Customer feedback showed that passengers were overwhelmed by too much information being displayed on the screens. This led to some people struggling to find their flight.
In its quest to continually enhance the passenger experience, Gatwick Airport saw the presentation and flow of information as a vital part of the jigsaw. Partnering with Samsung and Bouncepad, they developed the ‘Info Tab’ using a Samsung Galaxy Tab in a Bouncepad enclosure to deliver essential airport information through an intuitive interface that revolutionized the usability of the airport’s information system.
The new info tabs provide information to passengers whether they are quickly passing through the airport or spending a couple of hours before a flight by browsing the shops or visiting the many cafes and restaurants. Chief Information Officer Michael Ibbitson comments:
“Our vision at the start of this project was to enable passengers to have the information they needed at their fingertips. It’s such an easy-to-use system.”
Passengers can enter their flight number to access information for their flight or they can sort by airline. All the information is much easier to find than on a traditional flight information screen. The airport are also looking at the possibility of using Google Maps to help orientate the passengers. Personalised, reactive information is being provided at the touch of a button.
Gatwick passenger William Edgill was enthusiastic about his experience of the Info Tabs:.
“The tablet is customer friendly, easy to navigate and provides accurate information. It really is wonderful.”
There are currently over 100 tablet kiosks in the Airport in both landside and airside locations, carefully positioned to enable passengers to easily navigate the terminal buildings. The modular Bouncepad system allowed Gatwick to utilize a wide range of mounting environments across the airport including Floorstanding units in walkways and Desks on countertops.
The devices provided the new functionality that the airport required. Bright and easily seen screens attract the eye and encourage passengers to use them. Their cost–effectiveness has meant that a greater number can be installed when compared to the running costs of much larger touch screens or large format PCs. Summing up the success of the installation, Ibbitson says:
“We are the first airport in the UK to provide such technologically advanced information portals and we are delighted with the result. There has been a great deal of interest from other industries and we have no doubt that the public use of tablets will grow accordingly. ”