Slowing Things Will Actually Speed Up Things: Houston Airport’s UX-Centric Strategy
Imagine you’ve just landed after a long flight. All you want to do is grab your bags and head home, or perhaps to that awaited vacation spot. But the wait at baggage claim seems endless, making an already exhausting journey feel even longer. You’re not alone. In fact, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport faced a barrage of complaints about this very issue. But the ingenious solution they found underscores the importance of perception in the customer experience.
The Waiting Game
Airports across the globe are no strangers to complaints, but Houston Airport faced a particular challenge. Despite their baggage claim process being within the industry standard, complaints about waiting times were mounting. The crux of the issue? After disembarking, passengers spent a mere minute walking to the baggage claim area, only to then wait for what felt like an eternity for their bags.
This waiting time, while statistically average, felt frustratingly long. It’s an interesting psychological phenomenon. When we’re engaged, even in something as mundane as walking, time seems to pass faster. But the moment we stop and wait, each minute feels heavier.
The Unexpected Solution
One might assume the logical fix would be to hasten the baggage handling process. But that would have entailed significant costs and logistical challenges. Instead, Houston Airport employed a simple, yet counterintuitive solution: make passengers walk longer.
By relocating the arrival gates, passengers now had a 6–7 minute walk to the baggage claim area. And by the time they reached, their luggage was either already there or arriving shortly. The actual time from deplaning to having luggage in hand remained the same, but the perception was completely transformed.
Lessons in Perception
The Houston Airport story serves as a poignant reminder that raw data points or objective metrics don’t always paint the full picture. From a pure numbers perspective, the airport was doing just fine. Yet, from the passenger’s viewpoint, there was a glaring issue.
In business and service sectors, it’s paramount to step into the customer’s shoes. Sometimes, the most impactful solutions are not about speeding up processes or introducing cutting-edge technologies. They’re about understanding human behavior and reshaping experiences based on that understanding.
Houston Airport’s solution wasn’t just about baggage. It was a masterclass in redefining user experience. As businesses, we must remember that the journey matters just as much as, if not more than, the destination.
