FRUSTRATION among airline passengers at flight delays and missing luggage could be eased by updates being sent to their mobile phones, according to aviation technology researchers.
Text messages could keep travellers abreast of disruption and alert them to mislaid bags, saving needless waiting at baggage carousels.
Passengers late in boarding aircraft could also be tracked via their phones and chased up – cutting delays by 6
per cent and saving airlines at least £300 million a year.
Consumer groups welcomed any moves to keep passengers better informed but warned that those without mobiles must not lose out.
Some airlines, such as BMI, have started mobile phone check-in trials, in which barcode text messages replace boarding cards.
However, Sita – originally the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques – said airlines could make far greater use of mobile phones, which are carried by 90 per cent of travellers. It said such devices could effectively become a one-stop travelling companion, containing baggage tracking information, travel visas and even inflight films.
Sita said mobiles had the potential to act as "electronic wallets", enabling passengers to pay for items such as food in airports, including from vending machines, without the need for local currency.
A trial at Manchester airport found those receiving such offers spent 45 per cent more than other travellers.
A report by Sita, How Mobile Technology Will Enhance Passenger Travel, stated: "Surveys indicate passengers are highly concerned about delays and cancellations, but particularly in times of disruption it has been difficult to get accurate information to passengers quickly.
"Rapid dissemination of information via mobile devices can reduce frustration."
The report said that passengers could also be alerted as soon as their baggage failed to be loaded or transferred, thus "saving unnecessary waiting at the destination carousel and allowing instant initiation of the reclaim process".
Jim Peters, Sita's chief technology officer, said: "These 'digital travellers' will have access to a range of mobile-enabled services such as real-time flight updates; self-service booking, check-in and boarding; and mobile payments."
The Air Transport Users Council, the UK passenger watchdog, said travellers would welcome more information, but not marketing, by mobile.
James Freemantle, its spokesman, said: "We would be very supportive if this smooths the whole process of air travel, because lack of information is among passengers' biggest complaints.
"It could have helped reduce the chaos at the opening of terminal five at Heathrow Airport."
He added: "However, not everyone has a mobile phone, or has it switched on, so they must not be left out.
"Messages sent to mobiles should also be restricted to important information. I cannot believe passengers would want to be bombarded by texts trying to sell them extra services."
IN NUMBERS3.2bn
mobile phones owned worldwide
5bn
The number expected by 2011
90%
of airline passengers currently use mobile phones
67%
of airlines plan to offer mobile check-in by the end of 2010
82%
plan notification services on mobiles by 2010
The full article contains 512 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
