NAVIGATION: Bluetooth beacons steer passengers to their gates at Schiphol Airport

Passengers travelling with KLM from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can now use the airline’s app to get a map of the airport that shows the route they need to take to their gate and the time required to get to there.

The Airport Navigation Service uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons installed by the airline at all piers, KLM lounges and in airport hallways.

“Once passengers with the KLM smartphone app on their phones have switched on Bluetooth and connected to the internet, they receive a notification asking them if they need help to find their next gate when passing a beacon,” KLM explains. “The route and time are updated every time the passenger passes a beacon.”

A video produced by the airline shows the service in action:

“Customer feedback, especially on social media, has told us that passengers – even experienced travellers – often worry about transferring to another flight,” says Martijn van der Zee, SVP of ecommerce at Air France KLM. “67% of our passengers at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol are transfer passengers. KLM aims to improve customers’ travel experience with this service.”

The Airport Navigation Service is currently available for Android smartphones “and will be available for iOS in the near future,” KLM says.