In this guest article, Stephen Hay, Global Strategy Director for Airport Dimensions and Global Proposition Head for Connecta, assesses how the new Connecta In-Lounge Experience can be a vital tool in driving improved engagement between airports and their consumers.
Airports have sometimes considered lounges a commercial blackspot – holes down which the traveller falls that stop them from shopping and spending at the airport, writes Stephen Hay. However, with changed customer appetites, and the right digital solutions to help customers satisfy those appetites, they can be anything but.
We at Airport Dimensions are enhancing and personalising the in-lounge experience with our one stop ecommerce and traveller loyalty platform, Connecta. Our newest product, Connecta In-Lounge Experience, was officially launched to the industry this month.
Drawing on the unrivalled expertise of Airport Dimensions to expand and enhance the digital airport experience, while increasing airports’ ability to drive revenue growth, Connecta In-Lounge Experience’s customisable interface allows airports to drive both guest experience and revenue performance from key affluent travel segments.
The platform, which will be rolled out in the coming months across Airport Dimensions’ Club lounges, allows guests to seamlessly order food and beverages, book services such as showers, business pods and even local excursions, as well as share feedback and access a selection of online media, including newspapers, magazines and podcasts, all curated specifically for each location. This is not a pipe dream. We have seen it in action, and it works beautifully.
At the FTE conference in Dublin earlier in June, we piloted the platform to give visitors to our booth an authentic taste of how it works. The platform was specially adapted for what was happening on our stand – as indeed it would be at an airport, allowing attendees to experience this new ‘phygital’ dimension to a lounge experience.
It provided access to services at Airport Dimensions’ lounge suite at the venue and the meeting area, and guests could order drinks and cocktails, which were delivered direct to their table, book meetings and demo facilities, as well as access digital newspapers, magazines and podcasts.
It was adapted to allow attendees to book tours and excursions around Dublin, which was a great example of the platform’s ability to drive revenue not only in-lounge, but across the entire airport and wider passenger journey. It really did show how airports can engage travellers in a permissioned relationship before, during and after their time at the airport, driving not only guest experience, but lucrative non-aeronatical revenue as well.
Our recent Airport Experience research shows that Millennial and Gen-Z passengers now account for three-quarters of the market in comparison to two-thirds before the pandemic.
It therefore goes with out saying that tech such as our Connecta In-Lounge Experience platform will be ever more important when it comes to appealing to these ever-more important, digital-savvy passengers.
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report recently launched a publication titled Airport Consumer Experience, in association with Airport Dimensions, dedicated to airport guest services and experiences.
To subscribe free of charge please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com headed ‘Airport Customer Experience’. All stories are permanently archived on the Airport Consumer Experience page on this website.
