Good design, for an airline, should result in the passenger feeling comfortable and while not experiencing emotional extremes, such as high stress. Part of this is of course the plane itself: an uncomfortable seat leads to an uncomfortable flight, and surely better food and drink would be appreciated. However, while looking at a journey map fo a customer, it’s not really the flight itself that causes the greatest amount of stress and negative energy. If anything, it seems that the whole process of booking a flight all the way through security causes much more stress than anything on the plane. A quick google search will show you all kinds of designs, from modern lounges to premium seating. However, most travelers will never see the airport lounge first class seating area.
So, who is innovating in the area of in-airport customer experience? Southwest took a stab at trying to redesign how people move around airports and get information on their flight.
Large, colorful signs and clear language help streamline the information that customers actually care about and need to know. They prototyped and tested their product to see how customers reacted, and designed the new signage with the influence of customer data and insight. The result? Customers were more satisfied, and employees became free to offer more actual customer service to passengers, which in turn boosted ratings and made the employees’ jobs more enjoyable.
What I particularly like about Southwest’s approach is that they kept listening to their customers and employees to find out what was working and what wasn’t. When I’m in an airport, my stress level generally isn’t going to go down until I make it to my gate; anything that makes that system easier, such as signs pointing me where to go or showing me the destination of my flight rather than the reference number, is a win. Sure, flights aren’t that comfortable, but neither are car seats. What I have in my car but not in an airport is a sense of where I’m going and timing.
I know I’m also not the only one who feels this way.
In this article, what is touched on the most is not the quality of lounge or seat but the annoyance of checking in, and checking bags in, and unpacking and repacking bags whenever you get to a checkpoint. Good airline design, at least in my mind, would focus more on this, rather than the fancy seats and VIP lounges shown in Travel + Leisure.