Airports aren't always the most pleasant of places and while many may fly frequently they may not all have the perks of a lounge or other benefits. Instead they are likely to struggle to sign onto the Wi-Fi or endure queues just about anywhere.
In another seemingly separate scenario, travellers are earning loyalty points from various airlines and companies but don't always know where to spend them.
New technology is due to launch in October that aims to use the latter to make the airport experience more bearable. It has a view of providing corporates a white-label loyalty platform and dashboard centred on getting more from loyalty programmes and improving how travellers spend their time in airports.
It has been devised and built by Song Hoi See, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium and his team as a new avenue aside from the group's airport lounges, hotels and meet and greet services. See clearly takes pride in solving pain points but is also well aware that airports are failing to truly work for tech-driven travellers, particularly those in younger generations, and is using this loyalty scheme as a way of bringing components together in a mobile environment.
Named Arrture (the start of arrival and end of departure), the platform will plug-in various points-based schemes in an app so travellers can burn points on facilities in and around the airport such as food, drinks, duty free, lounge access, hotels or chauffeur drive. Payment is settled within the app and travel buyers will have back end control and a report of activity and where points are spent.
"Airports are more of a lifestyle facility now…and must increase their level of service and stay up to date for new travellers. Many policies say travellers can only fly business class for a certain length flight so to compensate they can use Arrture to get lounge access and other benefits all under one account," See explained to me. "I feel we have not had the logistics in place to approach corporates [until this launches]; we want to have good software and to help them".
The move is part of a growing push by the group to improve airports for those that are less interested in traditional services. See also reveals the group is in talks with airports about "digital and interactive facilities" that appeal to mobile-loving travellers, and it has already brought street food pop-up style vendors into its lounges to mix up food and beverage options.
It's another case of a third party filling the gaps where others (here airports and airlines) have not been able to. Is a scheme like this the way to go for those travellers that don't reach the higher points tiers?