I have had the opportunity to travel recently and I came to realize just how far the airline industry has come thanks to technology and information systems and communications. Now-a-days people can book their airline tickets, check the number of bags, pick their seat on the airplane, print their boarding pass, and pay for their entire trip before they set foot in the airport. The internet has allowed airline companies to create websites that can walk a traveler through the step by step process in order to promote a simpler and faster traveling experience.
Security is another large development in the airline industry. Since 9/11, airline security has become extremely tight, to the point where one has to remove multiple articles of clothing before walking through the metal detector. The last time I went through the metal detector, I was randomly pulled aside and searched because I did not take my sandals off before going through. What in the hell do I have stored in my sandals?!! Oh yeah, my feet. As crazy as some of the security procedures seem, it is incredible to think about all the technology that goes into a full x-ray machine, metal detector, and computer showing files of the most dangerous suspects traveling today.
Finally, I think about the technology used on the airplane itself. The last aircraft I flew on offered me movies, basic cable, and internet. I wasn't sure if I was in my living room or on an airplane. I thought about the auto-pilot technology and how a pilot uses a computer to communicate with satellites, air-traffic controllers, and other airplanes. All these capabilities would not even be possible without the most basic creation of the computer.
As people, we take for granted the things that make our world go round. Think about your day without a cell phone, a computer, or a television...what in the hell would our society do? Read a book, dare I say go outside...I'll believe it when I see it.
