Wait Loss
Smart Cards Help Speed Up The Travel Process.
Despite sluggish acceptance in the United States,
microprocessor-based cards, commonly called smart cards, finally
seem to be easing the mundane tasks of the masses. That's good
news for business travelers, who will soon rely on smart cards to
hasten basic travel processes, such as renting cars and boarding
airlines.
Hilton Hotels Corp., for one, is testing the smart card in
conjunction with American Express and IBM at its top 10 business
travel destinations nationwide. Thousands of Hilton guests and
American Express cardholders were selected to participate;
evaluations begin in January.
Here's how the Hilton system works: The card is inserted
into a lobby-based kiosk; it reviews the information stored in
memory, including the customer's name and address, billing
information, room preferences, and frequent-flier program, and
makes any requested alterations. Then a key drops out with
directions to the room--all this and you get to avoid the line at
the front desk, too.
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"If all goes well, we'll expand [use of] the smart card
to all our commercial hotels," says Hilton's Bob Dirks.
"And depending on how that goes, we hope to take the
technology international."
According to research firm Dataquest Inc., smart card use should
continue to rise: Year-end worldwide smart card sales are expected
to total 1.2 billion units. By 2001, that figure should reach 3.4
billion.
"The smart card can provide convenience," says Marlee
Laks, vice president of American Express' Smart Card Center of
Excellence. "So whether you're boarding an airline,
checking into hotels or renting a car, the card will speed the
process and make it more traveler-friendly."
Perhaps not surprisingly, American Express has also teamed up
with IBM and American Airlines to test the technology at boarding
gates; although limited to passenger identification and seat
matching, eventually the cards could be used to expedite the
boarding process. Says Tim Smith of American Airlines, "We
believe it's a technology that'll spread through the
marketplace in the years ahead."
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