Improving the Airport Customer Experience (2016)

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95 For the purpose of understanding how customer service is affecting passenger terminal design, the research team interviewed a panel of architects with recent experience in designing terminal projects, including representatives from Alliiance; Corgan; Fentress Architects; HNTB; HOK; and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The architects offered their views on the current state of terminal design, how technology is affecting terminal design, and influences on recent terminal projects in the United States and abroad. Airport terminals have evolved substantially over time. Many early terminals were designed with a simple and utilitarian style that provided passengers with direct access to the tarmac for ground loading. As terminal design progressed in the second half of the 20th century, architects began to design iconic statements and civic masterpieces that mimicked flight, such as the TWA Flight Center at JFK and Dulles’ International Terminal by the famous architect Eero Saarinen. Only basic amenities existed at the time, with a primary intent being to take the traveler from the curbside to the aircraft by the most direct route and minimize unassisted walking distances—the guiding principle behind the development of Tampa International Airport in the early 1970s. In the early 1990s, architects used glass curtain walls to introduce light and air and to reflect the modern era. Passenger terminals evolved from simple boxes to larger and more complex facilities to meet the growing needs and demands of passengers. Today, as technology and passenger self-servicing are playing more prominent roles in the airport environment, airport terminals are becoming more passenger-centric. According to the architects interviewed for this chapter, passengers who are exposed to greater air travel through international gateways have a higher perception of quality standards for an airport terminal. With limited availability of funding sources for capital improvement projects, maintaining customer satisfaction in order to attract more non-aeronautical revenue is becoming a bigger factor for U.S. airports. Passenger profiles have also changed: 1. Millennial generation. Defined as people born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, will become the next core group of airport travelers. This population is reliant on technology, likes to take control of their own processes, needs to stay connected at all times, and wants information at their fingertips. They prefer an efficient airport with lots of amenities and choices. 2. Aging population. As baby boomers approach retirement age and have increased time available to travel, there is a growing population of travelers with special needs that must be accounted for. 3. Families with young children. More kid-friendly amenities are needed to keep the less patient travelers occupied, such as children’s play areas, interactive art exhibits, and museums, along with upscale restaurant and retail options; all have been incorporated into many large hub airports. c h a p t e r 7 Customer Service Trends in Terminal Design

96 Improving the airport customer experience 4. Business and leisure travelers. Technology is bringing the business and leisure traveler profiles much closer together because of their dependencies on various types of elec- tronic devices, wireless Internet services, charging stations, and workstations, to name a few. 5. Traveling with pets. More passengers are traveling with their four-legged friends, which places a different set of demands on space and amenities. To satisfy the evolving needs of these travelers, airports and airlines will have to implement changes in order to enhance the overall passenger experience. This chapter represents a distillation of the thoughts and observations of the architects interviewed for this guidebook. 7.1 What Do Airports and Customers Want in a Terminal? A majority of the architects interviewed believe this new generation of travelers and airport owners/operators has distinctive desires in passenger terminals. These important elements include: • Local culture and sense of place. An airport needs to reflect the local civic hospitality. Under- standing the locality and sense of place through the use of materials, art, and food offerings. • Streamlining passenger processing, both domestically and internationally (e.g., check-in, security screening, customs and immigration inspection). • Passengers want to control their own processes and personalize the overall journeys; reduce stress and make the traveler more at ease. • Comfortable walking distances, natural light, and cleanliness. • Intuitive wayfinding, quality food offerings, and more choices. • Multimodal connectivity in the transportation network and better connectivity between terminals, especially at larger hubs with multiple terminal buildings. • Airports are destinations. People go there to eat, work, shop, and so forth—along with the travel experience. Airports are multi-use facilities, which increases the need to provide ameni- ties such as nursing areas for mothers, family restrooms, showers for long-haul travelers, free Wi-Fi connection, workstations, charging stations, and power outlets. • Hospitality atmosphere, where customers are expected to be treated like guests. Airports are more than just a transient place; integrate the retail service concept into the airport environment. 7.2 Evolution of Terminal Design and Impact on Customer Service As passengers’ habits, needs, and demands continue to evolve, passenger terminal design must also adjust and adapt. Uncertainty in the world economy and volatility in the aviation market within the past decade had one common message for airports across the board: build responsibly and with flexibility to accommodate future unknowns. Less compartmentalized, free-span, open spaces are quickly trending to help airports reduce capital costs and allow for reallocation of space for changing functions and demands, as shown in Figure 7-1. For example, airline ticket offices (ATOs) used to be a major component in the ticketing area, with many airline staff present to support ticket sales. Today, airline tickets are generally no longer purchased or issued at the ter- minal, significantly reducing the need for ATO spaces behind the counters. Airports are able to reclaim this primary real estate for revenue-generating or customer enhancement functions due to this change of use.

