Mobility has become a key factor in driving end-to-end processes in the aviation industry, says Claudia Ramsden, group manager customer care at Airports Company SA (ACSA).
"Passengers are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets to book tickets and reserve seats; for seating assignments and baggage tracking; and for real-time information on flight arrival and departure times and weather and traffic conditions. South Africa ranks fifth in the world in relation to mobile ownership and active usage of smartphone data, and we have to take advantage of this in terms of where we want to go with customer interaction and how we share information," she says.
Ramsden states that aviation industry is operating in a 'connected traveller' era, largely driven by tech-savvy individuals who know what they want, when they want it, and this information has to be available at their fingertips.
"They usually carry more than one device, and the number of passengers with access to these devices grows year-on-year. What has been of huge advantage to us has been the easy accessibility this has given ACSA in understanding our customers."
She points out that 70% of ACSA customers want their boarding pass on their mobile phones, 79% want to use self-service check-in options, 76% want self-tagging, 90% customers want information such as flight delays or emergencies communicated directly to their smartphones, 60% want the airline to contact them via social media, with only 9% not interested.
"Airlines and airports around the world are starting to look at these stats and using them to enhance the customer experience and make it more personalised," she adds.
"We are developing a mobile app where customers can have features such as flight status gate/terminal information and changes, delays, cancellations, allowing customers to find flight connections and status, also enabling them to secure parking space and track the exact spot where the car is parked on return."
She notes that food outlets at airports have also started using smartphone navigation apps where the customer can order from their device and the outlet tracks and brings food to them, wherever they are in the airport.
Ramsden cites Tesco, who rolled out an interactive virtual grocery store at Gatwick Airport to help travellers shop for their return using their smartphones, as an example.
"The virtual store allows commuters to shop at airports, subways and at bus stops by pointing and scanning billboard images of products like milk, bread, cheese, wine and chocolate with their smartphones."
According to Ramsden, ACSA operates nine airports in SA, with total passenger throughput per year of about 3.5 million and we land half a million aircrafts per year, with contracts in India and Brazil as well.
"To meet the service demands of this sheer volume, we've had to tap into the continued growth of smartphone adoption," says Ramsden.
She states that the next few years will bring a major shift in how the aviation industry delivers its services.
"Services will be streamlined, more personalised. There won't be as many people providing a service at the airport, it will be an entirely automated, faster journey," she concludes.
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