People are traveling more than ever, but the logistics of getting from point A to point B can be stressful for travelers and costly for transit providers. Using connected devices, you can make travelers more satisfied with their experience, while reducing the costs associated with ticketing and other transactions. Some applications include:
Smartphones and Tablets: Travelers can use their phones or other mobile devices to access video walkthroughs of an airline terminal or transit hub, view helpful tips on riding a local bus or train system, and watch videos about their destination.
Arrival/Departure and Weather/News Displays: Airport flight information display systems that show arrival and departure times have been around for decades. In recent years, some enterprising airports, rail stations, and bus depots have upgraded these screens to show real-time information on trip delays, weather, news and sports coverage, stock market updates, and other information that passengers might want. These next-generation displays can reduce the workload for staff members (since fewer travelers are asking them for schedule updates), and also cut down on the perceived waiting time for passengers. In some cases, advertising time is sold to marketers who want to reach travelers. For example, a restaurant in New York might advertise in airports nationwide, but only at the gates that have flights heading to New York.
In-Vehicle Displays: Although today's travelers are probably most familiar with the in-seat entertainment provided by select airlines, there are benefits to placing in-vehicle displays in taxis, buses, and trains as well. In addition to giving travelers something to watch while on the trip, these displays can show updated status for mass transit vehicles (e.g. time to destination), ads for local or national marketers, and branding messages related to the carrier or public transportation provider itself. In the case of taxis and airlines, where there is generally one screen per passenger, the viewer might even use a touchscreen to control which content they see, order airline snacks, and pay for taxi fares.
Ticketing, Check-In and Wayfinding Kiosks: Make it easy for travelers to purchase tickets, check-in for travel, and locate where to board planes, rail, and buses -- all using a touchscreen interface. These functions may all be provided by the same interactive kiosk, or split up into separate devices like automated ticketing machines, check-in kiosks, and tourism info centers. Wayfinding kiosks can also be helpful for people who are meeting travelers at the airport, locating baggage claim and connecting gates, or visiting a metro transit facility for the first time.
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