Improving Airport Customer Experience Through Technology

A passenger's journey through an airport involves myriad touchpoints (e.g., check-in, security screening, boarding, concessions, and other amenities). Time constraints, unfamiliarity with the terminal layout or protocols, unexpected events (e.g., flight delays, cancelations, gate changes), and poor customer service can result in a poor experience for travelers. Airport industry practitioners are realizing there are opportunities to improve customer experience, and recently developed technologies can play a role. Yet many of these technologies are nascent, particularly in the airport setting, and may require significant investment and coordination among various stakeholders. Airport industry practitioners would benefit from a guide to help identify, evaluate, select, and implement technologies related to customer experience. The objective of this research is to develop a guide and resources to help airport industry practitioners evaluate, select, and implement appropriate technologies to enhance customer experience. The guide and resources should address the following topics across all touchpoints within the terminal, at a minimum: (1) Demand management; (2) Obtaining real-time feedback on customer experience and sentiment; (3) Effective deployment of janitorial staff; (4) Signage and wayfinding; (5) Messaging and communication (e.g., flight status, customer messaging); and (6) Irregular operations.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5581

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $398845
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 03-76

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)

  Transportation Research Board, 500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Navarrete, Joseph

• Performing Organizations:

  ICF International

  ,    
• Principal Investigators:

  Freibrun, Stephen

• Start Date: 20240415
• Expected Completion Date: 20251015
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airports; Customer service; Technological innovations; Technology; Wayfinding
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Aviation; Data and Information Technology; Passenger Transportation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01889779
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 03-76
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 8 2023 4:56PM