Experiences Elevated — Flying High
Way back in 1993, I came from Chennai to Mumbai to attend a job interview. Being still in college, I had to return the same day to attend the ongoing exams. My first flight was based out of necessity. A dream that I cherished for a long time — fastening the seat belt, take-off, view from the sky, butterflies in the stomach while landing. Fast forward almost 30 years later, air travel is a part of life. What was seen as a luxury those days is commoditized and is part of the lives of many.
For those frequent business travelers, it became a part of a monthly life if not day-to-day. Airports are no longer seen as a transit point to board the flight but have become an integral part of a frequent travelers’ life, a much sought-after destination.
Can you imagine that your definition of travel redefined meant that experience at the airport had to be redefined as well?
Last year, embarking on a journey for one of the busiest airports in the domestic market, the definition of experience went through an evolutionary shift. The business vision changed from being seen as the most admired airports to airports that provided one of the best traveler experiences. Wow-what a purpose that was. A new purpose that besides experience focused on how experience can drive the business — creating non-aero revenues yet bringing down operational costs.
To translate this vision to reality, the experience thinking workshops started unwinding. In the workshops, the boundaries of traveler experience expanded beyond the experience in the terminal building to covering the gamut of experience pre, during, and post journey seeing it as an integral part of a traveler’s life. Interestingly, the redefinition brought diverse people and their thoughts together— business, marketers, artists, technologists, travelers, and many others. Slowly the experience canvas started seeing the colors that we would like to see.
- Re-modeling the airport in a way that there were experience zones — physical reality extending to virtual dream world creating that X factor. Blending the local culture — arts, sculptors and taking it global
- Reimagining a connected traveler experience — on the ground and in the air pre and post, baggage, lounge access, unfinished personal and professional chores, etc
- Unparalleled shopping and dining experience that required reimagining airport marketplace creating new revenue channels for the operators and retailers
- Coupled with traveler experience, focusing on efficient operations — Digital Queue Management especially during pandemic times, baggage, etc
These are living systems that need to remain on a healthy experience diet all the time. A year down the line, as I travel through the airport, many aspects of this dream are a reality brought to life by strong technology, experience governance processes, operations, and constant experience feedback. All with the mission to transform the mindset — “be there at the terminal 90 minutes prior to boarding”
The mind wanders — from not getting that job (thankfully) to my first flight to the airport experience to now in the dreams of visualizing and realizing the hyperloop experience — speed, sensation, a virtual world brought to reality!
How do you like this experience tale? Leave your comments. Stay tuned for the next experience.
