RFID Helps Passengers Get to Their Gates on Time

This frustrating scene is familiar to us all: You are running through an airport, lugging your carry-on bags. You break a sweat as you finally reach the last gate in the terminal. At your gate, you learn that your flight has been delayed or the gate has been changed.

A startup company has developed a new way to limit the number of airport sprints you must do. It has tested an application in which passengers are issued small credit-card sized electronic boarding cards that contain RFID chips. Passengers hear a beep when they receive a message via the e-boarding pass. They are notified of gate changes and delays and even special offers at shops in the terminals. The device could also be used to find passengers lost in the terminal who are delaying a flight.

In this way, RFID may be used to help passengers get to the right gate at the right time - and head off on a truly stress-free journey.