Airport Experience® News - 20 Years of the AX Conference

For other operators, brand-new forms of retail have been fruitful for airports and passengers alike. Marcos Modiano, founder and CEO of Prepango, a brand specializing in automated retail kiosks across the country, says that while the company has been in airports since 2009, “we’ve seen barriers come down for unattended transactions in general, and a willingness from new and more passengers [to] interact and transact in this unattended format.” Prepango’s success in luring customers who don’t have time to wait in a long coffee shop line - and instead, can enjoy a premium Illy beverage from one of their machines - has inspired consumer-favorite brands like Kylie Cosmetics, Sprinkles cupcakes, and LEGO to form partnerships with the company. Modiano hopes to expand into limited-edition and seasonal airport exclusive releases. Other operators have focused on solving perhaps the most common modern travel stressor — a dead battery. FuelRod co-founder Joe Yeagley says that creating a reusable, rechargeable, power bank that “doesn’t tether a customer to a wall, chair, or rental location somewhere in the airport” is the key to the brand’s success over the past decade. While FuelRod — which now processes close to 150,000 chargers a month through its “use and return” system — didn’t begin as an airport-targeted operation, a fortuitous meeting with the San Diego International Airport (SAN) team led to their future in transit retail. SAN airport executives and others responded to the prospect of minimizing the number of people gathered around limited electrical outlets, often located in inconvenient areas of the airport. By 2014 a kiosk was installed in the SAN airport, and within a decade, there were more than 50 FuelRod locations in airports across the country. In that time, Yeagley says they’ve learned that “people want options. In-seat charging is great, but not everyone wants to sit plugged into a chair while they wait for their flight to board,” he adds. “It’s counter intuitive if you consider the money spent on concessions that are meant to encourage travelers to move around the airport, shop and spend money.”

Another crucial addition to the modern passenger experience has been a ramp up toward wellness-centric offerings. The Chiroport, for example, was created as a solution to help alleviate the pains of a long travel day. In 2016, chiropractor John Harrison decided to incorporate real-time relief by bringing his services to Minneapolis St. Paul Airport (MSP) as a part of their cart program. Having successfully expanded to now serve 10 locations across MSP, DFW, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Harrison credits the business’s small footprint for the ability to scale up. “Chiroport has evolved significantly since its inception,” says Harrison, adding that while the company has refined its offerings over time, its “commitment to high-quality service has fostered loyalty across our many locations nationwide.” Above: Vending is no longer simply a selection of soft drinks and candy bars. Unattended transactions – including food and beverage items such as coffee, cupcakes and salads as well as consumer goods like cosmetics and electronics – have grown in popularity over the past 20 years.

Above: The Chiroport (MSP location pictured) is one of a slew of wellness-based amenities that have entered airports over the past two decades.

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AX NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024