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INDUSTRYNEWS 7 Airport Marketing Trends According to Google, 80 percent of today's travelers plan their travels online and half of them use mobile devices to access travel information. And, according to TripAdvisor, 75 percent of business travelers and frequent flyers carry smartphones, and just as many of them log on to airport WiFi when it is available for free. 1 Advocacy - Airports invest in creating unique experiences to convert travelers into advocates who are happy to endorse them to their friends online. 2 Social Care - Through social media, airports tackle customer issues in real time, thereby building goodwill. AMERICAN AIRLINES… Launched a system-wide boarding process that saves boarding time by allowing customers with just one personal carry-on to board earlier. AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Announces the city's Art in Public Places program is looking for professional artists or artist teams to design work for its Terminal East Infill Project. Story Telling - Airports attempt to build deeper relationships with travelers by telling stories of their employees, of airport operations and even of travelers. 3 CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION'S… Residential Sound Insulation Program was named Project of the Year by the Federation of Women Contractors. 4 DELTA AIR LINES… Plans to drop its money-losing hub in Memphis, Tenn., this fall, eliminating 230 jobs. Crowd-Sourcing - By drawing power from the masses, airports find a new effective means to a variety of ends such as product innovations, development of communities and improving passenger experiences. 5 Red Carpet - To cater to the rise of middle-class travelers in specific international communities, more airports are using local social networks and speaking their "language." Knowing this, airports across the globe are embracing the techno-social transformation and investing in innovative products and services to connect to travelers expecting accessibility in their pockets. The following are the Top 7 Airport Marketing Trends as identified by Simpliflying in the State of Airport Marketing 2013. Virtual Shopping - Airports and retailers can now extend their reach to gate seating areas and sell products through effective signage and technologies such as QR codes. JAMESTOWN REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY… Receives $657,715 in grant funds from the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission for improvements to the airport. 7 LINDEN AIRPORT… Receives $237,600 in FAA funds to repair cracks and do other preventative maintenance on the municipal airstrip's 4,137-foot runway. Innovative Air Service Development - Airports are investing in segmenting and targeting potential passenger markets to become more appealing than their neighboring competitors. There's nothing worse than an FBO that doesn't meet expectations or offer the services pilots need. Fortunately, aviators can now more accurately rate their experiences when shopping for FBOs at GlobalAir.com's Airport Resource Center (ARC). The new five-star rating system provides quick, easy feedback for users when comparing fuel prices or reviewing weather conditions. Pilots can view ratings on each FBO's page to get their overall score, or select the rating system to view a more detailed rating of each facilities' cleanliness, front desk and line services. airportbusiness HEATHROW AIRPORT… Plans to name and shame noisy airlines, with those found guilty of breaking noise limits facing bigger fines. 6 FBO Report Cards Online 6 FAA… Has asked the world's fuel producers to submit proposals for fuel options that would help the general aviation industry make a transition to an unleaded fuel. June/July 2013 PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… Gears up to launch its new website as part of an $80,000 initiative to improve its functionality by the end of July. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT… Became the second airport in the United States to offer Minute Suites, which provides suites that passengers can relax, conduct business and sleep in at the airport.