Elevating the Passenger Experience at a Major North American Airport
A Case Study on Passenger Experience Performance at a Major North American Airport
The Context
In today’s world, airports have evolved beyond mere transit hubs—they are now gateways to memorable experiences. Recognizing this shift, a leading North American airport set out to transform the travel journey within one of its busiest terminals. Confronted with rising passenger expectations for seamless convenience, immersive ambiance, and exceptional service, the airport’s Customer Experience (CX) leadership aspired to create a terminal that would not just meet but exceed the needs of modern travelers. To turn this ambitious vision into reality, they partnered with us to conduct a thorough, data-driven exploration of passenger expectations and assess the current journey in detail, aiming at enhancing every aspect of the passenger experience.
The CXG Approach
Understanding the Full Passenger Experience
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the passenger experience, needs, and pain points, we employed a multi-pronged approach that spanned the entire journey, from departure to arrival.
- Airport’s Ambitions
To lay a strong foundation for the project, we began by interviewing key stakeholders, including airport management. These discussions provided valuable insights into the airport’s strategic vision, objectives, and existing challenges. Additionally, the team reviewed the airport’s internal passenger data and documentation to build a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the passenger experience. - Current Experience Delivered
Building on this strategic context, we conducted comprehensive Passenger Experience Evaluations (PXE). Through PXE, we deployed passenger-evaluators: real travelers who experienced the airport journey as regular passengers, from arrival at the terminal to boarding. These evaluators provided detailed, touchpoint-by-touchpoint feedback on each interaction, service, and process encountered along their journey, covering areas such as check-in, security screening, dining, retail, and gates. The insights gathered enabled us to assess the efficiency of various processes, the overall ambiance, and the quality of passenger interactions with airport agents. Additionally, we calculated key indices, such as the Passenger Advocacy Index, measuring how likely passengers were to recommend the airport, as well as other customer-centric metrics that reflected the passenger journey experience. Based on this data-driven analysis, we pinpointed specific pain points and opportunities for improvement within the terminal. In addition, we performed on-site observations to assess operational dynamics, agent performance, and the airport environment, further enriching the analysis with contextual insights. - Deep Dive into F&B and Retail Experiences and Expectations
For a focused assessment of the F&B and Travel Retail journey, we conducted store intercepts immediately after passengers’ shopping experiences to capture motivations, experiences, and barriers to purchase. Additional focus groups provided deeper insights into passenger expectations for dining, retail, and amenities. This combination revealed how travelers perceive the ambiance, variety, and quality of commercial offerings, identifying specific ways to align with passenger expectations.
The Outcome
Elevating the Passenger Experience
From this analysis, we developed a strategic framework of recommendations designed to elevate the passenger experience, bridge the gap between expectations and reality, and align with leadership’s goals. Key focus areas included:
- Airport Ambiance: Enhance the overall atmosphere to promote a calm and engaging environment, improving passenger comfort and navigation
- Convenience and Comfort: Streamline key touchpoints to improve efficiency and comfort, making the journey more seamless and stress-free
- Commercial Journey: Redesign the retail and dining experiences by expanding options and optimizing the layout to reduce congestion and enhance flow
- Luxury Touch: Introduce premium services and high-end dining options to elevate the terminal environment, creating an exclusive experience for travelers
- Agent Empowerment & Training: Develop a comprehensive training program to empower airport agents with the skills to embody the airport’s values, ensuring they deliver a consistent and high-quality experience for all passengers
In Conclusion
The airport leadership embraced our recommendations, with several initiatives already moving into the implementation phase. To ensure sustained progress, we and the airport are committed to conducting regular Passenger Experience Evaluations (PXE), which will not only measure the impact of these enhancements but also uncover new opportunities for continuous improvement.
This project exemplified our comprehensive approach to transforming the passenger experience in a major airport terminal. By leveraging in-depth passenger insights and delivering targeted recommendations, we empowered the airport to elevate its service offering and solidify its reputation as a premier, world-class travel destination.
CXG is your partner in this transformation. We offer comprehensive services and solutions tailored to elevate passenger experience across all touchpoints. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand succeed. If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch with our CX Consultants by filling out the form below.
