SUMMER 2022 / V20 N242
ALTERNATIVE CONCESSIONS MODELS GAIN TRACTION
AIRPORTS EMBRACE DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR PASSENGER SATISFACTION
TRACKING STREAMLINES PASSENGER JOURNEYS
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14 The Evolving Lounge Experience
More and more, airport lounges appeal to the crowd-fatigued traveler. Historically low returns from members-only spaces have given way to independent lounge experiences that utilize otherwise-unused terminal space to generate revenue.
22 Embracing Alternatives
Leasing contracts have always been a point of contention between concessionaires and their airport landlords, and never more so as during the pandemic and its aftermath. While most airports are sticking with the traditional approach, a few airports are doing things differently.
26 Eyes on the Market
Digital marketing is the new frontier for U.S. airports, many of whom are looking to increase revenue as passengers return to the terminal through use of new, interesting technologies and experiences.
32 Going Global
This summer, two international airport conferences hosted conversations revolving around global air travel trends, the continuing evolution of airport retail and new innovations for future growth.
36 Tracking Upward
Airports today want to keep up with customer demands and expectations, and one way to keep on top of the passenger experience is to track it from curb to gate.
3 Letter From The Editor In Chief
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4 Data Check
A global air travel comeback is well underway, but with full recovery still years off, some countries are faring better than others coming out of the pandemic.
6 Latest Buzz
Newark Liberty International Airport is debuting a brand-new terminal later this year with a lineup of local concessions and a distinctly New Jersey feel.
10 Director’s Chair
Jesus Saenz took over at San Antonio International Airport just over two years ago. Now that traffic is returning in dramatic fashion, the airport is laying the groundwork for a new terminal.
42 Sustainability Snapshot
The restaurant industry is no stranger to food waste, but airport concessionaires have found that donating unused food products can reroute that excess to people who need it.
45 Advertising Index 46 Before You Take Off
Chicago’s Brown Sugar Bakery has been ready to enter the airport space for years, but an unlikely tragedy was the catalyst that finally got it there.
A X NEWS SUMMER 2022
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Standard Concessions Lease Models Continue, But Three U.S. Airports Take Different Approaches BY CAROL WARD
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A X NEWS SUMMER 2022
Throughout the worst of the pandemic, many concessionaires and a few airports regularly opined about the need to upend the traditional lease parameters governing agreements between airports and concessionaires. Terms vary by airport, of course, but many stick to a general formula that involves a minimum annual guarantee (MAG) and percentage of gross sales, with concessionaires paying the greater of the two each year to their airport landlords.
Most North American airports waived or suspended MAG payments during the worst of the pandemic when sales reduced to a trickle or stopped completely. The situation called into question the efficacy of MAGs, with many calling for a new framework for airport leases with concessionaires. Evolution happens slowly. The majority of new concessions requests for proposals issued over the past year or so keep the same general terms, including a MAG
SUMMER 2022 / V20 N242