New services added for travelers at Bradley Airport

The Connecticut Airport Authority has added several new services at Bradley International Airport recently in an effort to improve the experience of air travelers.

The four new services include Flippit, a mobile phone app that offers airline passengers who may inadvertently be traveling with an item that is prohibited in carry-on baggage an alternative to surrendering it at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Using the mobile phone and a secure drop box for the prohibited items that is located outside the security check points, passengers are now able to send the item to an address of their choosing for a fee.

Travelers place the item in a mailing envelope with tracking information. After passing through airport security, the user may go on the Flippit app, enter the address they want the item sent to and then pay for the service.

Bradley International is also offering travelers a service called CLEAR, an alternative to the TSA’s PreCheck program, which expedites the security check point process. CLEAR has dedicated security lines and uses retina or finger print scans rather than requiring travelers to show their passports or drivers’ licenses.

Once the scans are completed, a CLEAR employee escorts members through the dedicated lane and directly to TSA physical security, saving them time waiting in line at the security checkpoint.

The other two internet-based services now being offered are SimpliFly and Swift UV.

The SimpliFly app requires a fee for its premium content, which includes a variety of pre-flight and in-flight resources to help reduce passenger anxiety. Users have access to videos on all aspects of aviation, including relaxation and breathing exercises, as well as the ability to live chat with an airline pilot.

Swift UV is a chemical-free, compact cellphone disinfection unit from an Avon-based company, iCleanse. Using ultraviolet technology, the devise takes just 15 seconds to disinfect mobile phones.

Four Swift UV disinfecting units have been deployed at Bradley International Airport.

Kevin Dillon, the airport authority’s executive director, said agency officials “are committed to making travel as easy and enjoyable as possible for our passengers.”

“(We) want to be at the forefront of the latest technologies available in the travel landscape,” Dillon said.

Michael Boyd, president of a Colorado-based aviation consulting firm, said CLEAR and Flippit have some value to travelers. Boyd has used CLEAR in his travels and called it “a nice feature.”

“It’s almost like having a guide help you through security,” he said. “Every where I’ve used it, there has been a really strong focus on customer service.”

As for Flippit, Boyd questioned the long-term economic viability of the service.

In addition to the new online services Bradley International now has in place, a new food and beverage offering is being added at the terminal. Starbucks will open in the main part of the terminal later this year.