Marketing for Airports
By realising the potential of their data, airports can transform the passenger experience.
Data: the gate to greatness
More people are flying than ever. The latest Aviation Consumer Survey reports over 60% of the British public has flown in the last 12 months — which means a constant stream of people passing through airports. Heathrow welcomed a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers last year, while Gatwick saw 43.2 million.
Growing footfall means a bank of passenger data that’s growing in parallel, but many airports are failing to properly harness its potential. When put to work, this data can be leveraged to improve the airport experience, and help passengers see these interim spaces as an enjoyable way to start their journey, instead of a necessary logistical hurdle.
But to affect positive, meaningful change in this area, airports must first learn to extrapolate meaning from their data. Only when they have a clear understanding of passenger needs, can airports formulate a data-driven strategy to meet them.
But before we dive into what passengers need, let’s take a closer look at what they expect from the airport experience.
Passenger expectations have changed… how are airports keeping up?
Airports have come a long way — but passenger expectations have come further. The societal patience for inefficiency is shortening; we’re accustomed to hyper-convenience, be it through 24/7 availability or automated processes, and airports are no exception to this rule.
Our industry research reveals 69% of decision makers in travel and hospitality agree that “travelers today are tech-savvy and accustomed to personalized, seamless experiences in all aspects of their lives, and that they expect convenience, flexibility and tailored solutions.”
So how do these expectations manifest in an airport environment?
Digital check-in and automated bag drop
Passengers want to bypass the check-in desk and get through security quickly, so they can enjoy the hospitality and retail waiting on the other side. Since the pandemic, airports have ramped up investment in self-service technology to streamline arrivals and help reduce the occurrence of lengthy queues. Thanks to sophisticated new scanners, several UK airports have even altered their liquids restrictions, scrapping the scramble to decant cosmetics into clear plastic bags.
Early check-in through airline websites has been transformative for passengers, enabling those with cabin luggage to head straight to security on arrival. And automation is helping those with hold luggage too — 72% of airports already have (or are planning to implement) touchless self-service bag drop initiatives.
Diverse range of shopping and leisure options
Airports have long been destinations in their own right, offering passengers the chance to shop, eat, and raise a glass to toast their travels. Most passengers arrive at the airport several hours before departure, but once they’re through security, how are they actually spending that time?
Research by YouGov shows that 44% of passengers shop at the duty free, while 33% visit newsagents and bookshops, and a further 28% simply head to the pub. Airports world over are responding to demand for a more varied departure lounge experience. Many in the US and Europe are investing in new food and drink outlets, while others are expanding their luxury fashion offerings; the travel retail market is projected to reach a stupendous $145.6 billion by 2032.
“We are witnessing a shift in the tourism landscape, with emerging micro-personas like solo travellers, experience seekers, and social media influencers […] This evolving customer base allows airports to cater to their unique needs and desires, transforming a brief visit into an unforgettable experience.”
— Sarwant Singh
President & CCO at MarketsandMarkets, Forbes
Enhanced and efficient security
Whether entering the UK for a holiday, or coming home from one, passengers want to get through passport control swiftly so they can move onto the next part of their journey. There are already eGates in place to optimise passport control at over 15 different railway stations and airports across the country, using biometrics to verify traveller identity against their passport info.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (IACO), there are also plans to radically reform airport security processes with the introduction of a virtual “journey pass”. If adopted, this digital travel credential would combine passport and boarding pass information, while airport infrastructure would be upgraded to use facial recognition and accurately read passports from smartphones.
Convenience and comfort while you wait
Lastly, passengers now look for convenient facilities that supersede food and drink establishments, retailers, and hygienic, accessible bathrooms. Airports should be prepared to offer free amenities like charging-stations, Wi-Fi, water refill stations — as well as private areas like sleep pods, where passengers can pay a fee to rest during layovers.
It’s notable that every single one of these evolutions — from self-service bag drop and free Wi-Fi to the wider range of retail and hospitality — is granting airports the opportunity to capture valuable first-party data. When put to work, this data reveals actionable insights about passenger behaviour, needs, and preferences that could be used to improve the passenger experience.
