While travellers may have varying opinions on whether they like flying or not, most of them would not have nice things to say about the airports. Of course there could be certain exceptions but generally travellers complain about connectivity, security, luggage handling and lot more. We invited travellers in different social communities and platforms like Quora and Reddit to share what they would like to see in airports that would improve their experience. Here are some of the expectations that were shared by travellers:
Effective communication systems
Loud announcements and large screens have been around for far too long. It is time they are replaced by something better. Everyone has got a mobile phone and it can be at the centre of everything we do. Why not use that to communicate useful information to the passengers? Push notifications or even something old school like text messages can be of great help, especially when you consider the fact that airports see travellers from all over and not everyone might be comfortable understanding the announcements in English at the tempo they use.
Better navigation
By now you must be familiar with your home airport and it is likely that you won’t face much trouble finding your way around other domestic airports in your region. But can you say the same about the airports in other countries? Some of the airports are really big and not so easy to navigate around. Indoor navigation using LE Bluetooth or any other suitable technology could really help ease the life of travellers.
Wi-Fi
It is 2016 and we really feel sad that Wi-Fi still finds a spot on this list. Almost all the major airports offer Wi-Fi connectivity, but how many of them can be used without any frustration? We aren’t even talking about free connectivity here. Even if you choose to pay for high speed internet while you are waiting to board your flight, you will be discouraged by the slow and tedious process and this certainly has to change.
Less friction
Airlines are inviting people to web check-in, use kiosks and whatnot. Still there is lot of friction and the processes continue to be slow and in most cases, the airports are slow to adapt. From long queues to drop the luggage to the manual process of adding baggage tags, there are lot of promises that need to be fulfilled.
More power outlets
This one is a no brainer. If you are going to expect the passenger to download the airline app and use it at multiple places, you also need to ensure that it is powered up. Airports desperately need more outlets to charge the devices at accessible spots.
What else do you think needs to be added to the airports?
