There is an old saying, “necessity is the mother of invention.” It means when put in a difficult situation, one is likely inspired to create a solution. In 2020, COVID-19 is the difficult situation, FBOs are most definitely inspired and the entire aviation industry is coming together to create solutions.
This is a historic time that FBOs are operating in, and they are having to innovate the FBO customer experience to deliver “high touch” luxury service in new ways. The FBO looks, feels, sounds, tastes and even smells different for today’s customers. The way it was is different than the way it is now, and FBOs everywhere are on their way to transforming into the best versions of an FBO customer experience they have ever delivered -- all driven by COVID-19.
The Way It Was
For years, FBOs have been delivering luxury services and a customer experience to both crew members and aircraft passengers. That FBO customer experience is known for its high touch service, friendly faces, tasty treats like popcorn and cookies, hot coffee, cold beverages, luxury magazines, newspapers, the coordination of hotels, rental cars and limousine reservations and much more.
It goes without saying that the FBO customer who spends the most time in FBOs are crew members. It only makes sense that they have been significantly impacted when it comes to their FBO customer experience. Crew members have had a very unique and comprehensive lens through all of this because they had to simultaneously adapt to the “new normal” of both aircraft operators and FBOs implementing new ways to operate safely in the wake of COVID-19.
Additionally, they had the unique responsibility of educating passengers on those new policies and procedures to keep everyone as safe as possible. Private aviation travel went from being an extremely comfortable, fun and enjoyable when traveling both onboard the aircraft and through FBOs, to one filled with anxiety as states across America began to implement mandates for people to self-quarantine and businesses to shut down. It has been a scary and difficult time for most people to navigate through and it is not over yet. The aviation industry is still learning and adapting to best take care of their customers and team members.
The Way It Has Been So Far
Very quickly, the FBO customer experience became riddled with anxiety for both FBO customers and team members as COVID-19 cases increased back in early March 2020. FBO management teams were entering unchartered territory filled with uncertainty.
By the end of March 2020, day-to-day operations at FBOs started to feel very different in that airplanes had reduced flying as self-quarantining measures increased. News of furloughs traveled fast as many aircraft operators and FBOs made difficult decisions to position their businesses to weather the storm.
Everything at the FBOs began to look different. FBO lobbies and ramps were visibly less busy. There were many instances of how the FBO was looking different, including the absence of the comforting smells of fresh baked cookies or fresh popped popcorn. In some instances, the new scent one could smell was that of an alcohol based cleaner or hand sanitizer that was becoming common place.
There were now people wearing masks, signs posted on doors and counters with all kinds of information for customers about new policies and procedures related to COVID-19. Hand sanitizer was now in every room of the FBO, social distancing markings were on the floors and FBO team members could be seen cleaning and disinfecting everything from pens and front counters to the amenity bars.
While all those much-needed measures were to safeguard customers and ensure CDC recommendations were being followed, what it did in the beginning was heighten everyone’s anxiety! It was all so visibly different. Even the conversations in the FBOs were swirling around COVID-19 as people traded information and shared their personal experiences with one another.
The Way It's Transforming
Fear and anxiety have given way to collaboration and innovation as leaders and team members across the industry have joined forces to lead our industry through COVID-19. National Air Transportation Association (NATA) leaders Timothy Obitts, president & CEO and Ryan Waguespack, senior vice president wasted no time responding to their member’s requests to support FBOs and the FBO customer experience by creating an industry standard around cleaning, disinfecting and protecting FBOs.
To do that there were a host of leaders across the industry invited to come together to collaborate. David Allen, Founder & CEO of the Allen Groupe and David Allen Certified was grateful for that invitation. As a commercial and private aviation disinfection and protection expert with 30-plus years of experience, Allen had been inundated with calls from aircraft operators and FBOs in need of his expertise and support on handling COVID-19 so the invitation to collaborate on the creation of NATA’s new Safety 1st Clean FBO Program was a great way to help the industry on a broad scale very quickly.
Additionally, David Allen Certified launched an FBO training and certification program with Ross Aviation being its pilot FBO operator. Many of the Ross Aviation network locations now offer the services of disinfecting and protecting aircraft, hangars, customer and rental cars, and tenant offices in addition to being able to disinfect and protect their own FBO facilities. This is a great example of how FBOs are innovating to add to their skillset, self-reliance, services and revenue streams in the wake of COVID-19.
Many FBOs are taking extra steps to continue to remove anxiety for their customers through a heightened focus on delivering an environment, services and amenities that are acutely focused on the customers health and well-being. While it may seem silly, a mask that is branded with a company logo or simply shows a little of a person’s personality goes a long way to lowering the anxiety of seeing everyone in masks.
In the beginning of the pandemic, most of the food and beverage amenities were pulled back by FBOs out of an abundance of caution with the exception of coffee where it was available in single serve machines. That has since changed, but “single serve” is a very healthful way forward for amenities. Customers still like and want cookies, but the expectation now is that they are individually packaged like the DoubleTree hotel has been doing for years.
That is an easy service upgrade. And for a more healthful option, a bowl of individually wrapped apples is a great option which are how many grocery and convenient stores are selling them already today. Replacing that much loved fresh popped popcorn is a little trickier.
Certainly, some FBOs out there have already figured that one out too so customers can again partake in that savory snack they so love. There are a multitude of individually packaged savory and sweet snacks out there that are also great options. Many private aircraft already stock these onboard. You can purchase them from companies like Torn Ranch, a long-time vendor in the aviation space who will even brand them with your logo. The options range from savory healthy nuts and trail mixes to sweet candies and chocolates. One of the most interesting wellness products very new to the FBO space is a designer water machine called Smartwell.
It allows customers to design a single cup of water to be flat or sparkling, infused with vitamin C, electrolytes or caffeine and flavored to their liking with choices like lemon, lime, raspberry, peach, pomegranate, cucumber or coconut. Now that is a unique and innovative customer experience.
There are also a variety of healthful snack and beverage vending machines now that can create an additional revenue stream for an FBO while meeting the current and more healthful dietary preferences like gluten free, low carb and keto friendly of both crew members and passengers. These vending machines have a very high-end look and feel that fits quite nicely into what a customer expects from today’s FBOs.
While FBOs are still in the midst of managing operations through this COVID-19 pandemic, they are going to continue to innovate the FBO customer experience partly out of necessity and partly out of sheer creativity. Regardless, the FBO customer experience is transforming into the best, most healthy and innovative experiences customers have ever known and this will last way beyond COVID-19.
Melissa Lucas Singer in the Founder & CEO of Moxie Global Consulting. She has served in executive leadership roles at Signature Flight Support, Flight Options/FlexJet and the Walt Disney Company in Operations, Customer Experience, Business Development & Vendor Relations.
