Challenge
Over 73 million customers pass through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) every year, making it one of the world’s most frequently visited superhub airports. Many international travelers pass through DFW, and the customer experience team wanted to help passengers, including non-English speakers, navigate through customs, security, and on to connecting flights easily. By providing helpful wayfinding instructions, walk and wait-time data, visual messaging, and essential information as translated content, DFW could enhance operations and better serve their customers in areas where passenger anxiety typically spikes.
Approach
In collaboration with DFW’s customer experience team, Synect defined custom content and visual messaging to help passengers at four decision points:
As arriving passengers head towards Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
When leaving CBP and heading to connecting flights or the airport exit
While choosing security checkpoints
During recomposure and wayfinding to gates
Synect’s Passenger360® digital signage platform was selected by DFW as a content management system (CMS) and previously implemented at the airport’s Terminal D Extension.
Synect would scale the system to support the signage and multilingual content at CBP, security, wayfinding, and beyond. The extension would increase the functionality and capability of the signs, enabling smart, automated playback and programming.
Power in Numbers
Solution
Synect designed a customization and extension to the Passenger360® system to enable the display of smart, dynamic content at CBP, post-CBP, the security checkpoint, and wayfinding locations. Synect provided professional translation services and created custom, dynamic content for the digital signage. This content plays in English and is displayed in up to three other languages at a time. The languages shown are based on the flight schedule and passengers’ country of origin. For example, flights originating from Brazil will automatically drive the signs to display Portuguese and Spanish.
The content plays across both LCD and LED displays. Dynamic data, such as estimated wait times in security lanes, walk times to alternate security checkpoints, and flight information to help passengers navigate to their gates, is automatically updated based on airport and TSA systems. This information changes dynamically and helps passengers make quick decisions as they traverse the airport.
Results
The new content and digital signage system extension resulted in a friendly, more accessible airport. The features and benefits include:
Smart, automated display of translated content to help international travelers
Hands-off operations via Passenger360®’s automated, intelligent playback
DFW-branded content that delivers a cohesive passenger experience
Dynamic wait times, walk times, and information for quick decisions
A single system to control digital signs at gates, CBP, security, and elsewhere
Building on the promise of Passenger360® and DFW’s Gate of Tomorrow, the new displays and content are helping DFW transform travel and making the airport a more pleasant, welcoming experience. The project launched in September of 2021. In November, DFW was voted as best large airport by readers of ThePointsGuy.com, who cited the airport’s lounge-like feel and advanced amenities.
Passenger Experience
Create a friendlier, accessible facility
Project Goals
Help Travelers
Deliver Helpful Info for Domestic and International Passengers
Decrease Anxiety
Provide helpful info where passenger anxiety typically spikes
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