Tracking you through the airport
#76
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
I can also confirm this isn't true.
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
Last edited by tylerkatz; Jan 22, 2015 at 1:04 pm Reason: Clarity
#77
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So, let me play a little bit of devils advocate here.
Bolded above are "Air Canada" "flight planning" and "customer retention"
Those may not be the proper associations for the wording though, perhaps "the customer retention" belongs with Citi and others that are mentioned in the article(s) and the "flight planning" and "Air Canada" do belong together.
If that's the case, then the iBeacon does make sense, since it would permit AC to track where flight crews are. Perhaps the current provider smart4aviation is being replaced by IBM or perhaps IBM has been engaged to work with smart4aviation to help with flight planning software and crew scheduling/tracking.
This is all pure speculation on my part, but just another avenue to consider given what Ben stated and what is written in the article(s).
It's quite easy to spin anything you read to suit your own needs, really.
Bolded above are "Air Canada" "flight planning" and "customer retention"
Those may not be the proper associations for the wording though, perhaps "the customer retention" belongs with Citi and others that are mentioned in the article(s) and the "flight planning" and "Air Canada" do belong together.
If that's the case, then the iBeacon does make sense, since it would permit AC to track where flight crews are. Perhaps the current provider smart4aviation is being replaced by IBM or perhaps IBM has been engaged to work with smart4aviation to help with flight planning software and crew scheduling/tracking.
This is all pure speculation on my part, but just another avenue to consider given what Ben stated and what is written in the article(s).
It's quite easy to spin anything you read to suit your own needs, really.
Thanks for your comment.
(I'm not in tech but I think the future is here, just not deployed everywhere or always effective. I use Passbook for my BPs and it's great. One tiny, tiny data point)
#78
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I can also confirm this isn't true.
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
Welcome to FT.
#80
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,347
I can also confirm this isn't true.
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
While the IBM/Apple initiative has approached AC as a launch partner for their upcoming products (this is public information), the current Air Canada apps for iOS, Android, or BlackBerry do not work with any iBeacons/BTLE beacons installed in any airports.
Although this concept is cool, and likely coming in the future (as with all airlines), it is not something that currently exists or even built (yet).
But it has been built, and it has Air Canada branding on it. Maybe IBM just used AC branding because they wanted something "real" to demo to other airlines, and AC has no knowledge of this, in which case, I was wrong in my post that it was a project for AC (but it seemed like a reasonable assumption).
#81
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Interesting that you should mention that as I was just reading Forbes (again). Project Chrome sounds like something out of a spy movie.
Next Week's Bloodbath At IBM Won't Fix The Real Problem
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertcr...-real-problem/
#82
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,403
Current as in "released"? Fine. I'll give you that one.
But it has been built, and it has Air Canada branding on it. Maybe IBM just used AC branding because they wanted something "real" to demo to other airlines, and AC has no knowledge of this, in which case, I was wrong in my post that it was a project for AC (but it seemed like a reasonable assumption).
But it has been built, and it has Air Canada branding on it. Maybe IBM just used AC branding because they wanted something "real" to demo to other airlines, and AC has no knowledge of this, in which case, I was wrong in my post that it was a project for AC (but it seemed like a reasonable assumption).
#83
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#84
Join Date: Sep 2014
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I did not know that IBMs relationship with AC was significantly greater than that with other carriers sorry
#85
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#87
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Knowing that most people spend 10 minutes in duty free is not nearly as useful.
#88
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: YYG
Programs: Aeroplan 50K, Club Accor Gold
Posts: 441
If this comes to fruition, and you don't want to be tracked or notified, the first solution that comes to mind is to turn off Bluetooth. It takes about 5 seconds on my phone.
The second possibility is to turn of Bluetooth pairing, although it's possible that the app automatically treats iBeacon Bluetooth devices as trusted devices.
The third possibility is to turn off the app.
The second possibility is to turn of Bluetooth pairing, although it's possible that the app automatically treats iBeacon Bluetooth devices as trusted devices.
The third possibility is to turn off the app.
#89
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Why? Why? Zed! / Why? You? Elle! / Gee! Are You!
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Posts: 3,543
Enquiring minds want to know.
#90
Formerly known as tireman77
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 5,521
But that's just me.