customer Service trends in terminal Design 97 The architects interviewed believe the increasing popularity of self-servicing that takes place outside of the terminal (before passengers arrive at the airport) will eventually lead more pas- sengers to bypass the ticket lobby and go straight to the SSCP. This will reduce space require- ments for the ticket lobby area and call for a route (particularly from the parking garage or curb) directly to security screening, bypassing the ticket lobby. 7.2.1 Security Screening The SSCP is a major function that will remain in high demand. Because security protocols are reactive and based on threat assessment, it is hard to gauge what security measures and require- ments the TSA will have in the future. According to the architects, many airports do not want to relive the post-9/11 era when terminals that were not designed to handle a massive influx of pas- sengers at the checkpoint became huge bottlenecks, severely affecting passenger throughput and customer satisfaction. Therefore, it is safe to reserve more space to accommodate any potential change that may be implemented in future security screening checkpoints. 7.2.2 Terminal and City Transportation Links Interconnectivity between terminals and how the airport is connected to surrounding infra- structure will be critical in enhancing efficient passenger processing in the future. Intermodal integration will be important; according to most of the architects surveyed, U.S. airports are lagging behind their European counterparts, particularly with respect to intercity rail services, primarily because Americans are more dependent on cars whereas Europeans and Asians are more dependent on public transit. As population increases and demographics change, the public transportation network will be increasingly more important, especially for large hub airports where land is scarce. The airport express at Hong Kong International Airport (shown in Figure 7-2) is a great example of how public transportation links the airport to the city’s center. Examples of U.S. airports having excellent rail service to the city center and having integrated the rail station into the terminal include the airports serving Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. (Reagan National Airport). 7.2.3 Amenities As passengers become more dependent on their portable electronic devices, they expect a wide array of amenities to help them stay connected, such as charging stations, free Wi-Fi connections, and workstation-type counters for laptop users. Figure 7-1. Free-span, open ticketing halls. Courtesy of Alliiance.

98 Improving the airport customer experience Passengers also want diversity and to maintain their lifestyles everywhere they go. As such, terminals must be dynamic enough to accommodate the needs of passengers with a diverse set of profiles. Singapore Changi Airport is a good example. To serve its diverse passenger traffic, it offers a large selection of passenger amenities ranging from a butterfly pavilion, swimming pools, cacti, orchids, sunflower gardens (rooftop gardens with a large variety of flowers in different terminals), a social tree (9-meter interactive display board), a koi pond, a 12-meter high slide, a video game gallery, and movie theaters. The butterfly garden at Singapore Changi Airport is shown in Figure 7-3. Through the use of technology, passengers are also staying more informed throughout their journeys. They are less stressed or worried about whether their gates have changed, if their flights are on time, how far it is to the closest restroom, or if there are better food options near their gates. Being informed allows the passenger to dwell longer in the concessions area, which generates higher revenue for the airport while providing greater customer service. Several of the architects believe that this higher level of information will create a potential opportunity for larger, more centralized concession malls supporting smaller holdrooms by area compared to larger dedicated holdrooms where passengers have traditionally spent most of their time. Source: MTR Corporation Limited 2015. Figure 7-2. Airport Express—Hong Kong International Airport.

