Passenger experience is high on the priority list for global airports of all sizes. It is becoming increasingly important to ensure passengers can enjoy a smooth, trouble and stress-free journey, not only within the airport and during the flight, but from the moment they make their booking.
With demand rising and expectations high, airports and airlines are finding new ways to keep passengers happy and operations as efficient as possible.
Why is passenger experience a high priority?
Competition is high within the entire transport sector, and the importance of customer satisfaction simply cannot be overlooked. Improving the airport experience for passengers can make a significant difference to the value of the airport services and in turn, its reputation. Increased passenger satisfaction can also translate into opportunities for airports to increase revenue, in both aeronautical and non-aeronautical. Passengers want to feel relaxed and confident and they want to enjoy the travel experience, whether they are traveling for business or pleasure. Here are three ways to help your passengers taxi through theirs.
1. Minimize delays: creating a smooth passenger journey from the start
From the start of the passenger journey, delays of any kind become stressful. Whether this is caused by an unexpected traffic issue, a problem with car parking at the airport, a security hold-up or a flight delay, it all adds up for passengers.
This offers operators and airlines an opportunity to make a difference by providing as smooth an experience as possible once passengers approach the airport. Implementing Smart Booking integrations, for instance, can help arrange advance parking and give real-time travel advice, and using advanced check-in or baggage handling systems can reduce initial processing times.
2. Keep passengers informed: guiding passengers with timely information
Even without unexpected delays, arriving at the airport can be a stressful time for travelers. Accessing flight, check-in desk and departure gate information needs to be fast and easy with clear directions and passage to the right destination.
Queueing is well-known to be one of the biggest causes of passenger anxiety within the airport, and if this can be minimized, it can bring immediate benefits to the passenger experience. Historic studies have shown that passengers often misremember the length of time queueing and can become anxious quickly during delay situations in the airport.
Guiding and informing passengers in real-time can contribute greatly to a positive experience and the latest Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS) technology delivers the means to do so. Today, these can be fully integrated to enable the delivery of information anywhere in the airport at any time, which can be used to direct passenger flow effectively, offer real-time updates and even enable promotional content at key points.
3. Assessment and data analysis: giving passengers what they want
A key part of increasing passenger experience lies in understanding what they want from their journey. This means asking and listening by giving them a platform where they can air their views and making them understand the important role they play in your operational success.
Data gathering, assessment and analysis are also central to improving passenger experience and increasing the efficiency of passenger flow in your airport. Using integrated and in-cloud solutions for operational management can effectively automate reporting and analysis, enabling a comprehensive view of the airport in real-time.
By gaining this view, airport management teams are able to pinpoint potential delays in advance, identify issues before they become problems and maintain passenger flow while improving resource management on the ground.
Can we help?
A-ICE has extensive industry experience, working with aviation businesses of all sizes with tailored, integrable. Pay-as-you-go airport management software. Talk to us about your plans to transform the passenger experience and let us help.
