Guidelines for Improving Airport Services for International Customers (2016)

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3 C H A P T E R 1 International air passenger travel to and from the United States is a crucial component of the U.S. economy. (International air travel is defined as passengers traveling by air to and from the United States.) U.S. airport terminals can be the first or last impression international passengers have of their destination or of our country as a whole. Improving the airport experience for the wide range of travelers who comprise this ever-important international air travel segment is para- mount to maintaining and enhancing the reputation of the United States as a world-class business and leisure destination. 1.1 Background International air travel to and from the United States dates back to the 1920s with Charles Lindbergh and Juan Trippe creating a global network of air travel routes (Branson 1998). In the years since, international travel has become commonplace for much of the world’s population and now accounts for approximately 42 percent of global air travel based on 2014 global passen- ger traffic data (Airports Council International 2014). (Global air travel is defined as passengers traveling by air to and from any country in the world.) As the growth of global air travel has evolved so has the interaction of service providers with passengers (i.e., customers). The entities providing the end-to-end travel experience are as diverse as the travelers themselves. At the core of the travel experience are the airlines that move passengers from their origin to their destination. Others having an important role in the travel experience are the owners/operators of the airport terminals, third-party service providers, and federal agencies. In many cases, the passengers’ impression of a destination is greatly influenced by their experience in the airport terminal. In May 2012, the White House released the National Travel and Tourism Strategy that set a goal of drawing 100 million international visitors to the United States by 2021, an increase of more than 60 percent from 2011. It is expected that these visitors will generate $250 billion annually in spending (U.S. Department of Commerce 2012). To achieve this goal, airlines and airports need to provide a world-class travel experience and the federal agencies responsible for security and border protection must implement efficient processes to deliver a seamless travel experience. 1.2 Research Objective The objective of this research was to develop guidelines to assist airports in implementing departure and arrival processes, passenger services, and wayfinding techniques for international travelers navigating through U.S. airports. These guidelines aim to improve communication and information services for international travelers, and identify the desired amenities and levels of service expected by international passengers. The guidance contained hereafter considers the Introduction

4 Guidelines for Improving Airport Services for International Customers passengers’ journey from origin through gateway airports to their final destination, including processing, wayfinding, and customer services. 1.3 Purpose of the Guidelines The purpose of the guidelines is to provide relevant tools and appropriate information to U.S. airports to improve the airport experience for international customers. The guidance includes a comprehensive description of the essential elements every terminal should have to create a cohesive and predictable experience for international departing and arriving passengers across U.S. airports. Terminology is a key focus. The consistent use of key terms and descriptions will promote a cohesive customer experience. This guidance uses a customer-centric approach to facilities and services for international passengers rather than the traditional process-oriented approach. The needs of passengers have evolved with the universal use of personal technology; therefore, it is important to put the passenger at the center of the experience rather than building the experience around the process. Many of the most well-regarded airports across the world use this approach and it is becoming more commonplace at U.S. airports. Notable customer service innovations from around the world are included in these guide- lines along with how to implement those improvements. These cutting-edge examples show how airports are creating a customer-centric experience through technology, facilities, and personal service. These innovative approaches provide the U.S. airport stakeholders with a consolidated resource guide of customer experience enhancements to consider implementing at their airport. 1.4 How to Use the Guidelines 1.4.1 Terminology A current trend in the global airport industry is to refer to travelers as customers rather than passengers. This guidebook reflects that trend by referring to travelers as customers. However, in some instances, the term passenger is used to distinguish between the processing of travelers and the act of providing customer service or enhancements to the customer experience. The term stakeholder refers to all entities responsible for the customer experience: airlines, airports, federal agencies, and other service providers. Throughout this guidebook, these entities are named individually, and also referred to as a collective whole. 1.4.2 Organization of the Guidebook The guidelines were developed based on the customer’s experience at the airport. Four jour- ney segments were established to reflect the customer’s journey through the airport facilities. These journey segments describe the experience for departing, arriving, precleared arriving, and connecting international passengers. Precleared arriving international passengers, travel- ing on international itineraries, arrive in the United States as domestic passengers because they were precleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a foreign airport. Within each of the journey segments, the discussion uses a what, why, and how structure to guide the stakeholder through the development of their own customer experience enhancements. The what defines the problem or need. It typically relates to passenger needs or the essential facil- ity requirements. The why provides the justification for improving the customer experience and why it will make a difference to the customer. The how provides a framework for implementing the improvement along with examples of where it has been implemented or is being considered.

