Airport Experience® News -Customer Service Issue 2026

NDUSTRY INSIGHTS

yet proof of commercial return. It is proof that airports can combine live operating information, conversational AI and human support in one passenger-facing experience. Building A Relationship Put those pieces together and a different kind of airport relationship becomes possible. Imagine a traveler landing at 7:15 in the morning with a connection three gates away. With the traveler’s permission, a digital marketplace could use arrival gate, departure gate and boarding time to surface two nearby breakfast options that can be prepared before boarding. A frequent traveler could see the coffee order she regularly buys. A parent traveling with young children could ask for a family friendly option within a five-minute walk. The point is not to send more offers, but to reduce cognitive load. A passenger with forty minutes before boarding does not need fifteen ads. That passenger needs to know what is nearby, what fits the available time and what is likely to be useful right now. The commercial value follows from that usefulness. Concessionaires get a better chance to reach the right customer instead of relying only on foot traffic. Airports can spread demand across terminals, support

Left: LAX Order Now brings food and beverage, retail and services into a single point of engagement. Success relies upon Los Angeles World Airports, its commercial developer, concessionaires and technology providers to work together.

leisure traveler may be open to a premium or destination-themed experience such as wine tastings or cocktails. Further, the same passenger may want something completely different on the return trip. The hardest part will not be the recommendation algorithm. Airport commerce is fragmented by design. The airport, airlines, concessionaires, technology providers and brand partners each control different parts of the passenger journey. If every participant builds a separate app, loyalty program and data set, the passenger still experiences silos. A better model starts at the airport level. The airport can establish the shared marketplace, consent rules and participation standards. Concessionaires can contribute menu availability, preparation times and transaction data. Airlines can provide relevant flight context when passengers opt in. Brand partners can help fund and design offers that are useful to travelers and workable for operators. That does not mean every airport should attempt a fully connected system on day one. Start with a few practical use cases. Recommend options based on gate, time and walking distance. Let travelers save dietary preferences or favorite orders. Test a small number of dynamic offers tied to daypart, weather or destination. Measure conversion, average check, repeat use and passenger satisfaction. Keep the features that improve the journey and remove the ones that merely create noise. Additionally, trust has to be designed in from the beginning. Travelers should know what information is being used and why, and participation should be voluntary. The traveler experience of 2030 will not be defined only by what is available in the terminal. It will be defined by how well the airport and its partners understand the passenger’s needs in that moment and respond to it. The groundwork is already being laid for this evolution. The opportunity now is to connect it.

local operators and grow non-aeronautical revenue. Strategic brand partners can participate in moments that fit a real need rather than paying for impressions that may not lead anywhere. This is especially relevant in beverages because demand changes so much by context. A morning commuter wants speed and consistency for a coffee, juice, or smoothie order. A family on a long layover may want a comfortable place and kid-friendly choices. An international

Below: With new technology, a digital marketplace could use arrival gate, departure gate and boarding time to connect travelers to nearby concessions, narrowing the choices for harried travelers.

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AX NEWS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026