Cardiff Airport is the latest in a long line of British airports to introduce self-service passport gates and they finally came into operation today.

Passengers travelling through the Welsh capital airport took on the role of guinea pigs as they approached gates fitted with face-recognition software, designed to fast-track people who possess the new biometric passports.

Like something out of US TV series 24, the new digital scanners electronically examine a traveller’s face and dip into data held on an electronic chip fitted in the new-style passports since 2006. The info is then run past international security watch-lists before the passenger is allowed through – all without the need for one-to-one checks and searches.

The technology has already been used by more than 860,000 passengers in nine airports across the UK. In light of terrorism attacks in recent years, and the ongoing threat, the new scanners will make one of tightest security borders in the world even more protectec by using the latest technology.

Whitbread, the leisure group which includes Costa Coffee shops, Premier Inn hotels and the Beefeater restaurants, has recently announced that they are to focus on improving self service enquiries and bookings as the hotel chain faces a financial struggle.

Premier Inn is the largest division of Whitbread in number of sales and saw a 10 per cent drop in the first half of 2009 and a drop in like-for-like sales.

“We have widened our online booking distribution channels, bringing in new revenue streams and introducing new leisure customers to the brand,” Whitbread said in its first half results.

And long-standing Whitbread CIO Ben Wishart has been focussing on improving productivity and processes across the group including self service kiosks

and increasing web services.

Now this story is nothing new in the world of business as many companies are cutting back costs in order to keep expenditure low.

However, the budget hotel chain has picked up increased business traveller custom as all companies rein in costs, but has seen overall business decline.

Now it may be a long shot but earlier this year the hotel chain launched a trial of self check-in at five hotels across the UK. The innovative technology reduced waiting time for guests to under a minute and was a great asset to business travellers who wanted a quick and easy check-in.

Paul Canavan, Project Manager for Premier Inn commented earlier this year, “Premier Inn checks in over 23,000 guests every day across the UK, and as the UK’s leading hotel brand we continually innovate to meet the changing needs of our guests.

“Feedback has shown that business travellers like the time saving benefits that the kiosks

provide, whilst leisure guests benefit not only from this but also from the increased accessibility, interaction and level of good service they have with team members at the guest workstation.”

Bob Cotton, Chief Executive of the British Hospitality Association commented, “It’s great to see Premier Inn investing in innovative technology. These kiosks will undoubtedly increase the level of service offered by Premier Inn – delivering a fast, efficient and speedier experience at check-in.”

Now with business traveller custom picking up and kiosks proving a success for business guests then it doesn’t take a genius to put them both together.

We can’t completely say that this is the whole reason why the company has received profit in business traveller sales, but it must of made an impact if they keep coming back and using the hotel services again.