MILLION

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF WEARABLE DEVICES
SHIPPED INMILLION Source: CCS Insight, August 2014. http://bit.ly/15LKUVC

Soon your wearable device will
serve as ID at each stage of the airport check-in process.

In 2014, Virgin Atlantic equipped
flight attendants with Google Glass. They offered guests flight info, destination weather and in- flight nutrition facts. Virgin is looking to roll out widespread use of Google Glass.

PERCENT

PROPORTION OF TRAVELERS WHO WOULD
BE COMFORTABLE WITH AIRPORT STAFF USING WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY PERCENT Source: SITA, Passenger IT Trends Survey 2014. http://bit.ly/1yRgX23

It’s no secret that the
most popular wearable devices are fitness trackers. The newest devices go beyond just tracking steps. Track sleep. Nutrition. Heart rate. Blood pressure. Wear your wellness on your sleeve.

How much do you love
to skip lines? Starwood recently released the Aloft Smart Check-in app, allowing guests to unlock hotel rooms with a message sent to their smart watch or phone. Guests walk pass check-in, tap their mobile device on their room door and enter. Bonus: no hotel key to lose.

Business travel can be tough
with a language barrier. Makers of the Sigmo App have built a wearable device that translates for you in real-time.

While visiting a sunny locale,
you could be exposed to too much sun. Wearable devices, like SunFriend, monitors your sun exposure and warns you if you’re approaching a high level of UVA+B rays, placing yourself at risk of sunburn.

If you have to submit
mileage reports, you know what a pain it can be. The CarAssistant, a prototype app and winner of the 2014 TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon in the Concur category, proposes the use of the Pebble Smartwatch, Mojio AP and the Concur app to simplify documenting mileage. Instead of logging it manually, your watch would auto- matically upload mileage and details about your trip, including destination addresses and travel times, to your expense report.

Fabrics are being developed that
warm you up when it’s cold and cool you down when it’s warm. Packing becomes simpler when you don’t have to prepare for all weather. Smart textiles are defined as material that can sense and react to environmental conditions.

Rich Adams, Manager of Concur’s
Traveler Services, is optimistic about how wearables will enable the Perfect Trip. “Imagine being able to simultaneously enjoy a cup of coffee, carry your luggage through the airport and stay informed of changes,” he said about the TripIt app for Google Glass. This is the hands- free future Adams thinks wearables will help to realize.

What do you think about
wearables? Please share your comments below or on Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus.