Travel industry trade shows are often where we are introduced to the practical applications of the latest technological disrupters. One such recent event was Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO 2016, held last fall in Singapore. At events like these we can discover advances and innovations – from biometric scanning to computer visualization to the effective use of big data – that may change the way travel gets done.

Baggage Tracking 
Luggage brand Rimowa recently launched what it claims is the first digital check-in solution for luggage – the Rimowa Electronic Tag. Built into the luggage, the tag allows travelers to check in their luggage remotely using an app on their smartphone and drop it off at the airport. Rimowa’s app will communicate with the airlines’ own apps to send flight information directly to the bag via Bluetooth, which can be viewed using the in-built E-ink display.

Lufthansa was the first airline partner to adopt the technology, with the service up and running at Munich and Frankfurt airports. However, EVA Air also recently announced they would be adopting the technology, with other industry players currently testing the solution.

Robotic Assistance
In October, SITA Labs – the technology research arm of IT firm SITA – toured its autonomous, self-propelled baggage robot in Singapore and Hong Kong. Named Leo after the famed Renaissance-era inventor Leonardo Da Vinci, the automaton represents the company’s look into the future of baggage handling for commercial flights.

Leo is designed to check in luggage, print baggage tags and transport two suitcases at a time. Passengers use the robot’s “Scan&Fly” function to drop luggage into compartments on the robot that close and can only be reopened by the operator unloading the baggage in the airport. Leo got test runs at Geneva Airport where, thanks to its in-built obstacle-avoidance technology, the robot can function in high-traffic areas, such as an airport.

Meanwhile, in February 2016, Japan Airlines began testing a new android guide at Tokyo Haneda International Airport, offering travelers flight information such as schedules, destination and weather updates. Known as Nao, the robot features voice-recognition software and is able to communicate in Japanese, Chinese and English.

Biometrics 
Scandinavian airline SAS is investigating a number of interesting new innovations. Among the developments, fully interactive and visual digital walls in its lounges to provide up-to-date flight information and allow travelers to visually explore each individual flight cabin’s layout in three dimensions.

Scandinavian airline SAS’ cutting-edge, innovation lab has also been looking into a new application of near-field communication (NFC) – a ring with passenger information that can be swiped when boarding the aircraft.

But easily its most “out there” concept is using a programmable chip inserted into a person’s hand. The chip would eliminate the need for any physical documentation or devices whatsoever. Admittedly such an “invasive” innovation would likely take a fair amount of time to gain meaningful traction among travelers.

Meanwhile, avionics and IT company Rockwell Collins announced back in March 2015 that it was developing a tool that combined its ARINC vMUSE and ARINC Veripax technology with its Atkins Identity Management platform to enable scanning using travelers’ biometrics, including facial recognition, fingerprint and iris scanning technologies.

And Delta Air is testing facial recognition technology in a self-service bag dropmachine at Minneapolis-St. Paul International this summer to match customers withtheir passport photos through identification verification, which Delta claims to be a first for US carriers.

Augmented Reality  
Recently, tech giant Google teamed up with San Jose International Airport to test a new augmented reality technology platform called Tango, which uses computer vision to enable devices to understand their surroundings without the need for technology such as GPS. This allows the use of location-based AR apps that can be accurate to within about a centimeter, including a custom SJC app that has since been tested by members of Google’s Project Tango team and Aisle411, the company that developed the app, at the airport’s Terminal B.

Meanwhile, British Airways demo’d the app earlier this summer during the launch of its direct San Jose-London Heathrow route, enabling passengers to use the app for wayfinding, viewing augmented reality digital billboards with destination information and searching for F&B options based on their location and time availability. Floating 3D images were also visible when using the app, including a 3D shark swimming around outside the airport’s Shark Cage restaurant.

SHORT STORIES
Travel Leaders Corporate Unveils Small Meetings Tool
Travel Leaders Corporate has introduced a Simple Meetings Optimizer Tool that provides companies with what it calls “an easy and intuitive way to arrange any size of meeting.” It complements the company’s Small Business Travel Program and Spend & Savings Analysis tool.

The tool provides users with options specific to the meeting parameters, such as hotel rooms, meeting spaces, F&B and audiovisual needs. It provides a custom website which allows attendees to arrange their own transportation and lodging, while the organizer tracks attendance on their dashboard. In addition, the tool has a mobile site that doubles as an app, with check-in, texting and chat available for organizers and attendees.

“When a company has a large conference planned, it makes sense to hire a full service meetings management company. What becomes more difficult is when there is a smaller meeting to arrange, which happens very frequently,” said Gabe Rizzi, president of Travel Leaders Corporate.

Sabre Teams with Coupa Software 
Coupa Software, a cloud-based spend management company and Sabre Corporation are collaborating to streamline travel booking and expense processes. Corporations having managed travel programs can now conveniently access the integration between Coupa Expenses, Coupa’s cloud-based expense management solution, and Sabre’s GetThere online booking solution for corporate travel.

The product integration allows business travelers to book their travel through GetThere and then access an automatically-generated Coupa expense report for their trip, which the companies say will save travelers time and provide organizations “a seamless solution for capturing and measuring their travel investment.”

ABC Global Services Launches Hotel Sourcing Solution
ABC Global Services has launched hotelCONNEX Sourcing Solutions, a new division focused on hotel sourcing from travel management companies for their corporate clients. The new product features end-to-end management of hotel RFP’s, auditing to ensure that rates are properly loaded into the GDS and customer reporting and benchmarking. The program also offers customers a white label option for TMC’s. In addition broader consulting services are also available.

“Traditionally, customized hotel sourcing has been price prohibitive, particularly for midmarket clients who need professional program management by an experienced team,” said ABC Global Services CEO Eric Altschul. “hotelCONNEX’s service model enables clients to pay just for those services they need.”

HRG Acquires eWings.com
Hogg Robinson Group has entered into an agreement to acquire eWings.com, a totally online travel management company. eWings.com provides a solution for digital business travel with what it calls “a quick-to-start process and low-cost service model which is especially well suited to small businesses that require a simplified digital service.”

“eWings.com gives us a speed to market advantage in the small business space and means we can accelerate our new distribution strategy across the whole market,” said Bill Brindle, CIO of Hogg Robinson Group. “There will be no immediate change for clients, partners and staff, and it will be very much business-as-usual for eWings.com and HRG.”

Concur Expands into South Korea
Concur, the provider of travel, expense and invoice management solutions, has announced its expansion into South Korea. Concur will join parent company SAP’s Seoul office, offering expense solutions to large conglomerates, enterprise businesses and multi-national companies with operations in South Korea.

South Korea currently ranks among the top 10 countries for business travel spend, according to GBTA. With the launch in South Korea, Concur is now operating in all 10 of the top global business travel markets.