Title: Airline passenger information systems and process improvements

Authors: Peter D. DeVries

Addresses: Department of Finance, Accounting, and CIS, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, TX 77002, USA

Abstract: In the highly competitive airline industry, differentiation between service offerings plays a crucial role in maintaining existing customer base and attracting new clientele. There are myriad ways to approach this goal. Separating the significant few from the trivial many involves listening to market demands and responding with process improvements that provide solutions. This paper reviews existing boarding processes and the gate hold room environment and proposes improvements through a threefold approach. First, add dynamic informational displays that update information regarding boarding status. Second, reengineer the boarding sequence to reduce boarding time. And third, reengineer the process of loading carry-on luggage.

Keywords: passenger boarding; wireless boarding passes; carry-on baggage; airline industry; information technology; information displays; airline passengers; airline services; gate hold environment; gate hold rooms; boarding status information; boarding sequencing; boarding time reduction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSS.2009.021665

International Journal of Services and Standards, 2009 Vol.5 No.1, pp.42 - 50

Published online: 30 Nov 2008 *

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