Staying ahead of trends to deliver the airport experience demanded by passengers is a challenge. At Aviation Festival Americas, Sharon McCloskey, VP Customer Experience, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) shared how a combination of customer engagement, technological innovation, and strategic partnerships helps the airport to meet this challenge.
Sharing the secret to staying ahead of emerging trends, McCloskey explained the key is constantly talking to your customers. DFW conducts customer surveys in its terminals, last year reaching 20,000 surveys looking at customer satisfaction, latest concepts, and more. In particular, McCloskey emphasised the need to understand expectations of younger generations, with Millennials and Gen Z now forming the majority of the airport’s travellers.
In terms of then meeting the expectations of passengers, McCloskey illustrated how DFW leverages technology to streamline processes and reduce stress. This comes from identifying and reducing inefficiencies, but also from giving passengers increased agency. Discussing the importance of this, McCloskey explained:
“We also are big believers in giving people information along the way. I mentioned this transparency piece and we’re trying trying to implement that everywhere we can. So before you come to the airport, you’ll know if we have a parking spot available in terminal C or not, you’ll know we have 16 different security checkpoints and you’ll know what the wait time is at every single one of them, we’ve even put sensors in restrooms to tell you whether restroom stalls are available in this area or if you should just keep walking for the next restroom. We’re really trying to do what we can to put information into the palm of the hand of the customer so they feel in control of their journey.”
For more insight, watch the full interview below,
Questions asked include:
- In the rapidly evolving landscape, how are you staying ahead of emerging passenger trends and preferences?
- Can you give a couple of examples showing how you are leveraging digital technologies to improve customer experience?
- With expansion projects underway, what key takeaways are shaping your strategy?
For more from onsite at World Aviation Festival Americas see:
- Curating a modern travel experience: Simon Gandy on the New Terminal One at JFK
- Maurice Jenkins, MIA: Creating synergy between digital innovation and sustainability
- Efficiency and innovation at South America’s largest hub with João Pita
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