Just when you may be getting used to online check-in and mobile boarding passes for your flights, Sabre has built a prototype for a system that would use Bluetooth technology to enable passengers to check-in for their flights and board the aircraft.
Passengers would need to register their mobile devices and when they arrive at the airport, Bluetooth receptors would detect their presence and OK their boarding, says Robert Wiseman, Sabre's chief technology officer.
The solution would work best when travelers didn't need to add bags or change seats, but there would be options on their phones to do so, Wiseman says.
A Sabre team in India has built the prototype and the solution has been presented to at least one airline and elicited a positive reaction, Wiseman says.
No decision has been made about going into production with the Bluetooth solution, Wiseman says.
There are certainly security concerns that need to be worked out, but perhaps the concept of paper and mobile boarding passes will one day give way to your Bluetooth-registered phone itself serving as your check-in and boarding device.
The news about the Bluetooth check-in prototype came today at a presentation Wiseman was giving for assembled media at Sabre headquarters in Southlake, Texas.
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Note: Dennis Schaal took part in a Sabre-sponsored media event at headquarters.