When you walk into an airport in a few years' time, what will it look like? The first clue, if you're trying to picture it, is that the rows of check-in counters will probably be gone. And rather than looking for a departures board, you'll probably be checking a personalised, location-sensitive update on the smartphone in your pocket.
Should your flight be delayed, information updates and meal and accommodation vouchers will be sent direct to your phone or iPad-style tablet computer. And should you be daydreaming in the airport shops when you're supposed to be heading to the gate, be prepared for Big Brother to send you a message to hurry up.
"Indoor location tracking" via smartphones is expected to become widespread in airports in coming years, allowing airlines to know exactly where passengers are in the airport and send reminder messages to those who are not where they need to be. Scary? Perhaps. But is it a price you're prepared to pay if you don't have to stand in queues and your flight takes off on time?
"We are at the dawn of a new age in airport passenger processing," says a new report, Navigating the Airport of Tomorrow. "Mobile technology is providing a new platform to help airlines and airports transform the travel experience into something to look forward to rather than dread."
Mobile technology should also simplify the check-in process, theoretically making check-in counters and long queues a thing of the past. Print-at-home boarding passes and check-in kiosks are already widespread but the next few years should see the rapid rise of mobile boarding passes (barcodes sent to mobile phones) and self-service baggage drops.
Hawaiian Airlines has announced plans to remodel its Honolulu hub, replacing traditional check-in counters with "check-in islands" where customers can check in, weigh their luggage, pay any fees and print their luggage tags before placing their luggage on a single conveyor belt. Roaming airline staff will be available to help and the new-look terminal will also have areas designed for passengers who need to repack their luggage.
"This new lobby design is a quantum leap forward from the traditional check-in process that travellers are used to," says the chief executive of the airline, Mark Dunkerley.
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