Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is currently undergoing a $1 billion multi-year modernization effort. To improve the flyer experience, they are increasing the TSA screening lanes from six to 10. They're adding new seats with more integrated charging ports, higher ceilings, better lighting and more.
I'm all for upgrading our airport but I have two ideas that could really improve customer satisfaction and they cost nothing more.
First, have ground crews at the gates when the planes are scheduled to arrive. After a flight, passengers hate to hear, "Ahhh, from the flight deck, we're holding on the tarmac because there doesn't seem to be anyone at the jet bridge to receive us yet." These flights don't just arrive randomly without warning. They are scheduled EVERY SINGLE TIME. Your ground crew shouldn't be caught by surprise.
The second idea goes to Louisville's terrible reputation for slow baggage claim. Especially on late evening arrivals, it is not unusual for flyers to wait 45 minutes to an hour before bags hit the conveyor belt. There is no excuse for this.
At the end of a long day of flying, passengers notice when you make them wait longer because YOU weren't prepared for a scheduled arrival. Basic customer service like this will do much more for flyer satisfaction than high ceilings and more plugs on chairs. And it's much cheaper.
I'm Bill Lamb, and that's my Point of View.
