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TECH TRENDS 32 airportbusiness May 2014 #1 ARRIVAL AMENITIES One aspect of air travel that is in a state of flux is the arrival experience. Large ticketing halls, once the hallmark of every airport terminal, are becoming less and less essential. In the not-too- distant future airline agents in the check-in area will be a thing of the past. Passengers will check themselves in, tag their own bags, and retrieve their boarding passes through the Internet. For infrequent travelers, a few roaming "customer service agents" will teach passengers how to perform these tasks. In this scenario, it's clear that technology will transform the departure experience. Interactive terminal signage and video walls embedded in the architecture of the terminal building will direct and aid passengers on how to check in and where to find security checkpoints. All check-in processing may be performed remotely. This will include incor- porating the use of home bag tag printing in which passengers virtually check their bags, print their own bag tags, and insert the home-printed tags into plastic sleeves attached to their luggage. Providing customer service to passengers will become an important part of terminal design. The airport terminal of the future will need dispersed check-in locations for both "carry-on only" passen- gers and full-checked baggage passengers. Check- in locations will be needed throughout the facility, in parking garages, at the terminal curb, in transit centers next to the terminal, and at kiosks located on other levels of the terminal. #2 SIMPLIFY SECURITY SCREENING Someday soon passengers will breeze through security and be scanned from all sides, without having to remove jackets, belts, jewelry and shoes. Airport terminal design architects working with the TSA have made great strides in creating passenger screening checkpoints that are efficient, comfortable and easy to manage for passengers. This includes installing flooring that is comfort- able for passengers without shoes, incorporating soothing and comfortable lighting, creating private search rooms, and fashioning a pleasant area with comfortable seating for passengers to re-compose themselves. Amenities such as water bottle refill stations or concessions that are adjacent to the recomposing area are important since passengers may have been compelled to dispose of items in the screening process. In the recomposing area, access to flight information and intuitive way-finding within a pleasing architectural environment guides passengers to concessions and gates without an overabundance of signage. #3 AN EYE ON THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE Terminal buildings and their operations are more business focused, providing services and amenities that passengers want with a high level of customer service. Technology will continue to drive innovation in the travel experience. At the heart of this techno- logical revolution is the more "informed" passenger. Today's digitally connected passengers demand that information and services be delivered to their preferred personal electronic devices (PEDs) at all points of their journey and specifically inside the airport terminal. As a result, silos of stand-alone auto- mation are being replaced with integrated systems that allow the exchange of information between the airline, airport ground handlers, and the customer. Emerging mobile computing platforms provide new ways to communicate and control passenger flow. This includes accurate and instantaneous information on flight arrival and departures sent directly to passengers' mobile devices. Airlines can manage passengers' expectations by keeping them constantly informed on flight status, delays, gate changes and overbooking. #4 "SYNERGIZED" CONCESSIONS A synergistic concession marketplace within terminal buildings is the future in maximiz- ing the revenue from passengers by incorporating food and beverage venues, retail stores, customer service providers, entertainment, integrated art and interactive advertising in a space that interacts with all components. The new "Sunset Cove" synergy market at San Diego International Airport's Terminal Two provides a great view of the airfield while co-locating integrated art, entertainment and shop- ping opportunities to raise the revenue synergisti- cally for the airport in one centralized space with Terminal Tech for the Future 7 ways airports can ready terminals for the passenger of the future T oday's airport terminals are more than just a labyrinth of security lines and endless hallways. The modern airport terminal blends cutting-edge inventions with passenger needs to serve passengers in ways never before imagined. The following are 7 ways airports can ready terminals to serve the passenger of the future. By Thomas Rossbach, AIA airb_32-33_TechTrends.indd 32 5/2/14 9:54 AM