Mignon Buckingham, chief executive of Airport Dimensions, says airports must take a strategic approach to using their space to optimise the customer experience
The rapid growth of air travel has become a pressing industry challenge: how to maintain the high-quality, relaxing experiences that travellers expect from airport lounges amidst increasing demand and crowded terminals.
Overcrowding in lounges is not just a matter of comfort—it directly impacts the customer experience, and threatens to reduce the exclusive appeal of these spaces, and ultimately can impact commercial revenues.
As global specialists in helping airports enhance their experiences and enrich travellers’ time, Airport Dimensions is constantly striving to find new and innovative solutions to alleviate this pressure.
The key to this lies in smart, strategic planning that addresses both immediate pressures and long-term growth opportunities.
Customer Segmentation
One of the most effective strategies for managing lounge capacity and customer satisfaction is through greater segmentation of lounge offerings.
Overcrowding often occurs when a “one-size-fits-all” approach is taken, leading to a situation where multiple passenger groups with different needs are funnelled into the same space.
Through diversifying lounge options, airports can create targeted experiences for distinct passenger groups such as business travellers, frequent flyers, and leisure passengers.
For instance, by offering a greater variety of shared-use lounges and more exclusive, premium spaces, airports can tailor experiences to the needs of different passenger groups.
Business travellers may prioritise a quiet environment with ample workspaces, while leisure travellers might value more relaxed, social settings.
Tailoring services in this way not only enhances customer satisfaction but also optimises the use of lounge capacity, creating a range of lounge experiences that enhance satisfaction.
Pre-Booking and Virtual Queue Management: Enhancing Efficiency and Comfort
Facilitating pre-booking options for lounge access is another key strategy to manage capacity and enhance the customer experience.
This not only helps control the number of guests at any given time but also ensures that each passenger enjoys a comfortable, premium experience.
Increasingly, lounges are beginning to offer guests the option to join a digital queue to enter the lounge when space is available.
Then they can explore other airport amenities while they wait for lounge access, rather than standing in line.
Not only does this allow guests to better utilise their wait time, but lounges can better manage guest flow and optimise seating arrangements, which is particularly useful during peak times.
What’s more, by prioritising high-yield passengers—such as those accessing the lounge via loyalty programs or pre-bookings—airports can maximise their commercial opportunities while maintaining service quality.
Innovative Sub-Propositions: Maximising Under-Utilised Spaces
Beyond traditional lounge spaces, there is a growing opportunity for airports to introduce new sub-propositions that cater to specific traveller needs and preferences.
Even in airports facing footprint constraints, there is a solution to suit most spaces that can help reconcile demand growth and capacity limitations by exploring secondary and underutilised spaces to develop.
For example, sleep lounges offer a quiet, private space for travellers to rest, and range from individual pods dedicated to power naps to bunk cabins.
These pods cater to passengers with long layovers or those needing a quick nap before their next flight, enhancing their overall travel experience. Not only do they require minimal space, but they also significantly enhance the overall travel experience.
Similarly, gaming spaces provide a unique entertainment option, particularly appealing to younger travellers and families.
As gaming becomes more popular, these spaces can transform under-utilised areas into vibrant hubs of activity, offering individual gaming stations with state-of-the-art consoles and accessories.
Our experience with Game Space at Dubai International, for instance, has shown that these spaces can attract a diverse range of travellers, creating a new focal point within the airport environment.
A Strategic Approach to Future Growth
As demand for lounge experiences continues to rise globally, airports must be proactive in addressing the challenges of overcrowding, while protecting the important revenues that come from satisfied traveller visits.
The future lies in greater segmentation of lounge offerings, increased diversification of passenger experiences, and expanding capacity by repurposing under-utilised space.
By adopting a strategic approach that balances growth with a high-quality customer experience, airports can ensure that their lounges remain a place in which travellers can relax, work and rejuvenate, even during the busiest travel periods.
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