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Having just had a big overseas trip full of delays and unplanned hotel stays, this can't come soon enough. Everything is computerized already anyway, may as we

by Andys 11y ago

Having just had a big overseas trip full of delays and unplanned hotel stays, this can't come soon enough. Everything is computerized already anyway, may as well improve the quality of data the software has to make the decision.

dalke 11y ago
But the scenario doesn't even make sense. The airlines already have the ability to rebook the passenger on the next flight automatically. Why don't they do so? (They probably do for the highest level passengers.) Granted, they don't currently know where the passenger is. But they don't need to. Right now they can send an SMS noting that the passenger hasn't arrived and asking if they want to be rebooked on the next flight ... or the one after .. or for the next day. (Though this assumes the passenger hasn't checked in online first.) Because the airline company doesn't know the reason for the delay, or if it will be resolved by the time of the next flight. How long do they continue to rebook? Then there's also the chance of false positives. Does "late" mean that the gate is closing and it's physically impossible for the passenger to arrive? Or is it predictive? If predictive, and I accidentally leave my phone at home, or the battery is dead, do I get bumped because the airline was unable to get accurate tracking information about me? I once missed a flight because when I got up to the airport I realized I had left something important at home. (This was a frequent flier ticket and rebooking was free, so I didn't end up paying for a ticket change fee.) Consider a similar scenario for the future. I get to the airport parking lot, then realize that I left my baggage at home, so turn around to fetch it. Does the software assume that I'm at the airport and therefore not late? Or does it determine that I will be delayed? When does it make the assumption? Or should it assume I left my phone in the car by accident and my lift is driving away with it? How do I, as a passenger, know that I've passed some decision making boundary where I must now actively change my booking? Is it the airport parking lot? The entrance to the terminal? Security? The gate? Same with "The car rental service or taxi service would know of the delay, and the hotel might be notified of a late arrival — all seamlessly." The airlines already know if someone is 1) on a flight, and 2) delayed. They can offer this service right now, even if the passenger carries no electronic devices at all. I've no qualms with the point that it's all too manual and expensive to do now. My qualm is with the hypothesis that location tracking devices are an important and useful prerequisite to enable that change.

by Andys 11y ago

dalke 11y ago

But the scenario doesn't even make sense. The airlines already have the ability to rebook the passenger on the next flight automatically. Why don't they do so? (They probably do for the highest level passengers.) Granted, they don't currently know where the passenger is. But they don't need to. Right now they can send an SMS noting that the passenger hasn't arrived and asking if they want to be rebooked on the next flight ... or the one after .. or for the next day. (Though this assumes the passenger hasn't checked in online first.) Because the airline company doesn't know the reason for the delay, or if it will be resolved by the time of the next flight. How long do they continue to rebook? Then there's also the chance of false positives. Does "late" mean that the gate is closing and it's physically impossible for the passenger to arrive? Or is it predictive? If predictive, and I accidentally leave my phone at home, or the battery is dead, do I get bumped because the airline was unable to get accurate tracking information about me? I once missed a flight because when I got up to the airport I realized I had left something important at home. (This was a frequent flier ticket and rebooking was free, so I didn't end up paying for a ticket change fee.) Consider a similar scenario for the future. I get to the airport parking lot, then realize that I left my baggage at home, so turn around to fetch it. Does the software assume that I'm at the airport and therefore not late? Or does it determine that I will be delayed? When does it make the assumption? Or should it assume I left my phone in the car by accident and my lift is driving away with it? How do I, as a passenger, know that I've passed some decision making boundary where I must now actively change my booking? Is it the airport parking lot? The entrance to the terminal? Security? The gate? Same with "The car rental service or taxi service would know of the delay, and the hotel might be notified of a late arrival — all seamlessly." The airlines already know if someone is 1) on a flight, and 2) delayed. They can offer this service right now, even if the passenger carries no electronic devices at all. I've no qualms with the point that it's all too manual and expensive to do now. My qualm is with the hypothesis that location tracking devices are an important and useful prerequisite to enable that change.