When we talk about travelling by air, several words immediately spring to mind: Stressful. Queues. Fear. These aren't made up. I asked a few work colleagues who arrived at this rather shaky consensus, but I'd be surprised if you disagreed. But what about glamorous and exciting?
The glamour of air travel appears to have been eroded as budget airlines bring prices down, along with travelling standards. Airports, under pressure from security requirements, have become giant queues and despite the British love/hate relationship with queuing, it does feel like many airports have lost their mojo.
When did air travel lose its glamour and what would it take to bring back the magic?
It doesn't seem that long ago that people dressed smartly to fly, and I'm fairly sure the changes have happened within my lifetime, probably around the glorious year of my birth, 1966. In that year, a chap called Freddie Laker started a business modestly named 'Laker Airways'. A 'no frills' airline business model that has become the blueprint for EasyJet, Virgin and Ryanair.
I remember in the mid 70s, flying to see my grandmother in Spain every Christmas. My parents would drop me at the airport with a giant hang tag around my neck reading 'Unaccompanied Minor'. Don't worry, this isn't about parenting skills, really it's not. What I remember is the glamour of it all. An extremely chic stewardess would hold my hand and parade me through the airport, to the inevitable 'oohs and aahs’ of the other passengers. Or at least, that's how I remember it. And while my memory may be a little rose tinted, it was definitely a special event.
Airports can still be positively emotional places. In departure we feel the anticipation of a new destination, at arrivals the excitement of meeting family or friends. I am thinking of 'that scene' in Love Actually . And if you have 73 seconds, see how it makes you feel and you'll get my drift.
So why do some airports no longer reflect or tap into this?
At 3Sixty, we've been working with the IPA on their Behavioural Economics task force and much of what we've learned could be applied to airports, changing perceptions or designing experiences so that customers feel good.
For example, what if we made queues fun? Would it matter that it took 45 minutes to get to the front? Probably not, provided you weren't already late. Look at Disneyland. They don't see queuing as purely logistical; they try to change the experience by making it part of the ride.
How about a loyalty programme that, in return for various levels of data, gives free trolleys, wireless connectivity and discounts on parking? So now, instead of a disgruntled customer, you have an advocate that, our research has shown, can spend up to three times more.
Or, what if, just after you've been told to throw away stuff like your bottled water or shaving foam, security offered you coupons to replace them? People typically spend more than the face value of any voucher, so retailers get more money and the airport comes across as helpful.
Implementing creative ideas like these could make money for airports at little to no cost, shifting customers focus from the negative to the exciting. Or, dare I say it, even a return to the glamorous side of air travel.
Image of 1959 Boeing- 707_main-lounge courtesy of x-ray delta one.