TRAVEL

Dubai Airports Successfully Concludes Operational Testing Of Terminal 3

         The successful exercise paves the way for the phased transition of operations to the new terminal, beginning 14th October. The phased opening of the terminal, which is dedicated to Emirates, will be implemented in four phases to ensure that systems and processes are all in place and thoroughly tested. The aim is to make sure that all aspects of the customer experience at the new terminal are smooth and convenient when it opens to public. Some 3,800 volunteers from the public were involved in the final simulation which was focused on testing both the arrival and departure processes as well as the facilities

for passengers transferring between flights at the airport. Dubai Airports has now had valuable input from more than 8,000 members of the public who were enthusiastic participants in the three major airport simulations that have been conducted over the last few months. Volunteers were asked to give their feedback on their experience to assist the airport in bringing the terminal to a full state of operational readiness so that the large and complex facility can be successfully opened in October. The three exercises also served as useful experiences for the many thousands of staff from the companies and government agencies who will work at the facility, enabling them to familiarise themselves with the operation of the new terminal in an environment which was close to an everyday operation at the airport. Some volunteer ‘passengers’ boarded and disembarked from aircraft which were at the gates of the concourse and a wide range of the retail and catering facilities were in operation. Terminal 3 and its airside facilities at Dubai International will not only boost the capacity of the airport to an annual figure of over 60 million passengers, but will provide a significant enhancement to the quality of customer service which will enable Emirates and Dubai Airports to attract a significant number of new travellers to Dubai over the next few years.

Global Passenger Survey Highlights Explosive Growth In Self-Service But Baggage Is Next Challenge

         SITA, the specialist provider of IT solutions to airlines and airports, today said there is overwhelming evidence from passengers surveyed at six of the world's busiest airports across five continents, that self-service is fast becoming the norm for passengers from Atlanta to Moscow and that the main challenge to even broader adoption of 'do-it-yourself' travel management is baggage.

The SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey takes an in-depth look at the attitudes and habits of a representative sample of the 232 million passengers who use the following leading international airports: Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta; Mumbai International; Charles de Gaulle, Paris; Moscow Domodedovo; Sao Paulo Guarulhos, Brazil; and Johannesburg. The data is extracted from interviews with 2,143 passengers conducted at the departure gates earlier this year. 

Hani El-Assaad, SITA Regional Vice-President, Middle East & Turkey, said:

'This survey confirms that self-service is here to stay with potential for truly explosive growth in emerging markets. Despite low internet penetration in India for example, already almost 20% of passengers at the country's largest airport, Mumbai International, are using the web to check-in. Overall 57.6% of surveyed passengers used the web to book their flight and 36% checked in on the web or on a self-service kiosk. Willingness to re-use is very high.'

'Baggage is the number one reason quoted by almost half passengers (48.4%) for not using self-service check-in options when available and this negatively impacts the passenger experience and limits the savings and efficiencies made possible by self-service technology for the industry. Addressing the baggage dilemma is a key milestone to achieving a target of 80% self-service check-in for the industry.' 

Amongst potential solutions, the survey found that 47.8% of travellers would be willing to use both remote check-in and bag-drop services in the future; while 42.2% of these travellers would even be actually willing to pay for remote baggage check-in services. 

Autonomy and Transparency

The survey, now in its third year but expanded to include airports across the globe, confirmed the travelling public's desire for greater autonomy when it comes to making their own travel arrangements. Only price (70.5%) and flight schedule (63.1%) rank above 'ability to make your own arrangement on the web' (42.5%) when passengers were asked what they consider most important when making their travel arrangement and reservation. 

Ease of use (72%) and time saved (60%) were the most popular reasons for online booking, followed by the fact that the web makes comparison of the various options easier (56%). The air travel market place is becoming increasingly transparent to price and schedule sensitive consumers, promising an even more frantic competitive environment. 

Demand for More Functionality & Ancillary Services

Air travellers are in general techno-savvy with 93% of the passengers surveyed carrying a mobile device. 

The survey confirmed that passengers would welcome the extension of their self-service experience online to functions that will allow them to modify their reservations, for example (66.7%). This is also evidenced by the quick penetration of web check-in with 60% of passengers stating they will be using it in future; the proportion of those willing to use it as frequently as possible is expected to double. 

Passengers also had a positive view of the possible future expansion of kiosk use for flight transfers (53.8%) and reporting lost baggage claims (41.8%). 