customer Service trends in terminal Design 99 7.2.4 Sustainability Sustainability is playing and will continue to play a huge role in the evolution of terminal designs. Sustainable design not only increases passenger satisfaction with better ambience through natural light and ventilation; it also provides better passenger comfort with adjust- able temperature ranges via beacon technology sensors. In addition, it reduces energy con- sumption, which can result in net zero waste, enhancing social responsibility and further reducing maintenance costs. ACRP Report 80: Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects (Landrum & Brown, Inc. 2012) provides additional information on sustainable design. 7.2.5 Baggage Several architects noted that, aside from passengers, baggage is the second largest issue an air- port terminal must deal with. As the aging population increases, sloped-plate devices—known to provide double or triple the capacity of flat-plate devices—may become a challenge. In July 2010, Tampa International Airport installed new flat-plate baggage claim devices to accom- modate its senior customers. With flat-plate devices, aging passengers are not required to lift baggage over a lip or edge, and they require less reach since sloped-plate devices are designed to handle depths of up to three bags. As technology advances, baggage tracking technology such as smart baggage tags (discussed in Section 7.3.4) will become fully adopted. The main advantage of this technology is precise track- ing of bags, which reduces the passengers’ uncertainty and discomfort related to whether their bags made the journey. This may reduce space needed for baggage service offices and airline staff to handle lost bags because passengers are kept informed throughout the entire process. The bag is tracked, not lost, and no longer requires a tracing request. 7.2.6 Retail and Hospitality Many of the architects interviewed believe that the next trend in passenger terminals will be a blend of hospitality-quality guest services and high-end retail services. The future terminal will require less processing and more passenger-centric services and hospitality treatment. For exam- ple, as shown in Figure 7-4, the new terminal at Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming resembles a Courtesy of Singapore Changi Airport. Figure 7-3. Butterfly garden—Singapore Changi Airport.

100 Improving the airport customer experience lodge-type terminal. The architects took the cues from hospitality and high-end retail services and integrated them into the airport environment; they have received a positive response from the traveling public. 7.3 Innovations and Technological Trends Affecting Terminal Design and Layout In recent years, passenger trends have changed since the adoption of smart phone and mobile technologies. In 2014, the airline telecommunications service company Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA) reported in its Passenger IT Trends Survey that mobile device adoption among passengers is at a high point, with 81% of passengers carrying a smart phone, 43% carrying a laptop, 43% carrying a tablet, and 18% carrying all three devices (SITA, June 2014). The 2015 SITA’s 360-degree report noted that globally, 97% of passengers bring a mobile device with them on trips. Technology has transformed the way passengers experience the airport terminal (SITA 2015). A wide variety of self-service technologies have been implemented in many U.S. airports, including self–bag tagging, self–check-in, and self–gate boarding. Due to different security pro- tocols, some airports abroad are more advanced in implementing automated bag-drop stations, home-printed bag tags, and 100% self-service passenger terminals to take full advantage of pass- ing control of the check-in process to customers. Examples of airports using these technologies are Halifax International Airport in Canada and Bergen Airport in Norway. Meanwhile, Ameri- can Airlines is implementing handheld device check-in via roaming agents at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). These technologies are discussed in further detail in Chapter 8. Additionally, according to some of the architects interviewed, a shift in the relationship between airports and airlines is occurring. Because airports want better control of their rev- enues and expenses, they are beginning to want more control of their facilities and are resisting airline control of color schemes, holdroom furniture, and other airline brand elements, which airlines had previously fought for. Airlines, on the other hand, are increasingly trying to execute on their brand within the airport passenger experience, through mobile apps, or online when passengers purchase their airfares. Some airlines are beginning to feel more at ease about turning back the brand identity to the airport in exchange for common-use technology to relieve their lease obligations. Common-use technology not only allows airports more flexible use of their facilities, it also improves processing capacity within the same building footprint and avoids or delays the need to expand. © Gensler; image credit: Matthew Millman. Figure 7-4. Jackson Hole Airport.

customer Service trends in terminal Design 101 7.3.1 Beacons According to the architects interviewed, the recent popularity of beacon technology at air- ports (see Section 10.10) has fostered new opportunities in terminal design, and their use goes beyond identifying locations. With an add-on sensor, beacons can enhance sustainable features within the terminal by monitoring temperature ranges and lighting levels and then sending signals back to the heating ventilation system to self-adjust throughout the day. This not only reduces the airport’s energy consumption but also enhances the overall passenger experience. Because of the technology’s capability to deliver hyper-contextual content to the passenger, beacons can serve as a wayfinding tool for passengers to navigate around the ter- minal independently, get up-to-date airline boarding information or changes, and receive concession coupons as passengers pass through certain points within the terminal. Keeping the passengers informed will allow for less convenient spaces to still be visible to the passenger and navigate around. In addition, beacons can track passenger patterns through Bluetooth technology. Data collected can be used to inform airports of bottleneck/congestion points and customers’ spending habits so that airports can more effectively position retail and hospitality offerings to customers and provide personalized services. I-Beacon technology is illustrated in Figure 7-5. 7.3.2 Advanced Security Screening Since 9/11, security screening has become a part of the traveler’s experience that has changed the space requirements and priorities in terminal planning and design. Some indus- try associations and airports have explored new ways to improve passenger service at the SSCP, with benefits such as increased processing throughput and reduced queues and build- ing footprints. • The Smart Security Program (formerly known as Checkpoint of the Future) is a joint collaboration between ACI and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to pro- vide for a seamless journey from curb to airside. The goal of the program is for passengers to proceed through security in a streamlined process via risk-based screening. It promotes remote image analysis for carry-on bags as well as greater automation with biometric ID. With advancements in screening technology, the program projects that by 2020, the security screening flow will be uninterrupted. An example of a Smart Security checkpoint is shown in Figure 7-6. Courtesy of SITA. Figure 7-5. I-Beacon technology. Courtesy of IATA. Figure 7-6. Smart Security checkpoint.

