Bogdan RACOTEA’s Post

Did you know that Pearson International Airport has been named the "Best Airport in North America for passenger traffic over 40 million"? If you're a frequent flyer for work, you know how crucial a smooth airport experience is. Pearson's top-notch facilities and services make business travel a breeze. Dive into the article here: https://lnkd.in/gYyDukT9 #businesstravelnews

Gaby's Airport Chronicles #2 🛫 From my commercial management experience, I saw that no matter the size of your airport, if you have customers walking through your doors, you have an opportunity to grow your business. But to seize this opportunity, you need a well-crafted strategic business plan. So, how do you create such a plan? Here are some key principles: 1.    Define your mission and vision: Clarity of purpose is essential. What is your airport's reason for being? What do you aspire to achieve? 2.    Set clear objectives: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with your mission and vision. These objectives will serve as your roadmap. 3.    Conduct a thorough analysis: Assess your airport's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Understand your market, your competitors, and your customers' evolving needs and preferences. 4.    Foster collaboration: Engage your stakeholders – airlines, concessionaires, employees, and passengers – in the planning process. 5.    Embrace innovation: Encourage a culture of creativity and experimentation. Be open to new ideas, and especially technologies that can help you stay ahead of the curve and deliver exceptional customer experiences. 6.    Establish performance metrics: Develop a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of your strategy. And most importantly, never stop asking questions, seeking feedback, and challenging the status quo. Now, I know what you're thinking: ‘Strategic planning? For airports? Who comes up with this stuff?’ But let me tell you, it's no joke. If airports got their act together with some solid planning and objectives, they’d be like no more lost luggage, fast security lines, real food that doesn't cost a kidney, maybe some seats that don’t feel like medieval torture devices and some innovation – Imagine airports with actual Wi-Fi that work or apps that tell you where the clean bathrooms are! 😊 Because in the end, it's not just about getting from Point A to Point B – it's about making every step of the journey an experience worth remembering. How you do this is up to you. #StrategicBusinessPlanning #AirportManagement

Returning to London after a couple of weeks traveling around the World, navigating through various major (but also second tier) airports, I couldn't help but notice how often the brands present reflect a conservative strategy. This approach aims to secure a stable income for financial reporting rather than offering passengers something new that could elevate their airport experience. All of us have stakeholders to answer to and need to ensure a profit at the end of the year. However, based on my 10 years of experience with 2.0 & Partners, I can confidently say that one does not exclude the other. In fact, they are inevitably linked. It takes a bit of courage to select the brands to feature in the numerous new commercial areas developing around the globe these days, and courage pays off. Innovative, carefully chosen brands can transform airport retail spaces into vibrant hubs of discovery and delight, enhancing the passenger journey and driving higher engagement and revenue. By daring to break away from the tried and true, airports can create a unique value proposition that benefits both the traveler and the bottom line. As I reflect on my journey, I am more convinced than ever that embracing innovation and taking calculated risks in brand selection are crucial steps toward not only meeting but exceeding stakeholder and passengers expectations. Let's champion bold choices and visionary thinking in airport commercial spaces. The rewards will follow. So, I encourage all industry leaders and decision-makers: take that leap of faith, dare to experiment, and redefine the airport experience. It's through innovation and the courage to try something new that we can truly elevate our industry. Remember Steve Jobs' famous words: "Stay hungry, stay foolish." Let’s be bold, stay curious, and always strive for more. The sky's the limit!

Airline quality in 2024 is nothing to scoff at or take lightly as a customer. This an article that Miami spring break travellers/attendees will certainly not want to ignore! Check out more great content on Capital Analytics covering all industries! #CapitalAnalytics #MiamiInternational #Philippians312314

✈ As someone who travels frequently and values seamless connections, I'm thrilled to share this article about Miami International's upgrades. 🛩 These improvements not only enhance the customer experience but also serve as a crucial hub for connecting travelers to various destinations. A must-read for anyone who appreciates smooth travels and diverse connections! 😎 👜 #MiamiInternational #TravelUpgrades #SeamlessConnections"