Introduction 5 1.4.3 Iconography Distinct icons highlight the key elements of the guidelines. Figure 1-1 identifies the icon for data collection from the passenger experience survey. This icon reinforces that the information collected was from the customers themselves. In some cases, performance guidelines are presented to establish a benchmark for delivering customer service at a world-class level. The performance guidelines are identified by the icon in Figure 1-2. Notable innovations for each part of a passenger’s journey were identified through research and on-site investigation at some of the world’s most well-regarded airports. The icon in Figure 1-3 identifies these items. It signifies the advancement in customer service that each one represents. 1.4.4 Implementation Considerations The guidebook provides a framework highlighting the key considerations for implementing the notable innovations to improve the customer experience. The implementation sections of the guidebook builds upon the what, why, and how organization of the guidelines. The introduction to each implementation section begins with a concise description of the notable innovation (what) fol- lowed by a narrative description of the benefits (why), costs (how), and other factors, to be consid- ered in the decision-making process. The primary purpose of the implementation considerations is to allow stakeholders to make a preliminary determination whether or not the innovation should be examined further at their airport through detailed planning or design studies and a formal benefit-cost analysis. The key factors to be considered when evaluating each notable innovation for implementa- tion are described. Each description includes the applicability to various types of international terminals, implementation complexity, capital and operating costs, customer and stakeholder benefits, stakeholders involved in the implementation, the beneficiaries, and relevance to the airport’s brand. Applicability: While some innovations may be applicable to any type of airport terminal, additional descriptors identifying the type of airport terminal building suitable for each notable innovation are provided because terminals serving international passengers vary in size and in the type and number of airlines. Implementation Complexity: The complexity of implementation description considers a number of factors, including: the entities involved in implementing the recommended improve- ments, modifications to existing processes, and the timeframe for implementing the improve- ment. It also considers whether the innovation has been implemented in the United States or only at foreign airports. Capital and Operating Cost Considerations: Airports have two distinct funding sources for implementing new services or projects: capital and operating budgets. The capital and operating cost considerations for each innovation are identified so stakeholders can determine if imple- menting the innovation is feasible, given the financial environment at their airport. Customer and Stakeholder Benefits: While customers are the primary beneficiaries of most service enhancements and improvement projects, various stakeholders may also receive some form of benefit from the innovation. Those stakeholder benefits may include operational improve- ments, which have a positive effect on operational costs. The benefits for customers and stake- holders are identified to provide a comprehensive description of the benefits of each innovation. Entities Involved: The implementation matrix includes a list of the entities involved in the implementation of the notable innovation. Source: ACRP 03-35 Research Team Figure 1-1. Icon for passenger survey data. Source: ACRP 03-35 Research Team Figure 1-2. Icon for performance guidelines. Source: ACRP 03-35 Research Team Figure 1-3. Icon for notable innovations.

6 Guidelines for Improving Airport Services for International Customers Beneficiaries: The implementation considerations identify beneficiaries (the passenger types) affected by the notable innovation, including arriving passengers, connecting passengers, and departing passengers. It also identifies the stakeholders likely to benefit from the implementation, such as airlines, concessionaires, federal agencies, or the terminal operator/owner. Brand Relevance: The use of brand relevance descriptors recognizes that each airport has its own identity (or brand) to convey its image to the traveling public. In many cases, the brand is based on a specific customer experience an airport or the stakeholders want to convey. The degree to which a notable innovation aligns with a brand may be a significant indicator of whether it is considered for implementation. The implementation section provides key phrases to help stakeholders determine if a recommended guideline aligns with their brand. Examples of these phrases include: • Customer-centric airport: focus on developing services and processes around customers’ needs • Global connecting hub: focus on efficient movement of passengers • Connected airport: focus on personal technology • Personalized customer experience: focus on personal interaction • Sense of place: focus on bringing aspects of the airport’s geographic location into the terminal A matrix for each notable innovation recommended depicts the key considerations. Table 1-1 is an example of the implementation considerations matrix. 1.5 Research Approach The research for the guidelines was conducted via three major activities. The first activity included an extensive review of existing literature from industry organizations, federal agencies, airport websites, and other published material related to international air travel. The key sources of information included: • Future Travel Experience • Airports Council International (ACI) Table 1-1. Implementation considerations matrix example.

Introduction 7 • International Air Transport Association (IATA) • Transportation Research Board (TRB) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) • U.S. Department of Commerce • SITA The second activity consisted of on-site investigations at eight airports in the United States and four overseas airports. The site visits were conducted from November 2014 through May 2015 and included the following airports: • Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – International Terminal and Concourse E • Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) – Terminal E • Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) – Terminal D • John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – Terminal 4 • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) • Miami International Airport (MIA) – North Terminal and South Terminal • Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – Terminal 5 • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – International Terminal • Incheon International Airport (ICN) – Seoul, South Korea • Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) – Beijing, China • Munich Airport (MUC) – Munich, Germany • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) – Amsterdam, Netherlands The U.S. airports were selected because they represent the largest volumes of international passengers and because different types of operations—airline hub, multi-carrier, and origin and destination-based—can influence the customers’ airport experience. They also serve different regions of the world that provide diverse responses to the customer survey. The overseas airports were selected based on their customer service ratings from sources such as the ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey and the SkyTrax rankings. They are also major gateways to the United States, which means passengers will compare the experience they have at these airports to their experience at the U.S. airport. The on-site investigations included meetings with airport, airline, and federal agency rep- resentatives. During the site visits, the research team took a tour of the terminal to conduct an Unfamiliar Traveler Wayfinding Assessment (UTWA). The purpose of the UTWA was to experience the terminal as an unfamiliar traveler who would rely heavily on the information provided to guide them through the terminal. The UTWA consisted of photo documentation of the passengers’ journey through the following key processes: • International departures • International arrivals • Connections to other flights or terminals The third activity included a customer experience survey administered to passengers depart- ing on international flights who were waiting in the gate hold rooms prior to departure. The purpose of the survey was to establish what is important to a wide variety of passengers when traveling internationally. The survey was conducted only at the U.S. airports and was modeled after the ACI ASQ survey with questions specific and relevant to this research project. Approxi- mately 1,000 surveys were completed and the findings from the passenger survey are referenced throughout the document.