Some of us enjoy a premium frequent flyer status; premium seating; premium classes of service; but when it comes to getting there on time, we often get less-than-premium results. In the U.S., that is about to change.

IAPA has been advocating for next-generation air traffic technology designed to make the skies safer and reduce delays. Current technology is out-dated and relies on an antiquated series of navigation aids that prevents airliners from flying more direct routes. As U.S. lawmakers bicker over what to include and how to pay for this next-generation solution, the technology keeps moving forward, and at least one airline is ready to take advantage of it. Southwest Airlines plans to use a more efficient take-off, cruise, and approach process to and from 22 of the airports it serves.

Something as important as an overhaul of the nation's air traffic control system will not be easy, quick or cheap. However airlines like Southwest, American, Alaska and United have been willing to make investments up front and that is about to pay off. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been transforming ground-based air traffic control systems to a satellite-based system at several U.S. airports and over the Gulf of Mexico. The FAA expects such coverage throughout the U.S. airspace by 2013. Full implementation of a comprehensive list of Next Generation features will take years longer to implement.

Having invested in equipment designed to take advantage of the technology, Southwest Airlines plans to operate flights using "fast lanes" in the sky beginning in 2011. Southwest will be utilizing a protocol known as "best-equipped, best served" that gives airspace priority to aircraft featuring the right navigation technology. Known for its efficient use of aircraft (think unassigned, open seating and fast aircraft turnaround times), Southwest hopes that life in the fast lane will get passengers to their destinations even faster, saving fuel and polluting the air less in the process.

The newest airliners are being equipped to utilize Next Generation technology but the system on the ground has been the fly in the ointment. Rollouts have to occur systematically at airports across the country, procedures have to be approved and in place for directing aircraft using the new technology and controllers must be trained to handle airliners using such equipment.

Flights over the U.S. are only half the battle. According to the FAA, on flights over the Atlantic, the FAA and its partners (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research program, or SESAR; European air navigation service providers, aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus, and commercial airlines) are testing Oceanic Trajectory Based Operations (TBOs), which allow aircraft to operate the most efficient routes and altitudes. Seven test flights in May 2009 saved 330 gallons of fuel and 6,730 pounds of carbon dioxide. Tests in 2010 will also include Air France.

European initiatives look to break down the current national airspace borders over EU member states in favor of a more efficient system that unifies the skies over the continent. The command-and-control issues that arose during the volcanic ash disruptions in April gave a new sense of urgency to these efforts.