December 12-18 was Customer Appreciation Week at Houston Airports and the award-winning airport system continued to put its customers first.
As another nod to exceptional customer service during the holidays, every passenger boarding one randomly selected domestic flight each day at both George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport was surprised with useful gifts that could be used during the upcoming flight. Gifts included neck pillows, blankets, and more along with a personalized message from each departing airport.
Marketing Director Maria Amezaga led the successful effort and was quick to point out the immediate cooperation Houston Airports received from the domestic airlines to pull off the thoughtful and well-received program.
At Bush, participating airlines included Air Canada, Alaska, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United and WestJet. Houston Airports surprised a total of 13 flights between both airports, a total of about 1,700 passengers.
At Hobby, participating airlines included Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest Airlines.
“They were instantly receptive to the opportunity, “Amezaga said. “We all realize how challenging air travel has been during the pandemic. To put a smile on peoples’ faces and ease the strain just a little made it worth it a thousand times over. We loved doing this and the receptions and reactions exceeded our expectations.”
The gifts made each passenger’s journey more comfortable and created a memorable airport experience. Passengers were encouraged to share the moment with friends, and many did take to social media. Houston Airports even provided custom photo filters to share their moments on their Instagram stories and Snapchat feed.
The program received significant exposure on social media - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - with more than 101,000 impressions and 8,000 engagements.
(An impression is how many times a user sees a post or tweet. An engagement is a measurement of interaction with posts on social media, and engagement factors include likes, comments, social shares and others, depending on the social networking medium.)
The gift initiative was yet another offshoot from Houston Airports recently created customer experience brand promise. Amezaga was among many team members who took part specifically designed as a “roadmap” to provide world-class, highest-quality services to its customers. The brand promise states:
“From your house to ours, we promise to deliver a five-star airport experience for our guests that showcases world-class service, modern facilities and uniquely ‘Houston friendly’ hospitality – first time, every time.”
Amezaga said that Houston Airports wants each visitor to truly feel special and wants to convey respect and appreciation for them.
“Our passengers invest in us every time their travels take them to and through Houston Airports,’ she said. “We want to earn and keep their trust, and we are grateful for their business, whether a one-time customer or a frequent flyer.”
“We are committed to delivering a 5-star experience,” Amezaga said. “First time, every time.”
“It is genuinely the heart of Houston Airports to serve its clientele with excellence,” said Molly Waits, Chief Marketing, Air Service Development & Communications Officer. “That’s why we have received such acclaim through multiple awards programs in 2021, even in light of a pandemic that has hampered air travel. Even so, the excellence of Houston Airports was recognized.”
Houston Airports won a bevy of awards at the Skytrax 2021 World Airport Awards. George Bush Intercontinental Airport was ranked as the best U.S. airport and the second-best in North America. Bush Airport was also recognized as the cleanest airport in the country, ranked 4th for airport staff, and won a COVID-19 Excellence Award for its response the pandemic. Hobby was named the number one most improved U.S. airport and made the top ten lists for best and cleanest airports in North America.
Why – because Houston Airports puts its customers first.