News

With growing numbers of airports integrating self-service solutions into their food & beverage and retail operations, new data shows more passengers are now regularly using this technology to digitally order and pay for goods at airport concessionaires.

Figures from Servy, the enterprise self-service platform for hospitality, suggest the purchasing habits of travelers are changing, with customers now more likely to use contactless order and pay technology at airport restaurants and food outlets for convenience and sanitary reasons.

With safety and hygiene concerns increasing among travelers in the midst of COVID-19, many passengers now expect airports to offer contactless self-service options to help reduce touchpoints, maintain social distancing and improve their overall experience.

Over the past 12 months, Servy has seen growing demand for its self-service solutions – including its Order@ contactless order and pay technology and self-service kiosks – at busy travel hubs, particularly in the US. Its Grab Airport Marketplace solution, which helps connect restaurants, retailers and service providers, is now active in over 70 major airports including Los Angeles International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Data taken from Grab at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shows passenger digital order volume for food and drink has increased by 160% since the launch of LAX Order Now – an airport-wide mobile ordering platform developed between LAWA, URW Airports and Servy – in October 2020. Customers are increasingly using the service to pre-order meals at their own convenience, which also reduces interaction with staff and other passengers at the airport.

At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), an already successful program is growing the number of passengers using contactless options provided by Servy – including touch-free order at table technology, self-service kiosks and web ordering on DFW Market’s site, dfwordernow.com. Despite passenger numbers at DFW running at times 60% versus the previous year and up to 40% of concessionaires being closed as a result of COVID, the DFW Market program has maintained previous year digital sales levels, which is a testament to an increasing adoption rate of the platform.

In order to further meet the changing needs of travelers, Servy is now planning to bring its touchless technology to more airports this year. This includes launches throughout the US and their first Grab Airport Marketplace program in Canada.

Jeff Livney, Chief Experience Officer at Servy, said: “Ordering food and beverage digitally has become a way of life, and with the rise of to-go orders during the Covid-19 pandemic there has been accelerated adoption of mobile ordering. Travelers are increasingly taking advantage of this technology to have more control over their meal orders, which is helping them to reduce the number of touchpoints and maintain safe social distancing while moving through the airport.”