The role of personalised travel throughout the passenger journey

With 78% of consumers likely to make repeat purchases from companies offering tailored communications, products, or services, there’s an increasing expectation for personalised travel experiences at every journey stage. 

Airports have the opportunity to understand and respond to passengers’ needs throughout the travel experience. Technology is key to personalisation, and travel data analytics also contribute to delivering meaningful interactions pre-, during, and post-travel. 

By adopting such an approach, airports can transform fragmented touchpoints into a connected, customer-focused journey and increase their non-aeronautical revenue, with car parking and airport lounges offering exciting growth opportunities. 

To explore this in more detail, we caught up with Roisin Evans, Head of Customer Marketing at CAVU, to discuss how airports can bring personalisation to life across every stage of the passenger experience, and the benefits this unlocks for both the customer and the business. 

How can personalised travel be used pre-departure? 

The passenger journey doesn’t start at the terminal; it begins the moment a trip is booked. 

With the help of data, airports and airlines can engage travellers well before departure through timely, relevant services that enhance the experience and build brand loyalty. 

Methods such as tailored communications and predictive offers based on travel history and preferences support personalisation, simplify the journey, and drive ancillary revenue. 

Roisin shares how data-led engagement ahead of travel delivers both commercial and customer value.

CAVU: What role does data play in offering personalised travel services before a traveller arrives at the airport? 

Roisin: Data allows airports and airlines to anticipate passenger needs and tailor experiences accordingly. Information is gathered from various sources, including previous travel history, booking details, loyalty programmes, and even real-time factors like weather and traffic conditions. 

By analysing past travel behaviours, preferences, and flight patterns, airports can predict passenger needs and offer tailored recommendations such as preferred check-in options, lounge access, or special assistance. 

Data also supports seamless communication with travellers through mobile apps, emails, and SMS notifications. This might include reminders for check-in, updates on security wait times, personalised offers for dining and retail, or recommendations to upgrade lounges or car parks. 

Real-time data integration allows airports to optimise their services by allocating resources efficiently. For example, if a traveller is arriving by car, parking availability and navigation assistance can be customised in advance. Additionally, with biometric data and pre-verified traveller information, security screenings and immigration processes can be streamlined to make the journey faster and more convenient. 

By using big data and AI-driven insights, airports can create a smoother, more personalised experience that begins long before the traveller steps into the terminal. 

CAVU: How effective are pre-trip engagement strategies in driving ancillary revenue and brand loyalty? 

Roisin: Pre-trip engagement strategies are highly effective in boosting ancillary revenue and enhancing passenger satisfaction. 

By leveraging personalised offers, targeted promotions, and real-time updates, airports and airlines can encourage passengers to purchase upgrades, premium services, and duty-free products before they even arrive at the terminal. 

Tailored recommendations based on booking history, onsite behaviour and preferences can increase the likelihood of conversions, while proactive communication fosters a sense of exclusivity and convenience. 

How can personalised travel be used at the airport? 

Airports have a unique opportunity to connect with passengers during the window between check-in and boarding. With the right personalisation, this often-passive waiting period can become a tailored experience that adds value for both travellers and operators. 

As Roisin explains, data and technology can help airports deliver more meaningful engagement, improving satisfaction, easing the journey, and unlocking new commercial opportunities. 

CAVU: How can airports better capitalise on dwell time to offer meaningful and relevant personalisation? 

Roisin: Airports can maximise dwell time by using data-driven personalisation to enhance the passenger experience. 

By leveraging real-time data from flight schedules, passenger preferences, and purchase history, airports can offer tailored recommendations for shopping, dining, and relaxation. 

Personalised push notifications via mobile apps can highlight exclusive deals, lounge access, or nearby services based on a traveller’s location within the airport.  

Additionally, integrating AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants can provide customised suggestions, helping passengers make the most of their time while waiting for their flights. 

Upon arrival, personalised wayfinding systems guide passengers through the terminal, providing accurate timings at each stage. This ensures passengers are kept moving efficiently, reducing stress and uncertainty. 

Real-time data from transport systems allows flight schedules to be adapted to accommodate delays in travelling to the airport, such as a delayed train, so passengers can adjust their plans accordingly. 

Next-generation queuing systems can further enhance security and efficiency by streamlining the process, making the entire journey smoother and faster for passengers. 

CAVU: How can airports better capitalise on dwell time to offer meaningful and relevant experiences?

Roisin: To enhance passenger experience during dwell time, airports can introduce interactive and immersive services such as smart wayfinding, digital entertainment zones, and wellness areas. Offering cultural exhibits, pop-up retail experiences, and augmented reality (AR) guides can make waiting times more engaging.  

Additionally, airports can implement dynamic pricing for services like lounges, car parks, Fastrack and premium dining, incentivising passengers to explore unique offerings. Creating a seamless and enjoyable airport experience through technology and tailored engagement not only improves passenger satisfaction but also increases non-aeronautical revenue. 

How can personalised travel improve the post-trip experience? 

The end of a trip shouldn’t signal the end of the passenger relationship. 

