With over one billion people annually opting to take to the sky instead of hitting the road for several hours, airports are changing how travelers get to and from the gate. Airport infrastructure was built before the modern boom in air travel, which means they aren’t able to accommodate the influx of new transportation options that people use to get to the terminal. In major cities, public transportation offers a cost-effective, yet highly variable, solution. Trains and buses can be packed, hazardous, and delayed. Waking up earlier to plan more time into the travel day just to save a couple of bucks doesn’t typically win over the customer.
How Tech Drives the Airport Customer Experience
If you take a look in the rearview, airport parking has been adapting and evolving rapidly during the last 15 years. Many airports around the world have been reactive to disruptors, but that’s changing. Airports are taking a stance against congestion and chaos at the curb and changing the pick-up and drop-off lanes.
Customers want to know about the vehicle they are getting into ahead of time, the driver’s rating, and vehicle information.
At some airport locations, such as Chicago’s Midway Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, travelers can now request rideshare and receive a code. Once the code is generated on the customer’s phone, it is shown to the next driver in line at the curb. That unique code unlocks the passenger’s name and destination. Although the new code solution eases rideshare congestion, it creates a poor customer experience.
Airports and rideshare take a gamble on the comfort of booking a ride from your phone while giving up the reason customers turn to rideshare in the first place. Customers want to know about the vehicle they are getting into ahead of time, the driver’s rating, and vehicle information. What is the difference between a taxi and rideshare with the new code system? The customer experience takes a nosedive when rideshare apps cater to airport congestion over the needs of the customer.
What This Means for Parking
While rideshare caters to the airport experience, airport parking continues to improve and focus on the customer experience. Customers use their phones to make their lives easier. Parking understands the allure of using smartphones to simplify the travel day journey – much like they do to other aspects of daily life.
“Airport parking is uniquely positioned to provide the ultimate customer experience, while also helping to alleviate curb congestion,” said Steven Junkins, Airport Sales Manager at SpotHero. “Alternative options tend to be counterproductive to this goal and often times result in long lines and frustrated passengers.”
As airports continue to evolve the curb, a door opens for an increase in airport parking revenue. Locations across the country are geared towards perfecting the travel day with frequent shuttle service, baggage assistance, and giving travelers the ability to reserve airport parking ahead of time. One example of a company thinking ahead is The Parking Spot. At many of their locations across the country, they offer customers amenities such as shuttle service, well-lit facilities, interior and exterior car washes, and more.
Placing the customer first will create less stress and happier travelers. What will it take for airports, rideshare, and parking to come together to create one solution for the ultimate customer experience?
Alanna Raymond, Content Marketing Specialist, SpotHero She can be reached at alanna@spothero.com
