Starting today, you can get checked in on your Virgin Atlantic flight by fancy wearable technology
Virgin Atlantic passengers will be the first air travelers to experience the benefits of wearable technology during their airport experience as staff will be using both Google Glass and Sony Smartwatches as they arrive at London Heathrow airport, in a pilot scheme which starts today. If it proves successful there, then it may well be rolled out across other airports and taken up by other airlines.
Don't get too excited yet though, as it will be only the concierge staff in the airline’s Upper Class Wing that will be using the wearable tech, so unless you're arriving for your flight in a chauffeur driven limo, then you might not get the chance to experience it.
Virgin have done a major study of 10,000 passengers from across the world and have shown that, while the number of people travelling by plane has sky-rocketed the past few decades, most of them feel that the experience of air travel is now more grueling than ever.
In response to that, Virgin have introduced the fancy technology in the hopes that it will improve and enhance customers’ travel experiences and improve efficiency. Staff will be able to update passengers on their latest flight information, weather and local events at their destination and translate any foreign language information, as well as check them in as soon as they step out of their car. In future, the technology could also tell Virgin Atlantic staff their passengers’ dietary and refreshment preferences – anything that provides a better and more personalized service.
The pilot program will last just six weeks, but they will then investigate whether it's worth rolling out after that. We have a suspicion that Ryanair won't be following suit quite yet anyway...
