Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
What if your airport journey started before you even left home?
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport is exploring a service that could do just that – pick up passengers from their homes, collect their bags, complete check-in formalities and drive them to the airport, with assistance continuing right up to the boarding gate.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport is developing a door-to-door passenger service to handle luggage and check-in from home, complementing existing ‘Care by BLR’ services and digital features focused on a seamless travel experience.
The idea is to make the airport experience less tiring and time-consuming, particularly for passengers who would rather not deal with traffic, luggage and multiple processes once they reach the airport.
From a wake-up call to the boarding gate
Under the proposed service, passengers could get a wake-up call at a pre-decided time. A limousine and support staff would then arrive at their home or apartment, collect their luggage and take care of baggage tagging and check-in formalities.
George Kuruvilla, CEO of Bengaluru Airport Services Limited (BASL), a subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said the idea is to take care of as much of the journey as possible before the passenger reaches the airport.
“Once a flyer is ready, all he or she needs to do is sit in our car. From there, we bring them to the airport, take care of all the touchpoints and accompany them until the boarding gate,” said Joseph Jeune, VP (ICT), BIAL.
BIAL is also looking at whether the service could eventually continue after passengers land at their destination. The airport operator is exploring partnerships that could allow travellers arriving in cities such as Singapore or Dubai to be met at the destination airport and assisted until they reach their onward vehicle or limousine.
For now, however, the home-to-destination concept is still being worked out.
More services already available at BLR
BIAL already offers several services designed to make the airport experience easier under its Care by BLR brand at Terminals 1 and 2. Passengers can access these services through the BLR Pulse app or use them offline.
They include Meet & Assist, limousine transfers, lounge access, luggage storage, valet parking, porter services, baggage wrapping, car spa services, flower and bouquet arrangements, and airside limousine and facilitation services.
The Meet & Assist service is designed to help passengers through different stages of their airport journey, including check-in, security, immigration and baggage collection. The limousine service, meanwhile, offers chauffeur-driven transfers to and from the airport.
The idea behind these services is fairly simple: take some of the stress out of the airport experience and give passengers more help when they need it.
Order food before you reach the gate
BIAL is also making it easier for passengers to plan their meals while they are at the airport.
Travellers can browse food options and place orders in advance through the airport’s digital services. They can either pick up their food from the outlet or have it delivered to their gate, depending on their flight details.
Passengers can also scan QR codes placed around the airport and order food from their seats. The airport tracks the order and helps get it delivered, an official said.
A personal shopper service is also being planned. Under this, a Meet & Assist representative could accompany passengers while they shop, help them find their way around the retail areas and suggest products based on what they are looking for.
Checking lounge access before reaching the lounge
Another recent addition to the BLR Pulse app is a feature that lets passengers check whether their cards qualify for complimentary lounge access.
It addresses a fairly common problem for travellers: reaching a lounge only to find out that their card is not accepted.
“Instead of reaching the lounge only to discover that a card is not accepted, passengers can check their eligibility through the app beforehand,” an official said.
BASL is taking its services to other airports
The push for a more personalised passenger experience is not limited to Bengaluru.
BASL, which is wholly owned by BIAL, has also expanded its hospitality and passenger-support operations to other airports. It currently operates lounges at Tiruchirappalli and Bhubaneswar under separate brands.
The company is looking at more opportunities to expand, but says it will not judge potential airports only by their commercial prospects. Their ability to maintain the level of customer service expected by BASL will also be an important factor.
For BIAL, the larger goal appears to be moving beyond simply getting passengers through the airport. The proposed door-to-door service would take that idea a step further – helping travellers from the moment they leave home until they are ready to board their flight.
