Keeping air passengers moving

Recently it was announced that Manchester Airport will begin offering a paid-for personalised wayfinding service for passengers, whereby a member of staff will guide individuals through the terminal for check-in and boarding.

There is no problem with having a product like this available. It provides an additional level of service for customers that have a budget for it. What must not be forgotten though is that these customers will always be in the minority. Ensuring that other passengers are kept well informed with directions and information is still of the upmost importance.

A well thought out and efficient passenger journey will result in swifter queues and more satisfied travellers. Whilst it is no surprise that keeping people moving quickly, safely and efficiently through the terminal building is standard practise, the different techniques and products that can be utilised to achieve this are always improving and evolving.

We have seen a new wave of technology replacing the existing traditional methods of wayfinding and queue management. Systems such as electronic call forwarding, mobile check-in and virtual queuing are increasingly making their way into airports. These new additions reduce queue time and speed up the initial process of checking in luggage. This is often a passenger’s first contact in an airport and it makes sense that starting the experience off in a positive and efficient manner will put people in the good frame of mind for the remainder of their time in the airport.

From here people will pass through the security screening checks that are required by law before any passenger boards an aircraft. There is a vast amount of safety information that must be delivered to passengers in order to prepare them for the upcoming checks.

Products such as the Tensator Virtual Assistant allow for these messages to be displayed in a consistent manner that people find both engaging and entertaining. This results in a greater amount of information being taken onboard by the passenger. This, in turn, leads to less confusion and smaller queues further down the passenger journey.

Millions of people pass through airport terminals every single day. Ensuring that the experience is as hassle and pain free as possible is something that is becoming easier with advancements in technology. As a company we are already guiding passengers through some of the world’s busiest terminals, including Gatwick, Dubai International and Boston Logan Airport.

The ongoing replacement and upgrading of traditional static queuing systems and signage solutions is keeping passengers on the move and providing their very own wayfinding service. Most importantly it’s ensuring that their journey is getting off to the best possible start.