Imagine being able to manage your air travel arrangements — booking your flight, reserving a parking spot, and even pre-ordering your favourite meal — all through a single platform. Everything is set for your arrival at the airport, and your journey continues as smoothly as it began.
This kind of hassle-free experience is within reach for passengers. We explore the ways airports can use ecommerce tools to make a stress-free travel experience a reality at multiple steps of the passenger journey.
1. Simplify the booking process
The booking process sets the tone for the entire travel experience, so it’s crucial to make it as smooth and easy as possible.
Provide a unified platform
Manage all travel-related bookings in one place reduces the hassle of juggling multiple systems. Instead of booking flights on one website, a parking spot on another, and airport services like lounge access or fast track security on yet another, passengers can do it all in one streamlined process. This saves time, simplifies planning, and reduces stress. This unified approach also means fewer logins to remember and less information to keep track of, making the whole process smoother and more user-friendly.
Ensure an intuitive design
Even passengers who aren’t so tech-savvy should be able to navigate the booking process with ease. Having an intuitively designed booking platform helps them do just that. This might include features like clear navigation menus, straightforward forms, and helpful prompts or tutorials to guide users through each step of the booking process. A straightforward interface minimises booking errors, leading to a smoother experience for passengers.
Streamline the checkout process
Online shoppers can abandon their carts at any stage of the booking process—even when they’ve reached the end. According to the Baymard Institute, 25% of shoppers abandoned their carts because they didn’t trust a site with their credit card information, 22% because the checkout process was too long or complicated, and 13% because there weren’t enough payment methods. To address these issues, use secure, well-known payment gateways and display security badges to reassure passengers about the safety of their payment information; minimise the number of steps and offer a guest checkout option; and provide multiple payment options, such as credit cards and digital wallets to cater to different preferences.
2. Enhance parking reservations
Parking can be a major source of stress for travellers. By improving how parking reservations are managed, airports can make a significant impact on passenger convenience and peace of mind.
Enable advance booking
Making advance parking reservations means passengers have a guaranteed parking spot waiting for them. This is particularly beneficial during peak travel times when parking spaces can be scarce. By securing a spot in advance, passengers can avoid the last-minute rush and potential delays getting to the check-in desks. This simple feature can significantly reduce travel anxiety, making the overall journey more pleasant.
Provide real-time parking updates
Some passengers may not book their spot in advance, and real-time parking availability information helps them see current parking conditions and plan accordingly. If a particular lot is full, they can quickly see which alternative lots have spaces available. They can even check how far in advance they need to leave for the airport based on how long it’ll take to find parking and get to the terminal.
3. Expand retail and food services
Airports can be large and overwhelming, with passengers often having to hunt for what they need or missing out on dining and shopping opportunities altogether. Offering retail and food services online can make it easier for travellers to find and enjoy exactly what they’re looking for.
Enable pre-order options
Passengers can avoid long lines and ensure their preferred meal is ready for them by pre-ordering through your airport’s ecommerce platform. This is especially useful during busy travel periods or for those with tight layovers who want to make the most of their time. This service provides a convenient way to enjoy airport shopping and dining without the hassle.
Share digital vouchers
Digital vouchers can be used to offer discounts and special deals at various shops and restaurants, encouraging passengers to spend more at airport retailers and increasing your non-aeronautical revenue. Tracking voucher usage helps you understand spending patterns so you can tailor future offers accordingly.
Offer click-and-collect retail
Passengers can use click-and-collect features to shop online and pick up their items at the airport. This service combines the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of in-person pick-up, catering to busy travellers and those with short layovers. It also helps passengers secure items that may be low in stock if they wait until they reach the airport to shop entirely offline.
4. Strengthen customer engagement
Effective engagement can make passengers’ journeys more enjoyable and hassle-free. By offering tailored deals and quick, helpful responses, airports can ensure travellers feel well-supported throughout their trip.
Share personalised offers
Airports can analyse passenger data created through ecommerce transactions and provide personalised deals that cater to individual passenger preferences. This could include discounts on favourite dining outlets, special offers on parking based on previous bookings, or targeted promotions for frequent travellers. For instance, a business traveller who regularly books long-term parking might receive a discount on their next booking, encouraging them to continue using the airport’s services.
Enable AI assistance
AI chatbots can provide immediate assistance for common inquiries, freeing up human staff to handle more complex issues. These chatbots can answer questions about flight status, gate information, or even recommend restaurants and shops based on passenger preferences. For example, if a passenger wants to find the best place to buy a last-minute gift at their terminal or check the status of their pre-ordered meal, an AI chatbot can provide instant, accurate information.
5. Analyse data to adjust your strategy
Ecommerce data provides valuable insights into passenger preferences and behaviours. By analysing this information, you can make smart changes to improve services and better meet travellers’ needs.
Gain data-driven insights
Analysing booking data helps airports identify trends and preferences, allowing for more informed decision-making. This could include understanding peak booking times, popular services, and common passenger needs. For example, if data shows a high demand for parking during specific times, airports can implement dynamic pricing to manage availability and maximize revenue. Additionally, insights into passenger preferences for certain dining options can help airports offer targeted promotions that cater to these tastes.
Obtain passenger feedback
Gathering customer feedback is invaluable for identifying pain points and areas for improvement. For example, if passengers often report that online retail purchases are difficult to pick up, the airport can improve the signage and location of click-and-collect points to make the process smoother. Feedback can be collected using QR code scanning at the airport, direct feedback forms on your website or mobile app, email automations requesting feedback after the trip is completed, and social media interactions.
Create a stress-free passenger experience with Rezcomm’s ecommerce solutions
Using ecommerce tools effectively can help you ensure a stress-free travel experience for passengers. Rezcomm’s plug-and-play marketplace offers various modules that enhance the ecommerce and passenger experience, such as buying or reserving retail products, pre-ordering food and drinks, pre-booking parking, and booking flights online, enabling you to start generating revenue from multiple ecommerce streams quickly.
Get in touch to learn more about how Rezcomm can transform your airport’s ecommerce capabilities and give your customers a stress-free travel experience.
Cultivating Rezcomm’s brand presence, Sarah Marks is our Director of Communications. A T-shaped marketer at heart, she has a broad skill set, with a particular passion for SEO and email marketing. While her core focus is on strengthening Rezcomm’s brand, she also provides strategic advice to clients.
