How technology improves the customer experience at Heathrow Airport

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There are a handful of different ways that technology improves the customer experience at Heathrow Airport. I recently flew through Heathrow on my way to CEX in the City in Amsterdam. I then stayed a night in London on my way back home.It afforded me the opportunity to fully experience the airport both coming and going. Here are a number of things that stood out:

Heathrow waiting time1. Waiting sign at security – We’ve all dreaded the possibility of missing a flight. There is nothing worse that watching the time between your flight dwindle away in a slow moving security line. While checking in at security on this trip, I noticed an overhead sign that indicated the average time to get through. The sign gets updated every 15 minutes with the average waiting time. A great way to manage expectations.

2. Self service scanners – Upon getting to the front of the security line, I noticed there were no guards. Similar to a subway gate, you scanned your boarding pass for entry. Super simple and quick moving.

3. Facial recognition – Residents of the EU and Switzerland can self service themselves right through border control. The chip in the passport allows the system to use facial recognition. Check it out 32 seconds in on this video:

 

4. Pods – Need to get to Parking from Terminal 5? Get ready for a scene out of the Jetsons. Travelers enter automated driverless electronic PODS. The pods are accessed on demand and take passengers to the parking lot in about five minutes. Fantastic for the environment. Have a look at this video:


5. Free internet – Travelers at Heathrow are eligible to receive 45 minutes of complimentary basic wifi. Easy log-on and plenty of time to check your e-mail before boarding.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Check out this video from Heathrow on packing. Learn to pack like a PRO:

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Stan Phelps
Stan Phelps is the Chief Measurement Officer at 9 INCH marketing. 9 INCH helps organizations develop custom solutions around both customer and employee experience. Stan believes the 'longest and hardest nine inches' in marketing is the distance between the brain and the heart of your customer. He is the author of Purple Goldfish, Green Goldfish and Golden Goldfish.

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