So, what’s holding airports back from acting on these insights?
1. Catering for a changing demographic
Whether due to budget constraints, a preference for more local travel, or a variety of other factors, the core demographic of fliers is changing. For instance, data from CAA’s latest Aviation Consumer Survey shows that, in the UK at least, the number of young people flying is on an upward trajectory.
A strong 73% of 18-34 year olds reported that they flew last year (compared with just 53% of those over 55), but what does an age group like this value about the airport experience? Gen Alpha, Gen Z and young millennials have different priorities from older age groups, often valuing experiences and brand values (for instance, sustainability or inclusivity) over traditional airport retail, like luxury fashion or the duty free.
For a deeper understanding around the wants and needs of any given demographic, airports can enrich and expand their own first-party data with accurate, ethically sourced third-party data. This process can provide segment-specific insights on factors like passenger values, lifestyle, and media habits, which can then be applied to deliver relevant, personalised airport experiences.
Meet Acxiom InfoBase®
InfoBase is Acxiom’s data-driven marketing tool. It provides access to over 400 anonymised customer insights based on a rich, unique combination of ethically-sourced public and historic data. The platform has full coverage of all UK addresses, and uses cohorts to consolidate personal information, maximising data accuracy and predictability while keeping identities secure.
On top of this, InfoBase Purchase Transactions merges transactional spend data from over 10 million UK cardholders with InfoBase, delivering a layer of unique, market-specific insights.
2. Closing the engagement gap
Airports have guaranteed footfall throughout the year, but despite passenger numbers creeping up, the potential of that traffic — and the data generated by it — is being wasted. Why? Simply put, many airports aren’t equipped to connect the dots between the data points. They can’t match up the identity of the shopper splashing out at the duty free with the registration of the car at the park and ride, or the passenger who upgraded to use the executive lounge. This fragmented data causes an engagement gap: passengers are often open to communications, but rarely receive any form of targeted outreach.
To close this gap, airports must be opportunists. With a robust identity solution, airports can access a 360-degree view of individual passengers, so they can be recognised at any point on their journey. This gives airports multiple chances to offer timely and relevant experiences as they pass through.
“You’re in decision fatigue by the time you’ve gotten to the airport. It just needs to be easy. Everyone wants to feel escorted from home to the plane. And if there’s ways that we can use our algorithms and our recommendations and technology to do that, then we’re going to make travel not only easier for all, but more accessible for more people.”
— Bernadette Berger
Director of Innovation at Alaska Airlines, Forbes
3. Embracing digital transformation
While airports are leading the way with innovative operational technologies — like biometric ID and robotic baggage handling — the use of sophisticated MarTech solutions to properly manage (and leverage) passenger data is far less advanced.
Investing in marketing technology is a strategic step for airports looking to deliver personalized passenger experiences at scale. There’s a plethora of tools and platforms available to airports, but these solutions can be complex to manage, and airports may not have the capability (or capacity) to get the best from them. A trusted partner like Acxiom can help airports decide which platform is right for them, and assist with both implementation and optimisation, ensuring they’re getting a return on their investment.
Success story: Heathrow’s customer experience takes off
Through their partnership with Acxiom, Heathrow transformed their customer experience — using innovative data strategies and cutting-edge tech to optimise customer interactions and boost results.
How did they do it?
We worked with Heathrow to help them build a robust CRM data strategy — consolidating data from a variety of sources to create a single customer view. This visibility gave the airport comprehensive insights into passenger preferences and behaviours — which were utilised to improve campaign effectiveness.
The partnership was so fruitful, it’s ongoing to this day.
-
in customer satisfaction
-
in retail conversions
-
in non-aviation revenue
Ready to offer a first-class airport experience?
With more people flying than ever before, airports have an exciting opportunity to capitalize on that traffic. In harnessing the potential of passenger data, airports can shape an experience that exceeds expectations, reframing the hours spent waiting to fly as an enjoyable and engaging part of the passenger journey.