The Airport Dimensions view: A contemporary lounge experience for the contemporary traveller

Inspired by North Carolina: Airport Dimensions recently launched The Club CLT

Airport Dimensions President Americas Nancy Knipp comments on the changing expectations of travellers about the airport lounge experience, saying that a one-size-fits-all approach by operators no longer has a place. 

The past is indeed a foreign country. In my own field – that of airport lounges – the guests we served in the not too distant past had very different expectations. The days of the lounge user who was content to sit munching a bowl of complimentary nuts washed down with a beer and wasn’t that bothered if he (and it probably was a ‘he’) couldn’t pick up his emails on his phone, have long gone. The lounge provider that catered solely for these guest expectations was quickly doomed to fail.

But if we thought the pace of change was rapid before, it was nothing like the astounding shifts we’ve seen in the past two years. As with so many aspects of our everyday lives, what consumers want and expect has changed radically. The pandemic has accelerated trends that were already taking hold, turning ‘nice to haves’ into ‘absolute musts’. Our guests are far more discerning about many elements of their visit to the lounge. They want to experience local tastes. They want to engage in unique experiences. They want to be connected.

Outside the airport, consumers now insist that everything – from the coffee they drink to the news alerts they receive and the entertainment channels they enjoy – comes in a format that suits them at a time that suits them. Similarly, in the airport lounge, a one-size-fits-all approach has no place and travellers now require an immersive, engaging and personalised experience. Guests must now be offered more choices and control over their experience.

Today’s traveller expects the airport lounge environment  to be an integral part of their travel experience. They want to be immersed in the local community and culture, and not feel like somewhere they’ve been several times before. The travel retail industry has spoken about ‘sense of place’ for a long time, but this now means so much more than naming a venue after a local celebrity or posting a few images of local tourist spots.

Now, the very best lounge experiences expand that concept to incorporate not only locally inspired design, but a sustainably sourced design. Today’s traveller wants to experience a connection with the local community whether it is a unique local taste or the style of service and engagement with the staff.

Each facet of the lounge is curated and designed to offer travellers a different experience, one that offers a sense of place and region

I believe we’ve really got this right at our new The Club CLT lounge at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Art created by noted North Carolina landscape photographer Dave Allen, food such as Carolina bowl pulled pork, alongside warm sweet corn bread with butter created with local brands sourced within a 250-mile radius. Topped off with the kind of drinks that would be sipped on a deep south porch (and an actual porch swing to remind visitors exactly what that feels like), takes the experience up a massive notch. It’s not like being in the south – it actually is being in the south.

While the charm may be old-fashioned, the tech that makes a visit to The Club CLT so very special and so very easy to enjoy is cutting-edge. Food and drink can be ordered on a personal device and delivered to the visitors seat, with all the things that help take away the stress of travel such as somewhere to work or freshen-up of course also readily available.

Developing concepts like The Club CLT is no easy task, and finessing the offer must be based on detailed understanding of what customers want, not just hunches.

Research such as our recent Airport Experience survey of over 6,000 travellers means our decision making processes are always robust. Yes, we still serve nuts and beer to the guest that wants it. But the successful lounge of 2022 and beyond must deliver more than a sense of place, the lounge must be an integral part of the traveller journey and of the local community.

NoteThe 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.

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