Living up to its long tradition of shaking things up and putting innovation at the heart of the flying experience, Virgin Atlantic is equipping its concierge staff at London’s Heathrow airport with Google Glass or Sony SmartWatch 2.
This makes Sir Richard Branson’s airline the first in the industry to test how Google Glass and other wearable technology can best be used to enhance customers’ travel experiences and improve efficiency.
In the new six-week project, which started on February 11, Virgin Atlantic concierges at the Upper Class wing, which is for business class passengers, are wearing the head mounted computer or smart watch to start the check-in process.
The pilot, which is being carried out in conjunction with air transport IT specialist SITA, has Google Glass or Sony SmartWatch 2 integrated to both a purpose-built dispatch app built by SITA and the Virgin Atlantic passenger service system. The app, which manages all task allocation and concierge availability, pushes individual passenger information directly to the assigned concierge’s smart glasses or watch just as the passenger arrives at the Upper Class wing.
So from the minute Upper Class passengers step out of their chauffeured limousine at Heathrow’s T3 they are greeted by name by the airline staff wearing the technology, who then start the check-in process.
The concierges are also able to update passengers on their latest flight information, weather, local events at their destination and translate foreign languages.
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.
During the six-week pilot the benefits to consumers and the business will be evaluated ahead of a potential wider rollout in the future.
The head-mounted device is being introduced as findings from a Virgin Atlantic survey, which polled 10,000 airline passengers from across the world on the future of air travel, revealed a majority of the respondents found the flying experience less exciting and glamorous now than in days past.
Virgin Atlantic is joining with passengers in calling on the industry to introduce more innovations and radical fresh thinking to meet sky-high consumer expectations and improve customer experience.
Dave Bulman, Virgin Atlantic’s director of IT, said, “While it’s fantastic that more people can now fly than ever before, the fact that air travel has become so accessible has led to some of the sheen being lost for many passengers.”
Added Jim Peters, SITA’s chief technology officer, “2014 is shaping up to be the breakout year for wearable technology, and Virgin Atlantic is the first to bring its vision to reality.”
Virgin Atlantic is also testing iBeacon with its Upper Class passengers at Heathrow, a new low-powered Bluetooth transmitter that can notify nearby iOS Apple devices of nearby services, discounts and updates on their flight boarding schedules while at the airport.
