• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
CommentaryAir Travel

Hate the Airport? AI Wants to Help

By
Bob Friday
Bob Friday
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bob Friday
Bob Friday
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 20, 2018, 9:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Despite all of today’s digital advances, when it comes to the air travel experience, we’re still flying blind.

Think about it: Other than the ability to check in, download a boarding pass, and receive flight updates on our smartphones, has much changed over the last decade? We still go through the airport parking rigmarole, trying to estimate how much time to allocate to find a space and get from the car to the security gate. We can only guess how much time to allow for the security line.

As a frequent business traveler, I know this drill all too well. It’s like playing Russian roulette with a four-shooter—one in four travel experiences will be subpar.

But this is all about to change, thanks to smart technologies that can deliver personalized information to passengers based on their location and needs. More specifically, two constructs—artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual Bluetooth Low Energy (vBLE)—are transforming the travel experience and promise to have a positive impact on millions of travelers in the years to come.

In the airport, your smartphone, computer, and tablet all put out unique Bluetooth Low Energy signals (when Bluetooth is turned on) that interact with battery-powered devices on the walls to deliver personalized experiences based on your location. In the past, humans had to physically survey the radio frequency (RF) environment in an airport to determine where to place these BLE devices and how to manually calibrate them. If anything changed in the environment, these devices had to be physically moved and recalibrated, or both, making indoor location expensive, time consuming, and inefficient.

This changes with new AI technologies like unsupervised machine learning. Now the RF environment can be continuously updated in real-time, eliminating the need for manual calibration. In addition, virtual BLE devices have replaced battery-powered ones, enabling messages to be automatically configured and changed via software. Much like AI-driven cars learn how to handle fluid environments, AI-driven wireless networks with virtual beacons do the same, ensuring an optimal location and connectivity experience for all mobile users.

Here is what a day in the life of an air traveler could look like in the not-so-distant future:

Before leaving home for the airport, you pull up an app on your smartphone. AI systems have predicted how many spaces will be open at the parking garage, and you can see if your favorite ones may be available. While apps currently exist to track which spaces are open at a fixed moment in time, AI will tell you the likelihood of finding a space in a particular spot at the beginning of the trip and recommend alternatives.

As you head to the airport, BLE technology combined with AI will tell you the length of security lines, help you navigate the terminal to find the closest lunch spot, estimate your walking time to the gate, and even notify you of deals in terminal stores for that Valentine’s Day gift you forgot to buy.

A 2017 Deloitte report paints this picture: As travelers walk through the terminal, “a system checks and notices the club is currently only at 50% occupancy and sends the passenger a time-sensitive offer for discounted lounge access. With a click or blink of an eye, the airline charges the passenger’s digital payment account or allows them to use frequent flier miles. They are greeted by the club agent as an expected guest as they walk in.”

On the plane, the Internet actually works, thanks to initiatives like one announced in February by a group of airlines and communications companies to provide passengers with faster, more reliable connection using satellite technology.

Once you get to baggage claim, you know your luggage has made it and when it will pop out onto the carousel because it has been tagged with a sensor that sends the information to your smartphone. Your phone app then tells you where to get a taxi, Uber, or rental car, and you’re on your way.

A 2017 survey of more than 10,000 air travelers around the world by the International Air Transport Association revealed that they don’t consider this level of convenience frivolous; they expect technology to give them more control over their travel experience.

Thanks to emerging technologies, we may soon start looking forward to our trips to the airport.

Bob Friday is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Mist, which develops self-learning wireless networks.

About the Author
By Bob Friday
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Commentary

t
CommentaryTariffs
Trump’s third tariff tantrum piles more dizzying distractions on top of ever-spiraling failures
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven TianJuly 22, 2026
2 hours ago
orson
CommentaryOpenAI
We got California to intervene about OpenAI’s corporate switch from nonprofit status. It’s time for the SEC to come to the table
By Orson Aguilar and Catherine BracyJuly 22, 2026
2 hours ago
ls
Commentarybooks
Confessions of an award-winning AI memoirist — the ‘slop’ debate isn’t really about good writing, and you know it
By Luke StoffelJuly 22, 2026
3 hours ago
b
Commentarythe future of work
Manpower President: The future of work question that even CEOs can’t answer
By Becky FrankiewiczJuly 22, 2026
3 hours ago
k
Commentarypower
What I keep hearing from Fortune 500 CEOs: ‘We have no idea what we’re actually paying for power’
By Kiran BhatrajuJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow
CommentaryHuman resources
The CEO who fired HR was right. About the wrong thing.
By KeyAnna SchmiedlJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
19 hours ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
22 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
24 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.