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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/140389
DIGITALCONNECTIONS The system works perfectly with mobile sites, which are typically simplified sites that only contain a handful of data, such as arrivals, departures, airport amenity information, etc. "At the top of the page, there is usually space for an ad or something," says Benjamin. "But with our system, a Tweet shows up instead." While most airports already have Twitter accounts, this system requires them to set up a separate Twitter account that only authorized users, such as an airport director, marketing or media professional, may access. ROA, for example, has its marketing and communications department sending Tweets. Wallace indicates that though they can—and do—send information via their traditional Twitter feed, that information does not show up on the airport's mobile site. The FlightView system put these updates at the top of ROA's less-clunky mobile site where they are easily accessed by travelers and their families. "Airports still have their normal Twitter feed to interact with customers, but they have a separate Twitter feed for priority announcements and the only people who will have access to it will be those authorized to do so," says Benjamin. Airport officials can release Tweets from wherever they are too. For example, if the airport director encounters snow so deep he cannot leave the house, and needs to notify passengers that the airport is closed due to weather, he can Tweet from his cell phone or his home computer. If a tornado rips through and knocks down power lines, he still may be able to send messages via his cell phone. As part of the mobile site implementation, FlightView sets up a back-end system that Benjamin describes as a "really diligent Twitter follower." This scans for Twitter feeds from the emergency notification system every couple minutes. When it spots a Tweet, the system posts it at the top of the airport's mobile website automatically. "We don't have to bother our IT guy at all to do this," says Wallace, adding, "for which they are eternally grateful." Tweets appear at the top of ROA's mobile website. WHAT'S IN A TWEET? A well-informed traveler is a happy traveler, says Benjamin. And Wallace readily agrees. "This system is great for immediate, need to know information. And it gets to our customers. They don't necessarily have to follow us on Twitter or look at our Facebook page to see it." It works best when relaying information about irregular operations, where things are not going as planned. The most obvious use of the system pertains to weather delays but it also can be used to report other issues. For example, if the road around the airport is being rerouted due to construction that might be a Tweet that airports want to put on their site. Maybe an airport parking lot is closed, so a Tweet stating Parking Lot C is closed for renovations makes sense. And, Twitter limits such posts to 140 characters, which easily fit at the top of an airport's webpage. While it hasn't been that long since smartphones have been on the scene, they have definitely changed the way everyone—including airports—does business. Today's traveler expects to have up-to-the-minute information, and is let down when they don't. FlightView's new system provides a way for airports to spread the word in a very transparent and rapid fashion. WHAT A TRAVELER WANTS FLIGHTVIEW conducts an annual survey, and in its 2012 survey of the traveling public (of which more than 80 percent reported carrying a smartphone), it found that the following non-traditional airline or airport mobile apps were of interest to them. f 67.9 percent wanted visual tracking of their plane's location when it was not on the jetway, f 65.6 percent sought real-time alerts on special conditions, like parking lot closings, emergency announcements, etc., f 44.6 percent wanted GPS walking directions for the airport, f 37.5 percent wanted to be able to view restaurant/activity deals and offers for their destination, and f 1.7 percent wanted to be able to order food from terminal restaurants and have it delivered pre-boarding. Source: FlightView June/July 2013 airportbusiness 19