Think Like A Travel Retailer Series - Airport Operations Impactors Yesterday we looked at how the human element can have an impact on Travel Retailers. Today, I will cover Airport Operations. These include: -      Staff shortages -      Employee strikes -      Calling passengers to gate early -      IT errors -      Cancellations & delays -      Changes in policies (i.e. airside pass process) -      Refurbishments -      Terminal changes (moving flights from one terminal to another) -      Baggage handling failure -      Air Traffic Control failures -      Border Control issues All of these issues can have an impact on Travel Retail sales. When an airport such as Heathrow may be operating at 99% capacity at times, it doesn’t take much to create issues. The travel retailer has to understand, adapt and overcome these challenges. Some of these challenges will reduce dwell time (the amount of time the passenger has in the departure lounge) and therefore impact spend. Some will add stress to the passenger experience and therefore reduce the inclination to spend. When retailers have a good relationship with the airport, they may deploy staff to support airport operations as they know it will help to recover spend. Brands that focus on their product and how much space they have, often overlook the bigger picture. Whilst their products ARE important to the retailer, they do have a multitude of things to contend with that are often outside their control. All of the things listed can have an impact on spend. Think the challenges end there? Hmm. Afraid not. Tomorrow, I will regulatory challenges. Have a great day.   I write a daily post about Travel Retail. To make sure you receive it, Just click on my profile, connect with me or hit follow, and click the notification bell 🔔 One Red Kite– Award Winning | Data Management | Reporting & Analysis | Category Projects #travelretail #dutyfree #airportretail

Day 18 - Thinking Like A Travel Retailer - Moving Gates and Terminals Something that doesn’t really feature on most peoples radar is the impact of changing gates and terminals. You often see it in airports where frequent travellers (particularly on the low cost carriers) always seem to know where the plane will be leaving from before it even appears on the flight board. Often, the same routes use the same gates week in week out. The smarter airports will ensure that the routes where passengers spend the most money on retail and F&B will be nearer the departure lounge. This is to increase dwell time. Those flights that carrier passengers with a lower propensity to spend will be placed at the furthest gates. So, if gates change and a high spending flight was moved to a gate further away, it eats into the passenger dwell time and reduces spend. Also, when airports shift airlines / flights between terminals, this has an impact on Total spend. “But it is all money in the pot… they will spend anyway?” This may be the case, often not. Retailer or brand mix may influence spend behaviour positively or negatively. The other factor to consider is budgets. A drop in sales will have a knock on effect on sales budgets but also cost budgets. This means that resource planning will have a role to play to ensure the right staffing levels are in place at the right time of day. An airport is full of moving parts and the implications of changes in Gates or Terminals can be significant. It is just another thing for the retailer to think about. Have a great day. I write a daily post about Travel Retail. To make sure you receive it, Just click on my profile, connect with me or hit follow, and click the notification bell 🔔 One Red Kite – Award Winning | Data Management | Reporting & Analysis | Category Projects #dutyfree #travelretail #airportretail Photo by Red Dot on Unsplash

Spotted at London Heathrow on a recent travel - Performance KPIs openly displayed for all passengers. This got me thinking—if such a busy airport can share their metrics with everyone openly, what's stopping us from doing the same within our companies? Providing employees with access to KPIs or data not only promotes transparency but also empowers them to take informed actions and actually be good professionals. #obeya #visualmanagement #humansystems

Ready for a seamless travel expense journey? Ramp is like your personal co-pilot, automating your reporting so you can enjoy the flight. Read on to learn more. https://okt.to/UiK6B1 #Ramp #ExpenseManagement #BusinessTravel

🚗✈️ Revolutionizing Airport Transfers: Where Comfort Meets Safety At intui we're not just another transportation service. We're your trusted partner in seamless, stress-free airport transfers. Do you know? 73% of travelers cite punctuality as their top concern for airport transfers. 89% prioritize safety when choosing their airport transportation. At intui.travel, we've made it our mission to address these concerns head-on. How? :⁠-⁠* Cutting-edge tracking technology :⁠-⁠* Rigorous driver vetting process :⁠-⁠* Luxury fleet maintained to the highest standards :⁠-⁠* 24/7 customer support But we don't stop there. We believe in going the extra mile - literally and figuratively. Our commitment to safety isn't just a promise; it's ingrained in our DNA. From sanitized vehicles to trained chauffeurs, we ensure your journey is as secure as it is comfortable. Intrigued? There's more to discover about our premium airport transfer services. 👉 Visit our landing page and get exclusive offers: https://lnkd.in/eXV7i3ny Curious about showcasing your brand to the world and elevating to new heights? As a brand strategist, I offer services to help brands stand out in this competitive landscape. 📩 Contact me at: https://lnkd.in/eX7XxKeK (For a Free Consultation to elevate your brand to new heights) What's your most memorable airport transfer experience? Share below! If you found this post insightful, don't hesitate to repost ♻️ and spread the word about smart and safe travels.