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As long as you have a device running Android 2.1 and up, all you need to do is pull up Google Maps 6.0 and keep zooming in. It works inside all terminals at Hobby and Intercontinental. Roxanne Butler with Houston Airport System says officials jumped at the chance when Google offered to map the terminals over the summer. Butler says the airports and Google together reviewed existing maps and walked each floor of each terminal to ensure the maps were accurate.
“And now we’re double-checking to be sure if anything new is coming, we will add, and there will be updates on a regular, ongoing basis. So it’s not ‘ooh, we go the map up, it’s live, it’s done.’ It’s a living, breathing process.”
The Houston airport maps will look familiar to Google Map users. A blue dot will show exactly where you are in relation to the nearest Starbucks, Cinnabon, newsstand, gate — or anything else inside the terminals. Butler says not only will the maps make navigating the airports easier, they’re also expected to help the airports’ bottom line.
“We depend on non-airline revenue in this day and age to help us pay our bills. And if it allows somebody to buy an extra Starbucks, an extra magazine at the bookstore, this is allowing us to be a better airport system and to serve the customers better.”
Butler says for travelers who don’t have a mobile device, or one that runs on Android, there will still be plenty of people and other maps to help them find their way. There is no word yet from Google on when the terminal maps will be available for iPhone, Blackberry, or Windows devices.