Ancillary services represent a real opportunity for airlines to leverage their brand and market foot-print to act as trusted e-commerce travel service providers, with the proportion of passengers willing to use airlines' websites frequently to book hotel rooms for example, expected to almost double in the coming years. Present levels of usage among passengers surveyed for Booking Hotel/ Apartment/ Car park/ Car rental, are 11.2% for frequent usage and 22.6% intermittently. 

Automated border control and security processing was acceptable to 48.7% while a weighted average of 40% of passengers would accept that an airline/airport uses location sensing technology to locate passengers and guide them through the terminal. The highest acceptance was in Sao Paulo (69%) while the lowest was in Paris Charles de Gaulle (4%). 

Globalisation and Regional Variations

While there is a globalisation dimension to the spread of the self-service revolution, there are also important regional variations highlighted by the survey which impact on the effectiveness of the investment in this technology. 

In Atlanta (95.4%) and Charles de Gaulle (98.6%), there is almost 100% awareness of the availability of self-service check-in but 45.4% of respondents in Sao Paulo could not tell if there was a self-service option available for their flight and lack-of-awareness numbers were also high for Johannesburg (44.7%); Domededevo, (33.6%); and Mumbai, (24.7%). 

Passengers flying on more than 100 different airlines and representing over 60 different nationalities were interviewed during April/May 2008 in this independent survey.

Dubai Airports To Start First Phase Of Operations at T3 From Oct 14

         Dubai Airports has announced that a phased transition of operations to Dubai International’s new Terminal 3 will start from October 14, 2008. 

The ‘soft’ opening will be implemented in four phases, to ensure that systems and processes are working to the highest standards of efficiency

, enabling customers to make their way through the facility as easily and speedily as possible. The Emirates Airline-dedicated terminal is currently undergoing operational readiness trials to ensure that customers have an unmatched experience, whether arriving, departing or in transit.HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, and Chairman of Dubai Airports said: “Terminal 3 and the associated development represent a much needed expansion of Dubai’s aviation infrastructure. The new facility will play an important role in supporting Dubai’s economic progress, and reaffirm the city’s image as an emerging global aviation hub.” Reiterating that Terminal 3 will be made fully operational in a phased approach, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: “Raising customer service standards at Dubai International is at the heart of our strategy. We want to make absolutely sure that all the systems and processes at Terminal 3 are working smoothly and that customers experience nothing short of world-class facilities and service when they use the new Terminal. It is precisely for this reason that we have decided to make Terminal 3 fully operational in phases.” He added: “We are also conducting a series of operational readiness trials at Terminal 3 and its airside facility as a run-up to the ‘soft’ opening in October.”

Dubai Airports conducted the first major operational trial, involving over 2,000 volunteers, on August 9. Some 6,000 volunteers will participate in similar trials scheduled to be conducted later this month and at the end of September.

Emirates Terminal 3 Geared For Growth

         Designed with the capability to handle 43 million passengers a year when fully operational, Emirates Terminal 3, scheduled to open on 14th October 2008, promises travellers the perfect start to an amazing journey from this avant-garde airport.

The terminal is being opened in phases and the first phase commencing 14th October will see flights arriving and departing to destinations in the GCC namely Doha, Muscat, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jeddah, Damman and Riyadh and in the Americas namely New York, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Toronto. The second phase will open flights to the Middle East and Africa. Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, the Far East and Australia will be serviced in later phases. 

Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: 'Emirates has always been at the cutting-edge end of the industry - whether it is the aircraft that carry our passengers, the technology that powers our operations or the facilities that house them. The new Emirates Terminal 3 is a testament to our corporate values that will see our passengers enjoy ease of travel, home comforts and refined luxuries both in the air and on the ground - helping us to deliver on our promise and fulfil customer expectations from the Emirates brand. Emirates Terminal 3 is geared for the phenomenal growth we have charted for the airline and provides us with a solid home-base from where we can soar higher than before.' 

Emirates offers a large buffet of choices when it comes to checking-in for the flight. The car park greets travellers with 1,870 slots and a full 4500 m2 check-in hall with 18 counters that cater for both standard and oversized baggage. Passengers can check-in their luggage at the car park well in advance of the flight and go back home, only to arrive back in time for the flight. 

Alternatively, passengers can access the On Line Check-In option at www.emirates.com from their homes or offices, and when they arrive at the terminal for the flight, simply drop off their bags at one of the Self Service Kiosks and collect their boarding passes. Or, travellers could choose to directly check in, with or without baggage, at one of the 60 Self Service Kiosks dotting the terminal. 