While airports may not drive travel demand, they play a key role in shaping what happens between journeys. 

By using personalisation to stay connected post-trip, airports can build long-term loyalty, encourage repeat visits, and keep their brand front-of-mind. 

Roisin explains how data-driven strategies, like timely offers, collaborative promotions, and curated content, can turn one-time travellers into returning customers. 

CAVU: What strategies can airports use to maintain engagement after a passenger’s journey ends? 

Roisin: Maintaining engagement with passengers after their journey is a core challenge for airports due to the infrequency of travel. Unlike airlines or travel agencies, airports do not create travel demand or directly influence a passenger’s decision to take a trip. Instead, they must build long-term relationships that extend beyond a single visit, focusing on the entire customer lifecycle—from planning a trip to returning home and considering the next journey. 

Airports need to analyse passenger data to understand travel patterns, frequency, and booking priorities. By leveraging insights from past journeys, airports can anticipate when a traveller is likely to book their next trip and engage with them at key moments. This includes sending relevant updates, exclusive offers, and personalised recommendations when a passenger is approaching the travel planning phase. 

A well-timed “Welcome Home” message can reinforce a positive travel experience. Airports can engage passengers through personalised emails or app notifications that include a recap of their airport experience, such as time spent in lounges, purchases made, or loyalty points earned. 

Special offers for their next trip, such as parking discounts or lounge access, can be included as can feedback requests to gather insights and improve future services. This helps keep the airport brand top-of-mind and encourages repeat engagement. 

Airports can stay connected with passengers throughout their journey by collaborating with airline partners. For example, offering joint promotions with airlines, like discounts on airport services for airline loyalty members, and cross-promotions with airport retailers, duty-free stores, or dining establishments, can provide incentives for passengers to return. Subscription-based services, such as priority security access or unlimited lounge entry, can also keep passengers engaged even between trips. 

Airports should utilise data-driven content strategies to keep passengers engaged post-trip. This includes sending curated travel inspiration, airport guides, and destination spotlights based on past travel behaviour, offering trip-planning tools within airport apps, and engaging passengers with interactive content like AR airport maps, digital concierge services, and gamified experiences that encourage them to explore airport offerings on their next visit. 

How can data support personalised travel? 

CAVU: What types of passenger data are most valuable for delivering meaningful personalisation? 

Roisin: One of the core challenges airports face in delivering meaningful personalisation is that passengers are largely unknown to them. Unlike airlines and travel booking platforms, airports have limited direct interactions with passengers before they arrive.

This makes it difficult to build a comprehensive understanding of traveller preferences, behaviours, and needs. To overcome this, airports must leverage both digital and physical touchpoints to identify passengers as they move through the airport and connect these data sources into a single customer view. 

Airport annual booking data, including car park reservations, lounge access purchases, and premium service bookings, can be used to personalise services based on a traveller’s past bookings. For example, a frequent business traveller who regularly books long-term parking and lounge access may receive an exclusive offer for discounted valet parking and a complimentary lounge upgrade for their next trip. Focusing on upselling and cross-selling can drive average transaction value and customer lifetime value. 

Digital engagement and online behaviour also play a key role. Data from airport apps, websites, Wi-Fi logins, and social media interactions can be used to predict passenger preferences by analysing browsing behaviour, app interactions, and purchase history. 

Location and movement data, gathered from mobile devices via airport Wi-Fi, Bluetooth beacons, boarding passes, biometric identification, and real-time security queue tracking, allows airports to understand how passengers move through the airport. This helps optimise services such as security screening, shopping promotions, and wayfinding assistance. For example, if a passenger is detected near duty-free stores, personalised promotions can be sent via the airport app, enhancing retail engagement. 

Retail and ancillary spend data, collected from point-of-sale systems, mobile wallets, and past purchases at airport retailers and restaurants, allows airports to tailor recommendations and discounts based on spending behaviour. A traveller who regularly buys coffee at a specific brand’s outlet, for instance, might receive a mobile coupon for a free upgrade on their next purchase. 

Loyalty and membership data from airline frequent flyer programs, credit card partnerships, and airport lounge memberships can be integrated to offer exclusive experiences, priority services, and targeted incentives. 

Real-time travel status and external factors, such as flight schedules, real-time delay notifications, weather updates, and traffic conditions, provide opportunities for proactive assistance. For example, if a flight is delayed, passengers might receive an offer for complimentary lounge access or a discount on airport dining to improve their waiting experience. 

This only works if the data is connected and accurate, which is why creating a unified customer view is essential. Airports must consolidate various data points into a single customer view to enable seamless, real-time personalisation across the entire passenger journey. 

Access data-led insights needed to deliver personalised experiences with propel™ 

Data is the key to understanding your passengers and creating journeys that feel personal, relevant, and memorable. 

But to truly unlock its potential, you need a platform built to turn data into action, and that’s where propel™ comes in. 

Our eCommerce platform equips you with the insights to personalise every step of the journey, while helping you make smarter commercial decisions and boost revenue. 

Book a demo today to see how propel™ can help your airport deliver seamless, standout passenger experiences.