By Bryan Houck, ECP Executive Director, Extra Credit Projects
In today’s competitive travel landscape, airports must think outside the terminal and embrace the role of experience orchestrators. Today’s customers increasingly expect seamless, digitally assisted journeys that begin long before they step into the security line. Successful airports employ data-driven marketing strategies designed to shepherd travelers from the initial spark of inspiration through research, planning, booking, and post-purchase engagement. By understanding this full consumer buying cycle, airports can influence decisions earlier, capture greater market share, increase on-premises purchases, and strengthen long-term brand loyalty.
Inspiring Travel
The first stage of any journey is emotional, not transactional. Travelers are scrolling, dreaming, and exploring before making concrete plans. Airports rarely optimize for this phase, but they are missing out on a strategic opportunity. By partnering with conventions, Visitors Bureaus and airlines, as well as creating compelling social content about new routes or seasonal destinations, airports can position themselves as the perfect launchpad for a dream vacation. Messaging and storytelling should tap into emotions to encourage daydreaming and curiosity. Offering ideas for nonstop destinations can help guide the traveler from vague interest to concrete consideration. Seasonality is also an important communication point, reminding travelers of upcoming holidays and how timing matters when planning a trip. The ultimate goal is to get travelers to envision themselves at their desired destination to drive them from the inspiration phase to the planning phase.
Preparing for Takeoff
Once travelers shift from dreaming to evaluating options, they crave clarity and confidence. This is where airports can transform from passive infrastructure to active enablers. Transparent messaging delivered at the right time will help travelers make informed decisions on how to get there, when to go, and how to get the best convenience and value. Encourage them to make timely bookings without coming off as too pushy or promotional, while acknowledging that they have shifted from inspiration to action. When executed properly, this will make them feel more confident in their decision to use your airport over nearby competitors. The latter is especially true when you communicate the convenience of flying closer to home and avoiding layovers in larger hubs. This is when planning turns into booking.
Reducing Stress and Driving Onsite Purchases
The booking of a trip is not the end of the conversation–in many ways it’s just the beginning. Reduce anxiety and stress by touting onsite amenities such as parking, security wait times, concessions, accessibility options, and terminal layout. Some ideas for communication points in the post-purchase phase include encouraging passengers to:
- Download the airport’s mobile app (if available)
- Pre-book parking
- Reserve wheelchair assistance in advance
- Pre-plan dining option and retail shopping
- Take advantage of unique airport features such as sensory rooms, pet-focused facilities, Military Welcome Centers, etc.
Airports that maintain a helpful tone and anticipate traveler needs can reduce stress and increase satisfaction, even after the trip has ended. Post-visit surveys can capture valuable operational insights, loyalty messaging reinforces a traveler’s’ relationship with the brand, and personalized re-engagement nudges through e-promos and social posts can prompt future bookings or new route exploration.
The call to action is simple: create marketing and customer-experience strategies that treat the traveler journey as a continuous lifecycle rather than isolated moments. This requires coordinated digital infrastructure, data-driven personalization, and cross-department collaboration. The payoff is higher customer satisfaction, greater revenue, and a stronger brand position in the mind of consumers. When airports guide travelers thoughtfully from inspiration through post-purchase, we don’t just support the journey—we elevate it.
Extra Credit Projects (ECP) is a full-service marketing agency powered by ideas and committed to serving our clients. For 20 years, ECP has helped businesses develop brands, tell stories and create campaigns that drive results. Our team provides a range of creative solutions, brand strategy, and media planning services.
DISCLAIMER
This article was provided by a third party and, as such, the views expressed therein and/or presented are their own and may not represent or reflect the views of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), its management, Board, or members. Readers should not act on the basis of any information contained in the blog without referring to applicable laws and regulations and/or without appropriate professional advice.