Airports and airlines that offer commercial air passenger services strive to meet a few basic customer service and business goals:
- Ensure the safety of the air traveling passengers
- Provide a stress-free traveling experience
- Provide an enjoyable travel experience
- Establish a sustainable and profitable business
- Establish dynamic community partnerships
To meet these goals, airports and airlines often make space, product, and service improvements on those components relevant to the actual travel process.
This may include offering deals on plane tickets, setting up loyalty programs, making improvements to optimize the passenger and baggage check-in and screening processes, implementing passenger safety measures, or determining how best to have passengers line up and board a plane.
Improvements to the travel process itself are relevant and its importance should not be diminished. However, to maximize the success in achieving the above goals, some attention should also be given towards the non-process aspects of the air travel experience.
My assumption is most passengers view the air travel experience as a necessity. It is a transition stage they must go through to get to their ultimate destinations. That ultimate destination could be visiting family and friends, attending an important business meeting, or going on vacation. The mindset for passengers is that if they must spend time in an airport or on an airplane, they want to be able to enjoy and maximize that experience doing things they would rather do. If they can spend as little time and with the least amount of stress going through security and the actual travel process, the better.
How then, can airports and airlines design the passenger experience so passengers can enjoy and maximize the time spent doing what they want to do in an airport or on an airplane (traveling) and at the same time, create profit and good will with passengers so they come back again and again? What is it that passengers would rather be doing with their time while traveling?
The below chart identifies some of the passenger desires in terms of what they would rather be doing while traveling. I then identify the activities passengers engage in to achieve their desires. Finally, I identify space, product, and service needs that are present, required, or could be implemented to facilitate the activity. If airports and airlines want to maximize customer satisfaction, it is in these space / product / service areas where improvements must be made.
I welcome your thoughts in the comments.
Passenger Desires While Traveling
Activities
Space Needs / Ideas
Product Needs / Ideas
Service Needs / Ideas
Bonding with family, friends, and co-workers
- Talking
- Playing games
- Shopping
- Eating
- Viewing gallery exhibits / planes
- Sitting spaces that enable conversations
- Shopping areas
- Eating areas
- Big window / gallery / popup booth area
- Tables
- Wifi and plug outlets
- Comfortable seating
- Interesting exhibits / shopping / food that spark conversation
- Conversation starters
- Games to play at the airport / on the airplane
- Concessions and maintenance staff
- Artists / Events
- Fun flight attendants
- Fun center staff
Relaxing,
Taking time to self-reflect and de-stress
- Resting
- Self-reflection
- Listening to music, podcast, audiobook
- Playing games
- Reading a book
- Write creatively
- Stretch
- Sitting spaces
- Quiet / sleeping / temperature regulated spaces
- Airline lounges
- Bookstores
- Music stores
- Yoga / exercise areas
- Comfortable seating
- Beds / quiet pods
- Wi-fi and plug outlets
- Music vending machines
- Blankets / pillows
- Exercise equipment
- Coloring books for adults and kids
- Massage / spa services
- Sleeping area service
- Exercise staff
Satisfying your curiosity,
Seeing new sights,
Gaining new perspectives
- Shop for souvenirs, travel necessities
- Eat at local and unique places
- Viewing exhibits / planes with family members
- People watch
- In-flight dining options
- Shopping areas
- Eating areas
- Tourist agency booth
- Big window / gallery / popup booth area
- Interesting exhibits / shopping / food that spark conversation and are enriching
- Interesting airline food packaging and offerings
- Local souvenirs
- Travel packages
- Comfortable seating for plane/people watching
- Exhibits about the local area,
- Local food demonstrations
- A learning experience
- Tourist agencies Take a tour of a location straight from the airport
Being productive,
Working,
Studying
- Working on a computer, or other digital device
- Reading a tablet or book
- Writing in notebook
- Working session with co-workers
- Learn something new (language)
- Sitting spaces with tables
- Conference centers
- Education corners
- Tables
- Wifi and plug outlets
- Bright lighting
- Seating that is good for working
- Activity kits for the airport / airplane
- Conference center staff to watch your stuff if you need to use the restroom or to provide you drinks / food
- Online food / drink order and delivery service
- Airport staff teaches passengers about a topic in the airport – 5 min Ted Talk
Feeling important,
Status symbol in traveling
- Frequent flyer mileage programs
- TSA Pre-Check
- Airline lounge
- First class area
- Premium food / drink
- Premium food and drink service
- No waiting
Having fun
- Playing games
- Talking to people
- Shopping
- Eating
- Knitting
- Fun center
- Shopping areas
- Eating areas
- Exhibits
- Hobby center
- Games on tablets at restaurants / airplane seats
- Books / magazines to read, games, activities
- Hobbies to do at the airport / on the plane (confetti activity)
- Concessions and maintenance staff
- Artists / Events
- Fun flight attendants
- Fun center staff