Passengers can also check-in the traditional way - by arriving at Emirates Terminal 3 three hours in advance of the flight for Economy Class travel and two hours for First and Business Class -through 126 manned counters at Economy; 32 at First and Business; and 10 for Skywards premium members. 

A new porter service, with minimal charges, has been introduced to save passengers the trouble of carting their own luggage. 

Children travelling alone have access to dedicated lounges at the check-in, departures and arrivals levels. These lounges have experienced staff and are replete with reading and drawing materials, TV, video games and light refreshments to keep the little ones enjoyably engaged throughout their journey. 

Two Special Needs Lounges in the terminal have been designed to accommodate wheelchairs and travellers with physical challenges. Baby strollers are available at both check-in lounges while information desks and helpful Emirates Airport Services staff will be on hand to answer all passenger queries. 

Passengers can grab a bite or chill out with friends at the ten food outlets in the terminal, ranging from popular brands of coffee shops and fast foods to international cuisine. And if you have time before the immigration process, why not begin the hunt for that perfect gift in the 4800 m2 expanse of retail space that includes three Duty Free shops? 

There are 50 immigration counters - 38 traditional and 12 e-gates - after Economy check-in and 14 - 10 traditional and four e-gates - after First and Business. Passengers are swiftly through to the concourse, even during peak times, and ready to indulge in the splendours offered at Emirates Terminal 3. 

Concourse 2, with 670,000 m2 of space, equivalent to 120 football fields, ushers travellers to a whole new world of luxury with premium lounges, retail and spa therapy, 14 restaurants, and two hotels. From here, passengers conveniently board an Emirates aircraft through the 26 gates, including five A380 gates, and fly away to their destinations. 

Road signage clearly marks the entrance to Emirates Terminal 3. Access for Economy Class passengers is from the main kerbside. First and Business Class passengers have a dedicated kerbside entrance at the First and Business Class check-in area. 

Editor's note: The Emirates Terminal 3 complex includes the car park, Terminal 3, where passengers check-in for their flights and Concourse 2, which houses the premium lounges, retail and shopping areas and the gates from where passengers board their flights. Emirates Terminal 3 also includes Concourse 3, which is currently under construction.

Dubai International’s Terminal 2 Undergoes Major Refurbishment

         Terminal 2 at Dubai International has undergone a major refurbishment, extending check-in and boarding facilities, revitalising the interior and exterior décor, plus offering more dining choices, to give customers an enhanced travelling experience. Currently serving more than 25 scheduled airlines, the extended facility will increase capacity from three to some five million passengers a year. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, commented: “Terminal 2 has seen tremendous growth over the past decade of its operation, due to its popularity as a convenient and flexible gateway for customers travelling into and out of Dubai.

“This make-over has given a fantastic boost to the facility, a new lease of life and a freshness that’s sure to give us a thumbs-up in terms of customer satisfaction and comfort.” The terminal building now boasts a bold red façade, with clearly defined entrances for Arrivals and Departures and a wide drop-off area running between the terminal and the extensive covered car parking beyond. Queuing time has speeded up for departing passengers with the extension of the Check-in area where counters have increased from 22 to 36. The Boarding section has been transformed into a spacious and comfortable seating area, lit by natural light, with a Marhaba Lounge and children’s play area opening shortly. The new open boarding gates allow several flights to board simultaneously, considerably improving both passenger and aircraft movement. Passengers can choose from a range of dining options, including the Hatam Iranian Restaurant, McDonald’s, Costa Coffee, Baskin Robbins Ice-cream and Tropicana Juice bar. The Dubai Duty Free shopping area covers 1,400 square metres in Departures and 50 square metres in Arrivals and carries a wide range of international brands. The 3, 437 square metre extension includes a larger Arrivals hall where the finishing touches are being put to new counters for car rental and currency exchange outlets. For transiting passengers, a shuttle service runs between the terminals, with a journey time of 20 minutes approximately to Terminal 1 and 30 minutes to Terminal 3. “Terminal 2’s location at the north side of the airfield at Dubai International helps to give the impression of an ‘airport within an airport’, with its main road access, generous covered car parking and user-friendly terminal,” added Mr Griffiths. “I am confident that the revitalised décor and comfortable surroundings, along with the extended facilities will encourage more airlines to use Terminal 2.”