102 Improving the airport customer experience • SecurXpress is a unique screening reservation system rolled out at Montreal International Airport to let passengers reserve a specific time during peak to go through checkpoint screen- ing. The reservation system is a text-based free service provided by the airport to expedite security access and to improve queue management. • Biometrics involve using various unique passenger tokens, such as the fingerprint, iris, face, or heartbeat, to authenticate security screening. This technology is more popular in European airports where privacy intrusion is less of a factor for passengers than in the United States. • Automated Passport Control is a CBP program to expedite the entry process for U.S., Cana- dian, and other eligible international travelers. The automated process is provided through CBP’s primary inspection area to promote shorter wait times, less congestion, and faster processing. • Preclearance initiative. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in May 2015 that it intends to expand air preclearance operations to nine foreign countries: Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. This means that passengers boarding flights from these countries can go through immigration, customs, and agriculture inspection by CBP officers at foreign airports before boarding a direct flight to the United States. The initiative could greatly reduce the amount of CBP facilities needed at U.S. international gateways, improve passenger throughput, and enhance the customer experience. 7.3.3 Concessions and Holdrooms According to most of the architects interviewed, concession and holdroom integration is a growing trend to optimize passenger exposure to revenue-generating opportunities while providing a more pleasant experience for the passenger waiting to board. San Francisco Inter- national Airport’s Terminal 2 is a perfect example of this successful integration; it recorded the highest combined spend rate for food and beverage and retail of domestic terminals within the United States. JetBlue Airways also implemented a similar concept at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 5. As airports continue to take in more non-aeronautical revenues from this type of space integration to enhance passenger interaction, other air- ports will follow. Other innovative technologies include automated food ordering on tablets that OTG Management has implemented at several airports such as Minneapolis–St. Paul, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, and Toronto Pearson International (pictured in Figure 7-7). LaGuardia Airport has recorded a double-digit increase in sales since deploy- ment in 2012. Photograph courtesy of OTG Management. Figure 7-7. Automated food ordering, Toronto Pearson International Airport.

customer Service trends in terminal Design 103 7.3.4 Smart Baggage Tags RFID baggage tags are a reliable technology for screening and identification of checked bag- gage. They substantially improve baggage processing and retrieval rates compared to the more common barcode technology. Large airports such as McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Hong Kong International Airport have already adopted RFID baggage tags for improved handling capacity. Permanent bag tags are the other paperless option and allow passengers to use Bluetooth technology to encode flight information on their permanent tags via mobile devices. This is a reliable technology that offers a separate tracking device in the tag using Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology to broadcast the baggage tag’s precise location at any given time to keep the passenger informed. Individual carrier systems (ICS) provide for accurate and reliable baggage handling and are designed for both high-capacity and high-speed baggage handling systems. Baggage is trans- ported throughout the system by individual bins or tubs. This technology enhances passengers’ satisfaction through fast, flexible, and safe baggage handling from check-in to screening and discharge. With its increased reliability and traceability, ICS could be the next generation of mainstream baggage handling systems and would bring substantial improvements in customer satisfaction. 7.4 Aesthetic Considerations, Sense of Place, and Ambience According to the architects interviewed, incorporating a sense of place is a priority for most airport operators. Passengers embrace reflections of local cultures in airport terminals that create a sense of place through use of local materials, art, and food offerings. For example, the new terminal building at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport showcased approximately 2,500 pieces of local art. Not many people get to visit the local museums, so the architects brought the museum to the airport, introducing local cultural elements to airport visitors. Similarly, San Francisco International Airport has a permanent museum with dedicated staff located inside the international terminal. Singapore’s Changi International Airport incorporated the Garden City principle into its ter- minals, reflecting Singapore’s unique identity and nickname as the “Garden City.” Aside from local cultural characteristics, well-lit, open, and column-free spaces that provide ample daylight reduce passenger anxiety and are great features to create a more welcoming area. Modern travelers appreciate a dynamic environment that they can personalize. When asked which terminals offer a superb or best-in-class customer experience, most of the architects interviewed believed international airports are leading the way. International airports compete in the global market and serve passengers who value diverse amenities, concession offer- ings, and customer services at a greater scale. International airport operators are more sensitive to profit making and increasing revenue streams. They invest more time and energy in strategizing concession locations to maximize revenue generation so that design and revenue are integrated. Responding to a different set of customer demands, international airports strive to deliver better customer services through a wide array of amenities and facilities to enhance their bottom lines. This is the reason why there is such a difference between international airports shooting for an IATA level of service (LoS) “A” design standard, while a majority of the U.S. airports are shooting for an LoS “C” design standard. London Heathrow’s Terminal 5 does not have a traditional curbside; instead, the airport placed the curbside inside the parking garage and created a garden where curbside lanes

