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Best Initiative at the Gate |
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| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines won the ‘Best Initiative at the Gate’ award for its development and trial of the ‘Spencer’ robot. Earlier this year, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol hosted the first trials of the socially aware robot, which KLM hopes will be able to guide transfer passenger between gates, while proactively responding to their movements and reactions in a busy airport environment. The Spencer project provides the most compelling example to date of how robotics can positively impact the passenger experience. |
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Best Immigration & Arrivals Initiative |
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| U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) was presented with the ‘Best Immigration Initiative’ award for its deployment and ongoing trials of biometric technology to further enhance and secure the border control process at US airports. The latest projects include the trial of the Departure Information Systems Test at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, to evaluate the ability of CBP’s information systems to compare images of travellers departing the United States against images previously provided. Another trial involved using a handheld mobile device to collect biometric exit data from foreign nationals departing the US, while the new 1-to-1 Facial Comparison technology was implemented at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport earlier this year. Biometric exit testing is also ongoing. |
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Best Mobile Technology Initiative |
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| Icelandair won the award for ‘Best Mobile Technology Initiative’ for its development and launch of the Facebook Messenger Stopover Bot, which leverages artificial intelligence and Facebook Messenger to provide a new flight search platform for travellers. Customers can simply open the Facebook Messenger app, start a conversation with Icelandair, type in the relevant information such as destination and travel dates, and search for flights. All of the information is provided in an automated yet conversational manner. Once the user has selected their flights, they are seamlessly redirected to the Icelandair website to make the payment. |
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Best Up in the Air Experience |
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| Qatar Airways was presented with the ‘Best Up in the Air Experience’ award for the second straight year in recognition of its industry-leading onboard experience. As well as investing in technology – including its IFE and connectivity products – Qatar Airways also recognises the importance of enhancing customer service in the digital age. Importantly, the airline’s premium experience is not only reserved for first and business class customers – those in economy are also treated to a comfortable experience across the carrier’s young fleet. Qatar Airways continues to set the benchmark when it comes to the in-flight experience. |
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