London, Manchester and Edinburgh routes will now be able to pass through border control by registering as a voluntary DTC user and use it at border control when leaving and/or arriving in Finland.

The European Commission is developing the DTC as part of a larger digital identity policy package, with the European Union committing €2.3 million to co-fund the project.

The pilot will run at Helsinki Airport from Monday 28 August 2023 until the end of February 2024.

You can register as a DTC user at the police service points in Tikkurila or at Helsinki Airport by following the instructions on the Finnish Border Guard’s website.

SWISS has announced the introduction of free Wi-Fi enabled internet for chat services on all long-haul flights, beginning in August 2023.

The new facility, which will be available across all travel classes, will allow passengers to utilize chat services on smartphones, laptops and tablets for the duration of their flight and will have no upper data limit.

The Wi-Fi facility will provide access to most popular messenger services, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Telegram. 

SWISS passengers will also have the opportunity to upgrade to advanced Wi-Fi packages, which will offer further internet capabilities such as browsing, emailing, and access to social media platforms.

“In offering these new Wi-Fi options we’re taking a big step forward,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. 

“With our new unlimited free chat facility in all our travel classes, our guests can keep in contact with their families, friends and business partners throughout their flight. Our attractive new packages for surfing, email and social media also offer unlimited data volumes. So our customers now have even more choice in how they wish to stay in unbounded touch with the world while they are aboard our long-haul flights.”

Travel booking app Omio has announced the launch of its plugin for ChatGPT, which has been designed to enable users to discover the best way to travel in real-time, using data from Omio’s inventory of bookable tickets and the power of OpenAI’s technology.

According to a release from the platform, this is the first plugin of its kind by a ground transportation provider, allowing users to search and compare travel across trains, buses, flights and ferries.

“In the past two years, our tech team has developed the Omio API extensively, and we are thrilled to be able to apply it within the OpenAI world, bringing a further innovation in the travel technology sector. Users of ChatGPT now have access to Omio’s inventory of over 1000 transport providers, and can ask ChatGPT questions they would have historically asked a travel agent about their travel arrangements. We are proud to digitalise the industry,” said Tomas Vocetka, chief technology officer at Omio.

“Our vision as a company is to empower billions of people to travel anywhere at any time, and the launch of the Omio plugin for ChatGPT acts as a bold step in achieving this. We are giving new consumers globally the opportunity to search for, compare and book travel on their terms. Consumer-centric innovation is at the heart of all our decision-making, and we are excited for travellers to be able to ask ChatGPT for the fastest trip by train or for the cheapest way they can travel with their family in peak season, knowing that they will get quality results from the Omio platform,” Vocetka continued.

The Omio plugin is available in the ChatGPT plugin store now.

Panasonic Avionics has introduced a range of new 4K OLED monitors for First and Business Class cabins, with United having recently announced that they plan to install the system on select new long haul aircrafts beginning in 2025.

The new monitors, which form part of the Astrova In-flight entertainment (IFE) lineup, come in a choice of five sizes maxing out at 42 inches, and also feature spatial audio powered by Panasonic Avionics’ latest Bluetooth technology.

Passengers on aircraft equipped with the new system will also be provided with up to 100W of DC power at their seat through USB-C, along with LED accent lighting designed to enhance the passenger experience and optimize the cabin environment.

“Astrova is transforming the seat back into an easily configured, flexible and personalized digital channel that caters to the individual needs of each passenger, enabling airlines to engage with their customers in flight like never before,” said Andy Masson, vice president of product management at Panasonic Avionics.

At Skift, we are looking to unearth the most creative and forward-thinking innovations in travel through our Skift Ideas Franchise, which includes the Skift IDEA Awards, Skift Editorial Hub and the Skift Ideas Podcast.

You can listen and subscribe to the Skift Ideas Podcast through your favorite podcast app here.

Starting in May, United is the first U.S. airline to provide updates via Live Activities for iPhone, giving passengers real-time updates to gate info, boarding pass, seats, and a countdown clock to departure time without opening the airline’s app.

