What Airports and Airlines Must Learn From the Retail Industry

Airlines and airports are missing an opportunity to increase sales and boost revenues by failing to adopt to customers’ shopping expectations.

Travelers today are ordering everything from food to furniture on a smartphone and having it effortlessly delivered to their door. The convenience and personalization of that experience is becoming standard for shoppers who increasingly expect that level of service across all industries.

By adjusting airport and in-flight shopping opportunities to mobile and self-service platforms, industry players can boost sales and increase customer satisfaction.

A NCR survey of 6,000 travelers across six countries found that between 60 and 80 percent of respondents reported that they’d like to buy airport items from parking to reading materials on a mobile device.

This is markedly different from the third of travelers that reported actually purchasing airline-related travel amenities including meals, entertainment and baggage fees via mobile or a self-service kiosks. Those that had not said the option either wasn’t available to them or they didn’t know if it was accessible.

There is obviously room for improvement and there are numerous benefits for airports and airlines outside of increased revenues.

The majority of respondents indicated that they would be willing to provide personal data in return for targeted offers. And 60 to 100 percent of travelers said they prefer an airline that gives them the ability to purchase amenities via self-service platforms at any point throughout the trip.

Retail expectations and habits will change based on destination and demographic.

For example, a quarter of US and UK travelers indicated that they’d like to buy duty-free items, destination activities, upgrades from their mobile device or a kiosk. The proportion jumped to half for respondents from China and UAE.

The report sums up the similarities as, “Just as shoppers don’t make all of their purchases in the store, travelers want the ability to buy travel-related goods and services at points beyond the check-in lobby.”

Find the full report below:

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