U.S. Airports: Failing to Earn Their Wings?

First of all, let us be clear about one thing: this is not another blog harping on poor treatment of American airline passengers in the skies.

Instead, we thought we’d take a look at how U.S. customers feel about the air industry…when they are still on the ground.  After all, a pretty decent argument can be made that customer expectations and feelings about airlines don’t begin as they pass through the airplane doors on their way to cramped middle seat 31B. They start the moment consumers pass through the automatic double-doors from the curbside at airports. Not to mention that in many air travel journeys, passengers may just spend as much time checking in early and waiting outside the gate on the ground as they do in the air.

Aviation industry consultancy company Skytrax annually distributes awards for the world’s best airports. Its awards are determined during a nine-month survey of airline customers, self-described as “the largest annual global airport customer satisfaction survey”.

Airports were judged in 39 categories across a range of services, facilities and assets – including: terminal comfort, design and cleanliness; waiting times at security; friendliness of airport staff; clarity of terminal signage; location of airport lounges; internet facilities and Wi-Fi; choice of shopping, bars, restaurants; and baggage delivery times, among others.

What the 2015 awards turned up shouldn’t be a surprise, but in some ways is noteworthy: U.S. airports are a pretty miserable place to begin or end travel.

The top U.S. airport was none other than Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, placing 30^th on the list of the world’s top 100 airports. For five consecutive years, this relatively unknown airport has won the award for “Best Regional Airport in North America”. Elsewhere in the nation, Denver rated as the U.S.’s No. 2 airport, placing 33rd globally. Rounding out the top five from the United States were San Francisco (#36 globally), Atlanta (#44) and Seattle-Tacoma (#54).

But don’t start the “USA, USA!” chants just yet: we don’t even host the best airports on our continent. Canada’s Vancouver International was the top airport in North America, placing 11^th in the world’s best airports survey.

So, if we aren’t the best, who is? Singapore’s Changi Airport won the honor of World’s Best Airport–for the third consecutive year. In fact, all of the world’s top 10 airports were in Asia (six) or Europe (four).

Here’s a look at the Top 10 World’s Best Airports for 2015, with their 2014 ratings in parentheses:

1. Singapore (1st in 2014)
2. Seoul/Incheon (2nd)
3. Munich (3rd)
4. Hong Kong International (4th)
5. Tokyo Haneda (6th)
6. Zurich (8th)
7. Central Japan International/Nagoya (12th)
8. London Heathrow (10th)
9. Amsterdam Schiphol (5th)
10. Beijing Capital (7th)

It’s easy to discern from these results that American airports are not providing customer service on a level of quality that competes with global standards.

What is also striking is the absence of some the U.S.’s largest airports: Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, and Washington’s Reagan – all of which should be motivated to provide excellent service. Then there’s Atlanta. As one of the biggest transition/layover destinations it should be a priority for customer service innovation and excellence, given that it is the ‘gateway’ to many domestic and international destinations…perhaps the ‘flagship’ of American airports. Instead, Hartsfield Airport fails to make the top three U.S. airports.

We get and totally understand that U.S. airlines have enough work on their hands to improve the customer experience that they manage and control from end-to-end while their customers are in the air; U.S. airports are operated and maintained by a completely separate framework of entities.

However, what this survey brings to light is that it is critical for those airport organizations and the U.S. airline industry to partner more closely together to ensure that the complete cycle of the customer journey is considered – even as airlines continue to feverishly address some of the well-publicized and deep-seated inadequacies of air travel today. That handoff between the airport experience, and the “in-the-air” experience, has never been more important.

CX Act’s Take…

There are many attributes that make up a great airport experience, such as ease of access, restaurants, and services offered – or even something as simple as the signage guiding you through the airport. Of course, these are not the only factors that make up a great airport experience.

Thousands of in-person interactions take place every day at airports, and the results of each interaction and engagement can have profound impacts on the way people feel about airport encounters.

Granted, a good number of the categories cited in the airport survey cannot be fixed or improved by the CX industry; many have to do with infrastructure and facilities. But many categories on the list can be positively impacted and changed by the kind of expertise that CX Act and others offer in the marketplace of customer engagement.

Here are a few examples of how consumer-oriented ‘soft skills’ can change the airport experience:

• Security Staff: Building interpersonal skills, such as rapport building and voice tone, can turn a teeth-grinding wait through security into a tolerable, or even pleasant, one.
• Clarity of Boarding Calls and Airport PA’s: Using proper voice tone and enunciation can be the difference of knowing about a gate change — or actually missing a flight.
• Lost Luggage Service: A little empathy and setting the proper expectations can go a long way toward making a customer feel like they are being treated properly…and that their misplaced bags are on their way.

As the nation that really perfected luxury air travel in the early days of commercial aviation, it may be time for the U.S. to rediscover that legacy – beginning in the airport terminal, not just the airplane’s aisles.