104 Improving the airport customer experience would normally be located, thereby enhancing the customer experience. Munich Airport, which also does not have a traditional curbside, integrated the airport city concept with an event center that offers passenger services such as shopping (supermarket), rock concerts, and a Christmas fair. In North America, Vancouver International Airport is considered one of the best of its kind, according to the architects. San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 2 also received recog- nition for implementing a healthy food, fresh-from-farm concept for passengers who are more conscious about food sources. Many of the architects interviewed focused on specific terminals that are done well. Examples include airports in Atlanta and Denver, which have efficient terminal layouts that separate the airside and landside using an automated people mover (APM) to assist connecting passengers. Meanwhile, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal D integrates concessions well with the terminal. The synergistic marketplace at San Diego International Airport’s Terminal 2 West is also cited as a successful example where food, retail, art, and services are all offered in one location. Airport terminals are passenger driven. Any substantial change in passenger habits, demands, and usage patterns will affect terminal space design. In general, the panel of architects agreed that some elements will be important in the development of future airport terminals: • Flexibility. The future is full of unknowns. To minimize expensive capital expenditure later to modify the terminal facility, it is wise to incorporate flexibility by creating large column-free space within the terminal to allow for more fluid use of space. • Sustainability. Integrating sustainability within the terminal to enhance passengers’ comfort and emotional experiences (e.g., through lighting and temperature) and also minimizing environmental impacts (e.g., through energy consumption and savings). • Revenue-generation opportunities. More strategic location of concessions areas to increase passenger exposure will produce higher revenue. Beacon technology has the power to track passenger patterns and inform airports about where passengers congregate for more strategic placement of concessions. Holdroom/concession integration also produces high passenger exposure, which increases revenue. • Public transport connection. Public transit—both bus and rail—promotes sustainability and reduces carbon emissions. These are positive social/economic factors that also provide a more convenient option for a changing demographic, especially in urban centers. • Streamlined passenger processing. All passengers want efficiency in their travels, especially for the millennial generation, which is characterized as less patient. The less time they wait in a queue to be processed, the more time they will have to explore and generate potential revenues for the airport, and the more satisfied they will be. • Technology enhancement. Self-servicing, common-use technology, beacon technology, RFID bag tags, and smart security have the common goals of increasing passenger through- put and satisfaction. The more passengers are informed of their flight status, change in gate, where they are in the terminal, and so forth, the more they feel at ease and less aggra- vated. A happy customer will anticipate a pleasant experience the next visit and will act accordingly. • Large array of amenities. The passenger’s dependency on technology and higher customer service at other international gateways are driving higher expectations in general. Many inter- national gateways, such as Changi International Airport, Dubai International Airport, and Munich Airport, offer a wide variety of options to accommodate a diverse passenger base. As airports become more business oriented, delivering a product that will leave passengers wanting to return is part of being successful. When the economy is poor, airports feel more

customer Service trends in terminal Design 105 obligated to increase non-aeronautical revenues and keep costs per enplaned passenger low in order to be self-sustaining. Many international airports are modifying their business mod- els by customizing their facilities to fit the changing needs of their passengers because they understand the financial benefits this can bring. U.S. airports are also upgrading facilities to meet the higher standards of today’s passengers. As a result, future passenger terminals should be able to accommodate a diverse customer base, provide quality options, and deliver lasting impressions so that passengers will happily return.