“We’re seeing soaring demand for travel this summer, and Live Activities puts all the flight information you need right at your fingertips, whether your iPhone is locked or you’re doing something else like checking email, listening to music or texting friends,” said Linda Jojo, Chief Customer Officer for United. “This new feature is another way United is leveraging technology to improve our customers’ travel journey. It’s going to save passengers a lot of time, and we think they’re going to love it, especially during a busy travel season.”

At the 2023 Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking for the most innovative airline projects defining the future of aviation, airlines, and the traveler experience.

Do you have an innovative project that deserves recognition? Head to the Skift IDEA Awards and start your submission today.

Emirates has launched its City Check-in and Travel Store in Dubai’s financial district, featuring Sara, a portable robotic check-in assistant designed to assist customers when booking their travels, checking-in for flights and dropping off their luggage. 

Situated at ICD Brookfield Place, the remote check-in centre will enable customers to enhance their experience by utilizing self check-in kiosks, dedicated desks with Emirates agents, or with the assitance of Sara – who has the ability to match faces with scanned passports, check passengers in, and guide them to the luggage drop area.

“Emirates City Check In is our latest addition to the Emirates travel experience, showing our commitment to providing customers with an array of check-in options,” said Adel al Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer.

“We are pleased to collaborate with ICD Brookfield on this project and look forward to providing our customers with more technology-focused solutions in the future.” 

Emirates passengers holding valid boarding passes will also enjoy complimentary access to selected lifestyle facilities within the venue, including various restaurants, gyms, and luxury stores on site.

At the 2023 Skift IDEA Awards, we are looking for the most innovative travel technologies that drive experiential outcomes, from mobile applications to online booking systems, self-service kiosks, and other advanced technologies.

Do you have an innovative Technology product that deserves recognition? Head to the Skift IDEA Awards and start your submission today.

The conventional wisdom back in 2015 was that travel agencies were a shrinking business. But that year, Spanish entrepreneur David Hernández thought he saw a whitespace for creating a fast-growing travel agency business, and he launched plans to create Pangea.

Fast forward to 2022, and his “travel store” invoiced close to 50 million euros in sales, Hernandez told the Spanish publication Time on Monday. In the first quarter of 2023, Pangea doubled its revenue year-over-year. This year, it expects to generate close to $75 million (€70 million).

What factors are enabling Pangea to grow quickly, having now served more than 20,000 travelers in only a few years?

In 2019, Hernandez raised an approximately $11 million (€9 million) round of venture funding, led by led by Axon Partners. The funding helped the company survive the pandemic and open four stores: in Madrid, at 1,500 square meters; in Barcelona, at 1,700 square meters and with a restaurant; in Bilbao, with three floors; and in Valencia, in the heart of the city.

The physical stores have attracted a new generation of travelers, just as some online-first direct-to-consumer brands like eyewear maker Warby Parker have opened physical stores as a marketing technique. Pangea’s Madrid store last year had a turnover of about $35 million (€30 million). Roughly a fifth of its customers were walk-ins.

“People fill out an online questionnaire, and based on their interests and characteristics, we find the best advisor for them,” Hernández said. “We have expert professional advisors in diving, volcanoes, safaris… anything you can imagine.”

Hernández doesn’t neglect technology. But he sees it as supplemental rather than the full offering — mainly as a way to make back-end and routine processes more efficient. His services are within a rounding error of the cost of fully booking trips online but save customers time, Hernández claimed.

“We have been developing a global technological tool for a year that aims to help further digitize the sector,” Hernández said, who aims to launch the tool at the travel trade fair Fitur early next year.

“Who thinks Booking.com, to name one, has no margins?” Hernández said. “That you always find the cheapest on the internet is not always true. For a difference of five or ten euros, it is not worth giving up the after-sales service, the security, the customization that we offer… We [as travelers] don’t have enough time to spend more than 50 hours preparing a far away and complex trip, like Costa Rica, Japan, Tanzania, the USA, or the Maldives. .. In an agency, they solve it for you in 30 minutes with all the guarantees and professional advice.”

—David Hernández, CEO of Pangea