Milton Keynes marketing company helps clear up confusion at Luton airport as international travel begins

An innovative new wayfinding system at London Luton Airport will not only scan boarding passes and reveal waiting times but even advise passengers on where they should. eat, drink and shop while they wait.

The airport recruited Milton Keynes-based marketing company Interdirect to create a bespoke system to give passengers access to better information.

Working alongside System Integrators, SPC Group Interdirect housed the wayfinding system in highly visible, touch-activated kiosks.

Boarding passes can be scanned for personalised flight details of boarding times and gate numbers, complete with the route to the gate and average transit time.

If there is time before the flight, the system will suggest places to eat or shop and shows the quickest route to get there.

For disabled travellers, the kiosks show accessibility options available at each step of their journey and have height adjustable content for wheelchair users.

And for passengers arriving at the airport, the touchscreens will provide onward journey information, including car hire, car parks, bus and rail timetables, local traffic information and even local weather forecasts. Plans are already in place to include the DART (Direct-Air-Rail-Transit via Luton Airport Parkway railway station), which is due to open in 2022

The kiosks also display key messages about hand washing, face coverings and social distancing measures, and

each touchscreen has an antimicrobial coating, with a hand sanitiser dispenser beside it.

Interdirect has 25 years’ experience in digital marketing, including developing wayfinding solutions for Gatwick Airport, John Lewis Partnership, Birmingham Grand Central and Telford Town Centre.

Clare Armstrong, the airport's head of passenger services, said: “Our new wayfinding kiosks provide customers with essential travel information and promote our shops and restaurants. The kiosks help drive footfall and increase passenger spend by promoting offers, deals and discounts, and are a welcome addition for passengers,

our retailers and the airport."

She added: “SPC Group and Interdirect have created a seamless and straight-forward solution that not only meets our needs today, but enables us to make improvements and developments in the future.”

Nicholas Mann, Managing Director at Interdirect said: “When our long-term partner, SPC Group, approached us about working on the LLA project we were very happy to get involved. Having previously worked with Jon Swain and his team on similar wayfinding solutions, including at Gatwick airport, we were confident we could provide an industry- leading solution that would enable LLA to enhance its customer experience and support its retail and restaurant partners.

"Drawing on our previous knowledge and experience, we adopted a mobile device user interface for this solution, in order to create an intuitive, personalised and inclusive service. We’re now hoping to further this initial success with an intercom, speakers and cameras that will facilitate remote video assistance, two-way video calling and subtitled live translations.”