Technology Enhancements at TPA Improve Travelers’ Experience

(May 23, 2013) - Gate displays that show the location of arriving airplanes while they are in-flight and WiFi upgrades are the latest technology improvements at Tampa International Airport that aim to provide the best passenger experience.

The new Flight-in-Sight system provides customers real-time information on an arriving flight as they wait at the gate. Instead of multiple passengers waiting in line to ask the gate agent for status updates, current flight information is displayed in a high resolution monitor that rotates between flight status and radar weather provided through Destination Weather Live.

The flight status display includes the altitude, speed and remaining distance of the aircraft, as well as the expected arrival time. Destination Weather Live gives passengers a look at both the national weather map and a local map view of their destination so that they can see how the weather may be impacting their flights' departure and arrival times and is informative to travelers who are ultimately staying at the destination.

The technology is in place at Airside A, and will be rolled out throughout the airport over the next few weeks.

“It’s great,” said Dan MacDonald, as he waited this week for a JetBlue flight. “I can see the flight coming in and know if I have some more time to grab a coffee or something before I go. It’s also good to be able to tell the people I’m meeting when I land what time I’m arriving, so they don’t have to keep checking on my flight so see if it’s going to be on time. That helps them out, too.”

The new system also improves customer service for the airlines by freeing up personnel to address more specific questions and attend to those passengers checking-in for a flight.

Tampa International also updated its free WiFi system, making it faster and allowing for more users at once. New furniture on the transfer level of the main terminal includes outlets and workspace tables for every seat location.

“When you travel often and for work, you know which airports make thing easier for you,” said Dave Wallis, who was traveling to Boston from Tampa on business this week. “I look forward to traveling out of Tampa, because I know with the free WiFi, I can continue to get things done and easily find an outlet and a place to sit down.”

Dana Swanson, traveling to Chicago with her husband and two children, said that having free WiFi in the airports is great for the kids. “You don’t have to worry about trying to find a television or pack extra activities,” said Swanson. “It’s a relief to know that even if we have a bit of a delay, we’ll be okay and the kids will stay happy.”

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