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Are airports or airlines responsible for customers getting wet?
(This is a post by guest blogger Paul Adams, who I introduced here. -mh)
Most budget airlines (such as Ryanair and Easyjet in Europe) don’t use airbridges. That is, when you disembark from the aircraft, you must walk down the steep steps, cross the tarmac, and either enter the terminal building or board a bus which will take you to the terminal building.
These airlines don’t use them because they have quick turnaround times (usually under 20 minutes), and it is quicker to dismount the passengers down the steps than manoeuvre the airbridge into place.
This is not a good customer experience. The steps often feel unstable and are relatively difficult to navigate. One must sometimes walk around the aircraft wing and engine (not for the faint-hearted). Being an airport apron, it is almost always windy, and if it is raining, almost all the customers will get wet. (Who carries an umbrella onboard?)
Who is responsible for managing this customer experience? The airline or the airport? Certainly both brands are damaged from the poor customer experience. If customers were given umbrellas as they leave the plane, which they then leave on the bus, would the experience have a positive impact on the brand? Would people be blown away by the umbrellas? Is there a better solution?
Paul,
I think the more interesting question is what is defining "the experience".
I.e. what is really important to the customers?
By choosing to fly a major discount airline are the customers stating that cost is the defining metric of their experience?
Also, isn't the quick turnaround which hopefully leads to an on time departure of the next flight actually feeding a positive customer experience for the next plane load?