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Three ways by which airports can generate ancillary revenue

Intelligent passenger recognition systems allow airlines and airports to deliver personalized services to travelers while better managing access to lounges

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Sonal Desai
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MUMBAI, INDIA: Airports the world over are struggling hard to monetize services they offer to their VIP customers, into ancillary revenue.

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Unisys has expanded its portfolio of aviation industry solutions with three intelligent passenger recognition systems designed to help airlines and airports improve the passenger experience in their VIP lounges. These solutions not reduce expenses, but also provide opportunities to generate ancillary revenue.

The offering combines Unisys’ systems integration experience and aviation industry domain expertise with technology developed by Information Engineering Group (IEG). The new technology, called AIMS that can be delivered via cloud as software-as-a-service or on-premise.

The solutions enable airlines and airports to better service passengers based on their location, preferences and travel needs.

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How the technology works?

The new lounge tracking solutions include:

Scan and go: Provides automated passenger recognition upon scanning a boarding pass, credit card or ID for quick and seamless processing of each customer entering the lounge. With the flexibility to include optional un-manned kiosk and handheld devices, the solution improves the customer experience by offering personal customer service, while preventing revenue leakage from unqualified passengers entering the lounge.

Customer insight: A CRM solution that tracks traveler patterns and preferences including food, drink, hobbies, and business travel needs. E-kiosks identify repeat passengers when they arrive at the lounge and scan their boarding pass, credit card or ID, allowing staff to provide customized services based on their likes and dislikes.

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Ancillary management: A revenue generation tool to offer value-added services to travelers including premium food and drink packages, health and relaxation tools, and business travel support.

Data captured across all solutions is accessible via a comprehensive dashboard that can run reports on passenger traffic, revenue generation, and provide details of the customer’s travel history. The solutions offer Simplified Interline Settlement (SIS) compliant reporting and billing services, providing standardized billing and accounting for faster transactions between airline partners that share lounges.

A survey of aviation industry executives conducted by Air Transport News found that the majority of airport lounges still use manual, spreadsheet based systems instead of an intelligent passenger recognition system. Additionally, a four-week trial conducted at a major European airport in early 2014 estimated that real-time automation to enforce business rules and lounge access could provide airlines with more than €2.5 million (approximately $2.7 million) in annual savings.

Olivier Houri, President, Global Transportation, Unisys, said, “Millions of dollars are lost by unqualified passengers gaining access to airline airport lounges. AIMS intelligent passenger recognition helps lounge operators manage costs and enforce access requirements while supporting the sale of more ancillary revenue products to passengers.”

“The airport lounge is a critical customer touch point,” said Michael DiCorpo, President, IEG. “The AIMS lounge solution not only provides lounge operators the ability to expand access to more travelers, but also provides more opportunities to market lounge services and offerings directly to this growing population.”

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