There's no denying it: cell phones, laptops and tablets are officially ubiquitous. According to SAP, there were more mobile devices than people on Earth at the end of 2013.
Commercial airports certainly know where their travelers are going; but many don't know where they are coming from. Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) in Florida has been tracking such information for about six years, and officials enjoy the rewards that come with being in the know: more targeted advertising campaigns and stronger appeals for additional airline service.
In February, customers at Miami International Airport (MIA) began using a new mobile app designed to ease long lines at U.S. Customs stations. Although data is still being collected, preliminary reports indicate that wait times have been cut in half.
Ten years ago, McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas became one of the first U.S. airports to offer passengers free Wi-Fi inside its terminal. Now, the airport is beaming Wi-Fi outside, to passengers sitting on its ramps in arriving and departing aircraft.
Midway International Airport (MDW) is upping its game when it comes to tracking and maintaining assets both inside the terminal and on the airfield. Skyline Management Group, the Chicago airport's property management firm, purchased a Web-based system for managing preventive and on-demand maintenance in late 2012; and company officials report that it is saving time and money alike.
