May
22

How do you visualise increasing air traffic?

The ageing Boeing 767 is on approach, descending you feel the odd bump as your aircraft passes through the clouds. It’s been a smooth flight, with the average 2013 standard service, but importantly you’re on schedule. Then, the flight crew announce they’ve slowed down as a result of air traffic restrictions. There is a collective groan, you roll your head back against the seat and push your iPod earphones back into your ears.

You’re delayed, it’s inconvenient, but how often do you take a moment to visualise the huge amount of aircraft in the sky around the aircraft you’re sitting on?

These time-lapse videos shot at San Diego International Airport and London Heathrow provide an incredible visualisation of the fast growing number of aircraft movements, a result of the increasing demand for air transportation around the world.

To give some perspective. In 2012, San Diego only handled 17.2 million passengers on an average 509 movements per day or approximately 215,000 in 2012. In comparison, London Heathrow handled 69.9 million passengers on 471,341 movements or 1,300 per day in 2012. Both airports operate with night curfew restrictions.

These time-lapses show only a fraction of the movements on any given day. Next time you fly, give some consideration to the coordination it takes to move these aircraft safely, and what you’re missing outside when you choose to sit in an aisle seat.

Aug
22

Has connectivity changed the way you travel?

 

Infographics are great, and even better when they mix planes and travel together.

As a lead in to the main event below, this graph from Amadeus’ provides an insight into the use of social media for travel related purposes by country. Unsurprisingly, China is on top with a 92% involvement. An increasing number of mainland Chinese are travelling abroad, and the majority of internet users, more than half a billion, use a blog or Weibo.

Social media use for travel related purposes by country. Source: 2010 JD Power’s ‘Global Airline Traveller Survey’ commissioned by Amadeus

Today’s China interacts via social media using the general population to deliver suggestions and advice people wouldn’t trust large companies or the government to provide. Chinese travel companies that harness this, such as DaoDao (到到), whose tagline “get the truth, then go” leverages this divide, are reaping the benefits as people gain trust in their services.

Amadeus missed Australia. Perhaps we don’t travel enough or we aren’t connected? Given Tourism Australia research into the influence of social media on our travel, and the emphasis Australia’s airlines place on mobile self services and connectivity through social media, one would assume we’re likely located somewhere between the UK and Canada.

Comparatively in the United States only 59% of respondents used social media for travel related purposes. This is what makes the infographic by MDG Advertising below intriguing. Why does travel connectivity in the home of social media rank in comparison to, or below developing countries?

While slightly America-centric, the infographic provides a thoughtful insight into how connectivity is influencing our travel behaviour. Specific airline data remains commercial in confidence, but several key figures demonstrate the increasing inter-reliance of personal connectivity for airline travel:

  • 26% of people checked airfare prices, and 18% of people booked flights using mobile devices;
  • 50% of travellers now use a mobile device to check flight status, up from 30% in 2011;
  • 30% of travellers use a mobile device to check-in for their flight, up from 17% in 2011.

How connected are you when you travel?

Vacationing The Social Media Way [infographic by MDG Advertising]

Jul
28

Brand spaces in Airports: IKEA’s Paris CDG summer lounge.

 

Airports seem a logical location for Brand Spaces – large volumes of tired, stressed passengers confined in controlled area looking for something to do, presents easy revenue opportunities for airport operators.

Breakdown of non-aeronautical revenue sources in airports. In Australia airports rely heavily on parking, which accounts for up to 20 per cent of all non-aeronautical revenue (Source: Venturini A, Jacobs Consultancy).

Why is it then that brand space concepts haven’t had a bigger take up in airports around the world? Perhaps airports have been solely focused on building revenue by developing traditional expensive retail concessions and gouging passengers for parking, which accounts for 20 per cent of airport revenues in Australia, as opposed to three per cent elsewhere in world (see Figure 1). As airport experiences go, you would struggle to find one to write home about in Australia, Adelaide Airport aside, but I digress…

Contrary to popular belief passengers do tire of shopping, and the frequency at which we travel today, means we are always looking for something new to engage us within airport spaces.

This is where brand spaces have an advantage. What is a Brand Space? Rather than selling products, trendwatching.com suggests ‘brand spaces’ are about accommodating consumers. They are a free space that offers passengers surprise, discovery and empathy while they relax before their next flight.

Brand spaces are not a new idea. Indeed many Chinese domestic airports have incorporated them for some years now. Both China Mobile and China Unicom were some of the first companies in China to offer dedicated airport lounges for their VIP customers. This subsequently expanded into lounges for passengers holding certain premium credit cards. In Amsterdam, ABN AMRO operates a dedicated lounge for its banking clients.

Aéroports de Paris, the operator of Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly airports, is a leader in developing airport brand spaces and is currently partnering with the Swedish company IKEA through the installation of a 220sqm‘democratic lounge’ in CDG Terminal 3. IKEA is no stranger to brand spaces, having employed the concept in bus stops and metro stations around Paris.

IKEA empathises with passengers, recognising that “holiday departures are often a source of stress and nervousness”. Consisting of 9 rooms, the lounge is all about passengers having the unusual experience of being at home in the airport. IKEA states “waiting time is on average 1 hour and 43 minutes and IKEA wanted its expertise in interior design to serve the economy class. The brand has thus installed a qualitative, well designed and comfortable area made for resting and relaxing, showing its commitment of improving the everyday life for the many”.

Airports are increasingly on the look out for new ancillary revenue streams, while developing creative solutions to reduce passenger stress and fatigue associated with the travel experience. The success of IKEA’s funky airport lounge remains to be seen (though it’s pretty much a given), but perhaps airports should be putting more time and capital into experimenting with brand spaces as a solution to both these problems.

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