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Apple Watch and Apple Pay:
what they could mean for airports, airlines and the
passenger experience
By Ryan
Ghee
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Apple yesterday launched its long-awaited smartwatch,
named the Apple Watch (not the iWatch as many
expected), and the consumer tech world has since
been going crazy, with many asking if this is the
product that will send wearable technology into the
mainstream.
The sheer level of interest, the largely positive
consumer reaction in online forums (at least in
comparison to many other smartwatch launches) and
the mere fact that it is another Apple product,
suggest that the Apple Watch could potentially take
smartwatches from “novelty” to “must have”.
So, if the Apple Watch does take off in the same
manner as the iPod in 2001, iPhone in 2007 and iPad
in 2010, how could it be used to improve the
passenger experience, and what would this mean for
travel facilitators, especially airports and
airlines?
Apple Watch boarding passes
Of course, some airlines have already started to
scratch the surface of the potential offered by
smartwatches:Vueling, airberlin
and Iberia have recently introduced smartwatch
boarding passes, which can be used by owners of
devices such as the Samsung Gear 2, Pebble, Pebble
Steel and the Sony Smartwatch 2. Given the low
consumer uptake of smartwatches to date, though,
it’s safe to say that travellers are yet to embrace
this latest version of the boarding pass.
However, if, and admittedly it remains an “if”,
Apple’s entrance into the wearables market is
received in the same manner as its entrance into the
smartphone and tablets sectors, it could prove to be
the catalyst that the smartwatch industry needs, and
then airlines and airports would surely have to pay
close attention.
According to SITA’s latest Passenger IT Trends
Survey, 66% of travellers said they would make use
of mobile boarding passes if they were offered by
their airline. For the iPhone-owning passengers
among them, if their smartphone can be seamlessly
linked to an Apple Watch, I wonder how many would be
interested in taking it one step further and using
smartwatch boarding passes instead? Today’s
traveller is always looking for ways to simplify
their journey, and having their boarding pass stored
on their wrist could certainly help with this.
Smartwatch-based airport wayfinding
This goes far beyond boarding passes, though. The
new Apple Watch includes a maps app, complete with
step-by-step directions. The watch even vibrates
when you need to turn left or right. Now what if
this was applied to indoor mapping for airport
terminals? Could it be feasible for a passenger to
load up a map of an airport terminal, ask for
directions to their gate and then be guided by their
smartwatch?
Furthermore, in recent months we’ve seen Apple’s
iBeacons installed at various airports, ranging fromLondon
Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic, to DFW
Airport with American Airlines, and Gatwick,
Luton and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports with
easyJet. At present, these iBeacons are being
used to notify passengers, via their smartphone,
when they need to have their documentation ready for
inspection, and offering step-by-step directions
throughout the terminal.
For Apple Watch-owning travellers, these
notifications could feasibly be relayed to the
smartwatch. Imagine it: passengers could read time-
and location-specific messages, and guide themselves
to the departure gate or another point of interest
in the terminal just by glancing at their wristwear.
These are just a few examples of the potential
offered – airports, airlines, tech giants and
industry suppliers will undoubtedly come up with
other potential uses, many of which will be
discussed in the FTE
Wearable Technology Symposium at FTE Global 2014.
Apple Pay: ideal for the time-constrained airport
environment?
Apple’s announcement yesterday also extended to its
entrance into another sector, the mobile payments
market, with Apple Pay. In short, instead of using a
credit card to pay for goods, consumers will be able
to pay by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch, which
can be preloaded with their encrypted payment
information via Apple’s Passbook.
There has been talk that many retailers are far from
prepared for this, with many lacking the necessary
technology to process such payments at present.
However, airports, and their concessionaires, should
certainly keep a close eye on this. Airports are
heavily time-constrained environments where many
travellers are keen to make the most of any possible
time saving to ensure they get to their departure
gate on time.
The airport shopping experience is no different –
consumers have a strict time limit. So, if they can
save some valuable time by quickly tapping their
device on a reader to pay for duty free purchases,
many could well take up the option. A more relaxed
consumer and a quicker purchasing process could
well help to increase spend.
The notion of a “mobile wallet” has been dogged by
concerns around data protection. However, more than
800 million people now have an iTunes account, the
vast majority of which have credit card details
attached to them, so if consumers already trust
Apple with their payment details, many may see
extending this to Apple Pay as no big deal.
Why should airports and airlines pay attention to
the wearables market?
Apple’s entrance into the wearables market was
always going to cause a stir, and justifiably so
given the high level of success the company has
experienced in the smartphone and tablet markets. Of
course, we’ll have to wait and see if consumers
really do embrace the smartwatch, but if they do,
there are clear opportunities for airports and
airlines, which are increasingly judged by the
passenger experience they offer, to take advantage.
The idea of storing your boarding pass on your
smartwatch, and using the device to navigate through
the terminal, view time- and location-specific
notifications and pay for duty free purchases with a
tap of the Apple Watch could well appeal. It’s
certainly something airports and airlines should be
bearing in mind when considering how to improve the
future travel experience.
 What's
in an Airport code?
Have you ever
wondered what the three letters on your
airline baggage tag stand for? Here are
several informative web sites that walk
you through the entire history of how
airports received their distinctive codes,
such as SFO for San Francisco
International, DEN for Denver
International and YVR for Vancouver
International Airport.
Airport ABCs:
Explanation of Airport Identifier
Codes
http://www.skygod.com/asstd/abc.html
Mapping.Com's
List of Worldwide Airport Codes
http://www.mapping.com/airportcodes.html
Air Odyssey-
Airport Codes
http://www.airodyssey.net/articles/aircodes.html
Airport Code
Resources
http://www.badger-people-finder.com/airport-codes.html
Communication
Tutorial
http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/communication/tutorial/tutorial5.html
Attention Airport
Authorities:
Air Highways Magazine, Africa Travel
Magazine, WorldScene and related media
invite all airport managers and their
marketing and/or public relations staff to
send us news releases, photos and
backgrounders for this site and in future
printed editions. mailto:airhwy@dowco.com
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