The 1st Future Travel Experience Europe Conference took place in Amsterdam last week as part of ACI Airport Exchange, hosted by Schiphol Group. More than 550 organisations attended the event to hear about the latest ideas, processes, solutions and equipment for the airport of 2020.
FTE Europe speakers from the likes of KLM, Schiphol Group, SAS, Fentress Architects, London Gatwick Airport, IATA and the Transportation Security Administration, addressed the central theme of ‘Airports 2020: Differentiating your passenger experience in an increasingly automated environment’.
Video footage from ACI Airport Exchange
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Pieter Elbers, Managing Director & COO, KLM, delivered an enlightening keynote address, focusing on airports, airlines and customers expectations, towards 2020. He explained that the relationship between airports, airlines and passengers is constantly and structurally changing.Philip Wagnert, VP Product Development & Management, SAS, explained that the battle in the air is won on the ground, and highlighted the fact that on-ground development is increasingly difficult in a ‘commonising’ infrastructure. SAS has undertaken a number of mobile-centric developments. The airline’s loyal frequent travellers – its EuroBonus Gold Members – are offered a new product called SAS Smart Pass, which is an NFC (Near Field Communications) sticker that the customer can easily attach to their mobile phone.Eric van den Dobbelsteen, Director Passenger Services, Schiphol, and Chairman, ACI EUROPE Facilitation and Customer Services Committee, participated in the First Working Session and outlined his vision of the passenger’s dream journey.Stewart Wingate, CEO, London Gatwick Airport, highlighted the airport’s emphasis on passenger-focused facilities. This includes an enhanced security process, with wait time indicators, a Premium Lane, Assistance and Family Lanes, and automated e-pass gates. These initiatives saw London Gatwick recognised for the ‘Best Security Experience’ at the Future Travel Experience Awards in Vancouver in September.John Jarrell, Head of Airport IT, Amadeus, explained that the IT provider’s role in the airport of the future will be to help the overall airport community be more efficient and reduce operational bottlenecks, as well as to increase passenger satisfaction.Kees Jans, CIO, Schiphol Group, outlined the importance of Aviation Community Recommended Information Services (ACRIS) – an initiative to standardise the provision of aviation data to stakeholders, who can use that data to provide services to their customers. Identified areas of implementation include self-service bag drop and Airport Collaborative Decision Making.
FTE Asia 2013: Hong Kong, 7-9 May 2013
The third Future Travel Experience Asia event (and the 11th globally) will take place in Hong Kong, 7-9 May 2013. The event, themed ‘Advanced processing strategies to facilitate rapid passenger growth’, will be delivered in partnership with IATA, ACI Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. FTE Asia 2013 will help airlines, airports, handlers, cruise operators, government agencies, rail authorities, destination partners and industry providers make the best possible decisions regarding the evolution of passenger and baggage processing methods, terminal facilities and other offerings relating to improving the overall passenger experience.
FTE 2013: Las Vegas, 4-6 September 2013
FTE 2013, our global event, will be hosted by McCarran International Airport and take place on 4-6 September 2013, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas. The event will incorporate the 3rd Future Travel Experience Awards, which recognise true passenger experience enhancement. New categories this year are Best Passenger Assistance Initiative and Best Up in the Air Experience, which will feature alongside the established categories: Best Check-In Initiative; Best Baggage Initiative; Best Airport Security & Immigration Experience; Best Initiative at the Gate; Best Arrivals Experience; and Best Use of Mobile Technology.
A gathering of air transport’s digital and innovation leaders, creative designers and progressive minds who will inspire one another and reimagine travel together.
