NB: This is a guest article by Mike Benjamin is CEO of FlightView, US-based providers of day-of-travel information for airports to give travelers, visitors and staff better informed.
Economic woes in 2010 slammed the travel industry, especially airports, leading to aggressive cost-cutting measures that left travelers feeling the squeeze.
Making matters worse for airports, today’s outspoken consumers typically voice their dissatisfaction with travel experiences in real-time via sites like Twitter and Facebook.
For airports, improving customer service in 2010 will be critical aspect of staying competitive.
The good news, though, is that airports can enhance traveler experiences while keeping cost under control, simply by taking a cue from their customers.
So what does the traveling public want? Self-service and real-time access to day-of-travel information.
Today’s travelers rely on technology daily, and don’t always require face time with customer service personnel – an important consideration for airport’s looking to reduce high overhead staffing costs.
For example, in 2010, kiosks for checking in and mobile boarding passes became popular means of enabling travelers to move faster through lines.
This year, airports can continue the trend, and reap immediate up ticks in customer satisfaction by providing travelers with instant access to day-of-travel information.
Two of the most efficient and affordable technologies for doing so include:
1. Digital displays
One of the simplest of keeping travelers informed, digital displays – which can offer a variety of travel content including weather updates, airport delay maps, and arrival and departure information – are commonly hung in high-traffic areas of the airport like information counters, gates, terminals, baggage areas, food courts, ticketing areas and hallways.
Along with providing customers informative travel content, airports can boost revenue by coupling the travel content on digital displays with advertisements.
For example, if another part of the country is experiencing severe weather, airports can show travelers a live weather map to illustrate the reasons why their flight is delayed, while running an ad for discounts at the food court.
2. Mobile websites
At least 75% of frequent travelers always leave home with their smartphone or tablet, making mobile websites a no-brainer for airports looking to disseminate travel information.
By providing mobile travel content, airports can offer travelers and the individuals picking them up instant access to flight and airport information, while driving web traffic and ancillary revenue through mobile advertisements.
Not only can on-the-go travelers track flights via the mobile web, they can also view parking availability and airport services. – all without calling the airport.
Summing up
According to the latest J D Power survey, airports are investing in technologies that increase traveler convenience and reduce overhead costs through personnel deflection, like wireless Internet in terminals, online check-in, and mobile boarding passes.
Digital displays and mobile websites are a natural extension of this initiative, and provide the added opportunity for revenue generation.
With traveler demand for self-service information expected to rise this year, airports can further establish their brand and create positive customer experiences by increasing the channels through which they provide consistent, relevant travel information.
NB: This is a guest article by Mike Benjamin is CEO of FlightView, US-based providers of day-of-travel information for airports to give travelers, visitors and staff better informed.