How to Use Infotainment for Airport Information Screens

Passengers at airports are often faced with long waiting periods. In other words, these waiting times can get quite dull and boring, and you have to find a way to keep yourself entertained and kill time as you wait for your flight. Enter infotainment on airport information screens.

Infotainment is a combination of information and entertainment. Moreover, infotainment on an information airport screen at airport halls keeps passengers informed and entertained, with the following key advantages:

• Improving operational efficiency and passenger traffic in the airport as passengers always know which station or terminal to head to at any given time. Gate information displays, check-in counter numbers, and baggage information displays offer a more seamless experience.
• Improving passenger experience with real-time updates on the departure time and status of the flight. Flight information display systems (FIDs) display a series of different flight numbers, with information such as the name of the airline, city of origin, intermediate points, expected arrival times, delays, and updated time. This way, passengers always have an idea about what to expect from their flight.
• Reduce passengers’ perception of wait time. Waiting times don’t seem as long when there is something entertaining occupying your time.

How and What Infotainment to Use on Information Screens

The decision on what airport information screen to use, how to use them, and what infotainment to use in airports are big questions that should be given much consideration. In fact, a survey among passengers to evaluate their preferences is always a great place to start. The airport personnel will also have some valuable inputs regarding the same.

Large video walls and TV screens are excellent choices for display devices. Additionally, well-designed and creative information signs will also do.

For FIDS and MUFIDS, you will want to stick to real-time flight information such as the airline name, flight number, city of origin, and destination and gate numbers. What's more, the system should be configured for seamless flight information updates.

On what to display, no pun intended, but the sky really is the limit. Here are some top suggestions:

1. Travel Inspiration

Display photos and videos of the various destinations and highlight the most popular attractions in these destinations. Above all, high-impact imagery will work best for this particular infotainment. Go for photos of restaurants, recreational parks, and other attractions in these areas.

In addition, accompany these images with data points of interest. While you will ultimately inform the passengers about these destinations, the point is to get them excited about their travel plans and stir the kind of wanderlust that will have them wanting to explore other destinations.

2. Live News Flashes and Social Media Feeds

Keep passengers in the know about what is making headlines in the news. This kind of content doesn’t require your creativity, and all you have to do is display device management. In contrast, for small or large airports alike, you can have different screens, showing flashes from different news channels.

Share social media feeds and updates from your airport social media pages as well as from major airlines. As with other infotainment content, you want to consider your font carefully, and visual paging with social media feeds for the highest impact.

3. Weather Updates

Passengers want the assurance that the weather is conducive for air travel. Knowing that there are no storms expected can be calming and will add to a better flight experience. Similarly, these weather updates on your airport information screen can help passengers better plan out their itinerary for when they get to their destination. 

4. Instructional Videos Made Fun

Instructional videos for your security and baggage claim procedures don’t have to be monotonic and boring. Therefore, switch things up a little with some animation and other fun elements. The same goes for video tours of your airport: from the parking lot to check-in counters and baggage carousels. Passengers will pay more attention to these fun videos, and you may not have as many seeking help from the airport personnel.

5. Advertising Content

Keep passengers informed and entertained and generate some revenue while at it. Similarly, apart from the airlines with a single flight or multiple flights and ticketing companies, many businesses would be interested in advertising at major airports.

Above all, keeping in mind that content is king in digital advertising, these businesses can develop advertising content that is both informative and entertaining. Their target audience, that is, the passengers, get a feel of why they should buy the businesses’ product offering and have some fun while at it. What's more, the right content will drive bookings and sales for businesses such as taxis, hotels, and restaurants.

Airport Information Screens: Guaranteed Results

Infotainment is no doubt the way to go and belongs in all airports, big or small. In fact, create and present great content, and you can be sure of an improved passenger experience. From real-time flight information to social media feeds, news flashes, weather updates, and more, present valuable information to passengers as they wait for their flights and look for different ways to pass time.