Most passengers have a plan in their heads for how their trip is going to go. When things don’t go according to plan, it’s stressful. That’s human nature. But the unexpected can and will happen, especially in air travel.
We can’t stop things like flight cancellations, gate changes and other unexpected events from happening. But what if we could lessen their impact?
With a passenger mobile app, airports can give passengers as much notice as possible while minimizing the difficulties caused by an unexpected event. And that can make all the difference between a harried, unhappy passenger and a satisfied, understanding passenger who feels cared-for and appreciated.
Here are four examples of real-life unexpected events and how mobile apps can help airports lessen their impact:
- Passenger A arrives at the airport just in time for his flight, and maybe a little later than he should (thanks, traffic). Luckily he has the airport’s mobile app on his smartphone. When the gate for his flight changes suddenly, he receives a friendly notification on his phone’s lock screen. He taps on the notification to receive personalized navigation from the parking lot through the fastest security line and to the correct gate—all without having to stop to check flight status monitors, ask for help or search for signs pointing to his gate. He makes it just in time for final boarding, no sweat.
- Passenger B has three kids under the age of seven flying with her today. Just as she’s trying to corral everybody into the minivan, her smartphone lights up with an alert from the airport—their flight is delayed by a full hour. Instead of arriving at the airport only to find out she has to entertain the kids for an extra hour, she just pours herself another cup of coffee. She receives ongoing flight updates, so she knows exactly when to leave home to make it to the airport without unnecessary stress. The kids are happier; mom’s happier; everybody’s happier.
- Passenger C is flying in from a smaller airport with a 30-minute window to change planes for the last flight out to Chicago. It’s late. She’s tired. She’s already stressed about making the plane change, and she knows it’s snowing at Midway. Halfway through her initial flight, however, she receives a notification from the airport’s mobile app—her Chicago flight has been canceled. But wait: There’s a voucher in the app’s wallet for a free luxury room at the airport hotel. And here’s a link to app content about the free shuttle bus to the hotel, with personalized navigation from her arrival gate to the shuttle stop. Along with a voucher for a free coffee.
- Passenger D has just landed at his home airport. He uses the airport app to navigate from his arrival gate through the terminal and out to his car. The navigation takes him a different way out of the parking lot than he’s used to, but he doesn’t think anything of it. He just sails on home, looking forward to seeing his family. What he doesn’t know is that there’s been an accident in the parking lot that is blocking one of the main exits. Airport staff made a quick update to their maps in the cloud, rerouting traffic to eliminate bottlenecks. As soon as things are clear, staff can return the navigation system to normal operations in seconds.
Traveling is stressful enough when everything DOES go according to plan. Airport mobile apps can help lessen the impact of unexpected events—smoothing out the rough spots for both passengers and airport operations.
Want to see how a mobile app is helping both passengers and airport administration? Check out our case study that shows how its working at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
