b'INFO TECHNOLOGYATW | CAE 55Development at CAE, is also enthuseddisplays only flights originating from thatair service, which can help them refine about the online aid.airport. When consumers select a flighttheir marketing strategies because they When we first heard about it, I thoughtoption, they are connected directly to thecan see what consumers are buying, it was a really clever and unique featureassociated airline. he elaborates. For example, airports that we could use to not only drive trafficThey book directly from an airlinemight advertise flights to Las Vegas, but to our website, but encourage our localwebsiteno middleman involved,they typically dont know if customers community to fly locally, she says. OurRomme emphasizes. Thats importantactually looked for those flights, much constant message is to book local andbecause if something goes wrong,less bought them. But now they know fly local. like a flight cancellation, the airline willwhat customers clicked on, searched help them. The airport isnt part of theand bought. FlyMyAirport provides a way to show consumers that we can get them wheretransaction, so it doesnt get those callsAlso, before FlyMyAirport, airports they need to go, starting right here atfrom customers. didnt know their customers names CAE, Crafton continues. It fits into ourAirports pay $2,000 per month tobecause they booked flights elsewhere, layered approach to marketingone ofuse FlyMyAirport, plus a one-time set- Romme continues. And if you never many things we do to ensure that ourup fee of $2,500. Under Airport Onesknow your customers, you cant build community travels through this airport. satisfaction guarantee, airports canrelationships with them or understand cancel the service at any time.how to better service them. Now, airports Plugging the Leaks Romme notes that officials at largeget to know their customers and their Steve Romme,customers get to know them.airports also are expressing interest partner and co- in FlyMyAirport to help develop directAnother use for the dashboard founder of Airportrelationships with consumers. data is market analysis for air service One, explains thatdevelopment. FlyMyAirport wasThe core of FlyMyAirports appeal lies in its ability to act like a restaurantGiven the information it gathers developed afterand customer connections it fosters, years working withmenu, allowing airports of all sizes to communicate the best offeringsRomme considers the website platform ATW as a marketingSTEVE ROMME unlike anything else ever developed for consultant, trying tothat align with their consumers very specific needs, he says. This isnt justairports.boost passenger traffic.about leakage prevention. Its about But a common frustration keptelevating the overall customer serviceMore Efficient Ad Buysemerging. When ATW would run ads onand experience and making it easier forWeber agrees with that assessment. social media encouraging travelers toconsumers to find the best flight optionsBefore ATW started using FlyMyAirport in fly out of Appleton, links to third-partyavailable from their airport.July 2023, it would run ads and hope for online booking agents would directconsumers to click the included link to travelers to cheaper and/or nonstopDashboard Data book flights out of Appleton.flights out of airports in Milwaukee orAirport One provides clients with an onlineNow we know if theyre doing that, Chicagowithout information about thedashboard that details several criticalhe says. If we spend, say, $100 on additional travel time or transportationwebsite metrics, including: advertising, we can see an actual return costs associated with using those larger, daily visits, on investmenthow many people farther-away airports.actually booked flights as a result of thatnumber of unique visitors,People essentially were being directed number of searches by destination, campaign.to fly out of another city, Romme which flights/destinations travelersThis allows us to adjust our explains. So weve been on a missionprefer and which they dont, advertising dollars for peak efficiency, to get more people to fly local. WhenWeber adds. It allows us to peel back airports are strong, communities arevolume of free visits unsupported by advertising and another layer on our marketing strategy strong, too. and get a little more insight into whether the total number of tickets FlyMyAirport offers what he calls apurchased. campaigns were successful, which search-to-book solution. Consumers whohelps us ensure every dollar we spend visit the website of airports using it willThe metrics provide airports withprovides a return on investment. Its been see the platform prominently displayedvaluable information that can help thema revelation.on the airports home page. After theyspend marketing dollars more efficiently, says Romme. The website platform also has helped enter a destination and select departureATW reduce its dependence on paid and return dates, they are directed toThe data gives them an indication ofonline advertising, because it gives Kayak.com, a meta search engine thatwhat consumers think of their currentconsumers a reason to organically visit AirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2024'