How Tech Has Made Private Air Travel Accessible to All
Technology has had a good relationship with travel. It has helped to make it go faster, run more efficiently and provided passengers and drivers with more convenient, comfortable journeys. Air travel has proved no exception to the rule, particularly private jet operators who are catering to ever-widening groups of passengers.
Until smartphone apps were invented, customers would have to go to a desktop website, travel agency’s store or make a phone call to book a flight. This has changed since a number of airlines introduced apps that allowed passengers to book a flight in a matter of seconds. For those with very little spare time, booking via an app makes it easier to fly privately.
Apps as a whole are expected to play a big role in all aspects of air travel. They may end up controlling in-flight entertainment, passenger safety and monitoring real time progress of flights. The latter feature will prove really useful for business class passengers.
Last-minute Changes
Back to the subject of booking apps, they have made it easier than ever for people to buy a ticket on flights at a moment’s notice. For any unplanned short breaks or business trips, going down this route allows them to choose a predetermined destination to fly to at a select time.
For empty leg flights, using apps will save a huge amount of time. From the point of searching for a destination to finding a price, the whole process of booking will take very little effort. This breaks down a barrier previously in place for people who would have been hesitant to fly privately.
If there are spare tickets going, they may be sold for a discounted price to fill those otherwise empty seats. This, enabled by booking apps, will have the end result of opening up private air travel to people who may not otherwise be able to afford it.
Faster Processing
Private jets are also becoming more accessible because of changes to the technology behind processing passengers’ tickets and luggages. The use of Bluetooth and WiFi at check-in gates will see queues at the terminals move faster, allowing passengers to arrive at the airport with more time to spare.
Finally, security on-board and while checking in has greatly improved because of changes in tech. The widespread use of RFID bag tags to track luggage, usage of ePassports that cannot be used for fraud and scanning systems has made the path from check-in to plane seat far smoother, without compromising security.