Five Ways Airports Can Improve the Passenger Experience

The passenger experience is a key part of any airport’s success. There’s no denying the fact that when operations run smoother, passengers feel more in control, are looking forward to their travels, and will want to travel through that airport again. But what can airports do to better this experience? 

That’s where AeroCloud comes in. We aim to reinvent airport management through our smart, cloud-based systems that can cut queues, enhance efficiency, and more importantly, improve the passenger experience. In this blog, we’ll dive into the specific tools that your airport can use to make this a reality. 

Get ready to build a smarter, smoother airport that passengers enjoy… 

What is the passenger experience? 

But first, what do we mean by the passenger experience? When it comes to airports, the passenger experience refers to the end-to-end journey that a passenger would take, beginning when they arrive at the curb right up to the second they step onto the aircraft. 

Historically, many airports operated purely as rigid, functional spaces that were designed to move people and baggage as securely as possible. However, in the modern day, there is a lot more focus on efficiency and passenger satisfaction. No one wants a disrupted or difficult airport experience, and a better passenger experience correlates directly with less travel stress, smoother operations, and increased revenue at terminal shops and restaurants. In fact, improving airport efficiency and the passenger experience go hand in hand. 

5 AeroCloud solutions that will improve the passenger experience 

But how can you improve this experience? At AeroCloud, it’s our job to make every journey, from staff to passengers, run smoother. Find out how our solutions can help below ⬇️

• AeroCloud Optic 

This 100% anonymous and compliant airport solution tracks passenger journeys right from their arrival at the airport up to their departure. AeroCloud Optic gives airports access to things like movement patterns, dwell times, and terminal usage without holding onto or capturing personal data. That means that you get full visibility of passenger volumes whether they are in the terminal area or check-in lane. Essentially, it’s a powerful tool that helps you understand and improve the full airport journey. 

How it improves the passenger experience: One of the single biggest stresses for any passenger is waiting around in security lines. AeroCloud Optic monitors passenger density and flow in real time, recognizing when a bottleneck is actually forming rather than alerting staff once it’s formed. The result? No more frustrating lines that build out into the main lobby of the airport. 

• Passenger Predictions 

Our Flight Management Systems (FMS) analyze historical flight data and current schedules to accurately forecast passenger volumes up to 60 days in advance! It can also give your team a single, trusted view of every single flight across your airport, helping everybody stay aligned and respond faster to any delays or issues. And, thanks to our cloud-native technology, teams can access live flight data from anywhere on any device without reliance on fixed workstations. 

How it improves the passenger experience: The great thing about our Flight Management System is that there is zero data lag. Passengers won’t be left standing under terminal screens wondering what is going on while an airline app tells them something completely different. Instead, they can feel calm and fully informed about any delays or changes. 

• Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) 

Our CUPPS airport solutions, driven by our Desktop platform, completely change how terminal infrastructure is used. We’ve designed our systems to help airlines move passengers smoothly from arrival to boarding by enabling shared use of check-in desks and gates. Specific airlines no longer ‘own’ certain check-in counters or boarding gates, allowing more passengers to flow seamlessly through check-in desks without frustrating restrictions. 

How it improves the passenger experience: CUPPS can directly slash check-in and gate queue times. In fact, you can see a 20% increase in passenger throughput! Because terminal desks are no longer locked to a single carrier, airport operations can open up otherwise empty check-in desks or boarding gates to accommodate more passengers, no matter which airline they are travelling with. That means less time queuing, and more time relaxing and dining before the flight. 

• Gate Management Systems (GMS) 

While you might think that gate management takes place behind the scenes in an airport, it has a direct, massive impact on the passenger experience. When gates are mismanaged, passengers can experience stressful delays. However, when your gates are managed by our Gate Management Systems, the journey can feel seamless. We let you access the gate management system from anywhere, letting you optimize gate utilization while on the move. Using real-time flight data, you can set gate restrictions, plan future maintenance outages, and schedule gate closures easily.  

How it improves the passenger experience: There’s nothing worse than landing somewhere on time but only to sit trapped on the plane because another plane is parked at the designated gate. If a flight is delayed (or running early), our system can automatically run simulations and adjust gate assignments before the plane lands. Therefore passengers can travel smoothly to their gate without delay and start their trip on time. 

• Self Service Solutions 

Give passengers the freedom to check in seamlessly and on their own terms with our self-service solutions. Powered by our cloud-native Common Use Self Service platform, we can transform the first major hurdle of the airport journey. Experience our airline-agnostic kiosks, which let any passenger walk up to any available terminal screen to check-in. It’s a truly revolutionary modern airport solution that not only keeps passengers happy, but combats terminal crowding and gridlock. 

How it improves the passenger experience: Passengers are no longer forced to stand in long lines for a manual desk agent. Instead, they have the freedom to approach any free, shared kiosk to scan their passport and retrieve their boarding pass in just a matter of seconds. This also means that passengers are moved into the departure lounge much faster, giving them time to unwind and breathe before actually boarding their flight. 

Discover more ways that AeroCloud can help your airport 

As well as the innovative products we’ve mentioned above, there are plenty of other ways that we can reduce costs and increase operational efficiency. Here’s a quick look at our other solutions: 

• Flight Information Displays – Easily view real-time scheduled flight information, as well as baggage and ramp information. 
• Inspection Management – Provide a clear audit trail for work and training without maintenance or upkeep overheads. 
• Departure Control Systems – Make check-in, boarding, and baggage handling faster than ever before. 
• Security Scanning Solutions – Verify passengers quickly and easily with our smart touchpoints. 

Interested? Then make sure to arrange a demo today. 

How Palm Springs International Airport improved the passenger experience with our solutions 

A vital transportation hub, Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), wanted to partner with AeroCloud to improve their internal operations systems. Home to over 3 million passengers a year, they set out to make their gate assignment more seamless and improve the passenger experience, especially when they realised that gate delays are a common cause for customer dissatisfaction. 

The AeroCloud solution: The airport experienced faster, dynamic check-ins and boarding thanks to our CUPPS system. CUPPS allows any airline to dynamically use any available desk or gate, instantly improving efficiency across the whole airport. 

This directly improved the passenger experience by maximizing space and dramatically reducing congestion. It now allows the airport to handle higher passenger input without expanding its physical footprint, meaning that their passengers experience shorter waiting times and a faster process when boarding. The ultimate result? A smooth, stress-free journey for passengers! 

Read the full case study here. 

For happier passengers and smoother journeys, choose AeroCloud 

Hopefully, these ideas have shown just how vital our tools are when it comes to improving the passenger experience in airports. To truly revolutionize your passenger experience, all airports must shift to a predictive mindset. If you can forecast exactly how passengers will move through your terminal before they even arrive, you’re already eliminating the friction points that might stall their journey and leave them feeling stressed and disheartened. 

Let AeroCloud predict how your passengers behave and improve their experiences today. Learn more about us and our groundbreaking solutions, and find out for yourself why over 70 airports worldwide rely on our solutions. 

Ready to turn terminal stress into seamless journeys? Get in touch and book your demo with us today.