Technology during the Holidays

Vacationing, of course, begins with figuring out which destination to travel to. In this article, we already explained that on websites and platforms, the "suggestions for youâ" section is based on artificial intelligence that studies your behavior on a website. The sections on travel agency websites are structured in the same way. For example, if you have been looking for trips to Spain or certain types of hotels, then under the recommendations you will come across trips to Spain or similar hotels.

If you decide to travel by plane you will encounter different technologies there as well. At the airport you no longer have to check in at the counter with an employee, this can also be done online from home or through the automated check-in computers. There you only have to enter the confirmation number or the booking number and scan a document if necessary. Then a baggage label is automatically printed which you attach to your suitcase.

Then comes the real technological work: the baggage cellar. The barcodes that are on the labels and the suitcase itself are scanned by smart scanners to give the correct route to the suitcase. That one requires quite a bit of flexibility, since every piece of luggage is different and the labels are not in exactly the same place. Because airports have many gates, flights and check-in desks where suitcases come from and go to, a suitcase covers quite a few miles on the conveyor belt before it reaches the right plane. This requires quite a bit of digital communication between different parts of such a baggage cellar, and that is all controlled by digital intelligence. Scanners and sensors ensure that the suitcase follows the right route with the right turns, and automated robotic arms move the suitcases from high to low and also load them onto the carts that take them to the planes. All parts communicate with each other and transmit data to each other so that everything runs as smoothly as possible. 

At Datacadabra, we are naturally interested in the data available in such a baggage cellar and what else might be possible. Think about indexing luggage for smoother travel, less risk of jammed or lost luggage, or more efficient routing so less time needs to be spent at the airport. So going on vacation is not only a relaxation trip, but also a digital one!