Airport Experience® News - Retail & Amenities Issue 2023

pre-pandemic, only to be paused by COVID-19-related shutdowns. John Wayne Airport Orange County’s (JWA) OC AirPass was born in April 2020 in the height of pandemic concessions shutdowns as a way to provide non-badged employees with access to food and drink. The program debuted to the public soon after. Other airports have more recently jumped on the opportunity. Ontario International Airport’s (ONT) ONT+ Program launched in 2022 and Tulsa International Airport (TUL) kicked off in May 2023, at a time when both airports face record travel numbers. “We are always looking for ways to enhance the airport experience for passengers and the community,” says Andrew Pierini, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at TUL. “TUL Visitor Pass gives people the ability to meet their loved ones at the gate or extend their goodbyes, as well as enjoy all the amenities TUL has to offer.” A More Robust Airport Experience Steve Lambert, public information officer for ONT, says the program gives travelers a fuller airport experience. “We started

our ONT+ program in November (2022), through a collaboration with TSA, as a service to our customers and community,” he says. “We love the idea of being able to drop off or pick up a family member or friend directly at the gate, while giving the non-traveling public an opportunity to enjoy our restaurants and shops on the post-security sides of our terminals. Guest passes were possible before, but we wanted to come up with something that was fast and simple, using technology to get a pass almost immediately.” For the team at DTW, the 2019 pilot program was successful enough to warrant its re-launch in 2021. “We saw the Destination Pass as an opportunity to bolster our award-winning customer experience by allowing the non-traveling public to access our terminals,” says Randy Wimbley, DTW’s communications and public relations manager. While each program has slight variations in user application — some programs such as the OCAirPASS are only available on the day of service, while others like SEA Visitor Pass and ONT+ ticket are available as early as seven days prior to use — the uniting factor is a significantly broader

Above: Guest pass programs allow non ticketed passengers

onto the terminal airside, opening up myriad options for dining, shopping or exploring the airport.

airport access point for visitors, as long as they pass the same TSA screenings as ticketed passengers. Airport executives say that opening their doors to locals, with security top of mind, creates a greater community buy-in. That can be more important than ever in supporting the independent brands and micro-economies surrounding airport centers. “OCAirPASS is a wonderful opportunity for the public to explore the airport and discover our numerous amenities, including our music program JWALive, which hosts musicians playing live music in areas throughout the terminal, and our Play Me Piano, where travelers who are musicians, themselves can highlight their piano playing skills,” says AnnaSophia Servin, manager of public relations for JWA. “People will also be able to experience

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