Customer Experience at the Airport- 10 Themes for the Ultimate Traveler Experience

Last week I took my first business trip out of state after 2 ½ years of corporate travel lock down. I was more than surprised at the changes I saw to modernize and improve the customer experience in the 3 Airports in 3 unique cities I traversed (NY, Atlanta, Texas.). It got me wondering- how long did they plan all these changes? Where did they get the money to do all this? And then I thought of the WHY they were doing this- and it hit me, they want to really make your travel experience a most wonderful experience. If only Healthcare could try and do the same thing around the patient experience (one would hope.)

There were 10 themes I came across the different terminals in different cities, regardless of the airline (although all in the US.) So before I knew it, I started to snag pictures of all these to share around the changes.

1)   Need info? Information at your fingertips. Digital Kiosks and Billboards everywhere.

Beyond the original kiosks that most airlines have been placing to issue you a printed boarding pass or to just check you in, there are these “Can I help you” options sprinkled everywhere. There are other kiosks to scan your pass and tell you what terminal or gate you go to, and then there are oversized boards everywhere that you can touch to find the best options for food and entertainment. You barely notice the airport personnel at this point since you’re overwhelmed with options to get info, so you use them.

2)   Need food? Self-service grab, pay and go stations.

You used to have to scour for a Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks (depending on your basic/boogie style) and wait on a long line to get your fix. But if you just need the basics, water, a sandwich and a snack, there’s self-service a la “Le Madelaine on the Fly”! This cute concoction lets you rest your selections on their pad, it scans each item and adds to your tab as you go, then you Apple Pay away. Seriously, it takes more time to figure out what you want as a selection than to complete the 45 second transaction. And there is no one standing around to help you figure it out or to make sure you’re not stealing products, the good ‘ol trust in the honor system is at play here. And those who get the technology just get it. However, if you choose to go the old-fashioned way, you’re likely to get seated and have to scan a menu using a QRC and then order online anyway….so the server will just deliver the order once it’s ready.

3)   Need water? Refillable water stations.

You really just have to bring that empty water bottle you stashed in your carry on over to that lovely water filling station, and voila! And they work out a system to donate to the conservation cause on your behalf. Very nice little perk to get you to want to do more for that effort, very neat (so now I know to bring that flask with me for next time.)

4)   Need to junk it? Auto-monitored trash sorting stations.

They’ll help you sort your trash to help with recycling…and I’m sure that electronic trash can is signaling somewhere to get a pickup once it’s full….a much better option to having over-stuffed, over-flowing cans everywhere and littering as a byproduct.

5)   Need stuff (or just bored?)

Retail therapy to the rescue. I couldn’t believe how many vending machines sell high-end products, ones you may have forgotten or just want to buy on a whim (so much easier without that nagging spouse hovering over you.) These ranged from electronics sold through the “iStore” (an Apple-certified reseller) to makeup stations from “Benefit Cosmetics” or “Kiley Cosmetics”. Catering to those impulse shoppers, with no desire to stand on line…and that’s more than just the young ones.

6)   Need to just GO? Restrooms galore, all shapes and sizes (literally).

 So this is fascinating….at first I couldn’t discern why there was a need to place images of males/females on different angles, but taking a closer look, I realized the images were regular and larger sizes, for each gender, and indicator of larger rooms/stalls for larger sizes. Genius. But more than that, there’s actual info about availability of stalls in each restroom by the exterior, so you’re aware of capacity! You don’t even need to go in to realize there aren’t any empty stalls (not that seeing a line outside the door wouldn’t tell you that anyway.)

7)   Need to just vent? Give your CSAT rating on the fly!

(before you fly.). By these lovely restrooms everywhere, there’s a simple 3 button pad for you to select how you feel about your restroom experience. Happy, neutral, or sad (mad?) They don’t need to hear it from you verbally, they’re getting it electronically…which may just be triggering janitorial services and/or management to attend to busier/messier areas as CSAT starts to drop with more sad pushes. Not bad.

8) Need to go green? They’re totally cashless.

I mean, seriously, no cash. Couldn’t believe how many signs I saw with clear indicators that they ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR CASH…NO WAY. I wonder if this was a byproduct of the Apple/Android Pay trend before the pandemic, the coin shortage during the pandemic, or the general feel of cash being unsafe for handling during the pandemic and beyond. It’s sad to say this, but Cash IS NO LONGER King…at least not here it isn’t.

9)  Need fun? They’ve got all kinds of entertainment, for young and not so young.

There were entertainment stations with gaming consoles lined up neatly for the gaming fanatics. There were also playrooms for basketball players and gymnasts. And there were also lounging areas for TV browsers (or sleepers.) Even if you had a restless toddler, there was a coke station for them to roam around safely.

10)   Need to just board, ‘cause you’re now bored? Well, they got you on that too. Delta, Jet Blue, American…all of them, will text you as they’re about to board. They’ll let you scan your boarding pass off of your phone, and even issue you an upgraded seat right then and there. This isn’t new, but coming soon, you won’t even need your phone cause they’ll just get you checked in as you approach the counter with your smiling face…facial recognition-style.

I can’t help but be impressed with how smooth and easy it now is to get through the airport process. It wasn’t always so easy….and I’m sure there’s more to make it even easier. But realizing people who enjoy the experience are more likely to do what they enjoy, the airlines and airports really have an edge here. They’re not measuring basic kpi’s such as on time arrival, on time departure, cancelled flights, emergency landings as the only measurement of customer satisfaction. They’re focused on other kpi’s that amount to improving he overall customer experience. They’ve capitalized on the customer experience journey perks, and they’re doing it right! Now if only healthcare could follow this model.

For look back at a comparative article I wrote a few years back, and the wonders I was marveling about back then, check out this one from 2017:

And a colleague of mine, Philippe Barbe, writes beautifully about kpi’s and their usefulness, so also enjoyhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6981013566099234816/