FAB 2024
Towards an enhanced airport customer hospitality journey
In an illuminating session focused on engaging airport visitors through service and hospitality, the audience heard a series of insightful presentations from Ontario International Airport CEO Atif Elkadi, DreamFolks Services Chairperson & Managing Director Liberatha Kallat and Plaza Premium Group Director of Global Brands and Transformation Mei Mei Song.
The trio then joined The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie for a discussion about enhancing the role of hospitality in the customer journey. Moodie remarked on how Ontario International Airport staff had been a pleasure to deal with in every encounter he’d had with them since arriving and asked Elkadi about the secrets behind courteous people and service.
Atif Elkadi: A bond with the community
Elkadi replied: “I would say for us as an organisation it’s the passion that we have for what we’re trying to do for our community. It’s bigger than any single one of us. It’s about growing this airport and this community to be the true aviation gateway for Southern California that it was meant to be many years ago. People didn't take it seriously.
“But that has changed and we are making a difference. We are going to be that aviation gateway that this city deserves. And every one of those Ontario Airport people you see wearing the blue sweaters today, or in our airport, they firmly 110% believe that.”
On his part in building Ontario Airport’s reputation as a friendly and hospitable place, Elkadi said: “I stay out of their [our staff’s] way because they do such a great job. I let them do their thing; I just push them and come up with some crazy ideas. And they are absolutely all in.
“They’re starting to believe a little bit more and I say this to our team all the time: ‘We are barely scratching the surface’. There is a lot more that we’re going to get done.”
Song was asked about the company’s partnership with Paradies Lagardère, which is set to create a new hospitality brand in North American airports, based around the Vino Volo concept – a lounge and F&B experience with a strong focus on wine.
She said: “We’re in the business of making travel better and we’re constantly thinking of how we can co-create, work together with partners and build experiences. This is set to be a great example of that.
Mei Mei Song: Outlined the next steps in the Plaza Premium journey
“It’s very expensive to build [lounge concessions] in the USA. The first time we went into Canada, we basically had to revisit our blueprint for design and everything else. And we thought how do we do the same thing in this US market? I think this partnership with Paradies Lagardère allows for our strengths to come together for us to bring a premium experience, but at the same time, not to be high capex.
“I love the idea of centring it on wine, I love the concept of the whole overall experience of what we can bring. This is not just as pure F&B, there’s a wine element to it, and I think this could be very special.”
Liberatha Kallat: Breaking new boundaries in India
Moodie used the stunning Plaza Premium Intervals cocktail bar project at Hong Kong International as a great example of innovation in airport hospitality. Song commented: “I saw this as a chance to raise the bar and push the limits in airport hospitality and I think my idea has proved to be a good one. So many things are possible in the airport, we just need to push ourselves a little more.”
Kallat has been instrumental in driving her company Dreamfolks from its inception to its current position as a leading player in the Indian airport services aggregation industry, with much of its work surrounding airport lounge access.
She was asked about the challenges in her country, where airports are often overcrowded and sometimes not conducive to a great hospitality experience. Sharing her belief that the tide is turning, she pointed to the example of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru and the great work it has recently done on the hospitality front, particularly in regard to lounges.
Kallat commented: “The changes are coming. We don’t want lounges to just offer food and a comfortable chair to sit in. It has to be more than that – passengers want a wider range of services. Travellers are looking for choice; they want different options.
“The complete lounge experience we are now seeing at Bangalore Airport has shown what can be achieved. It’s a great case study of how we can take it forward, and we are going to see that across other airports in India as well.”
the Discussing how to lift customer experience were, left to right, Atif Elkadi, Martin Moodie, Liberatha Kallat and Mei Mei Song
FAB eZine
August 2024
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