Priyanka Lakhani, Senior Vice President at Collinson, in an exclusive conversation with Signé, shares some invaluable insights on the challenges and stresses faced by travellers while on holiday, in particular, travellers from this region. She also elaborates on how some of the conveniences offered by Collinson can help alleviate these challenges.
Collinson is a privately owned, global leader in providing enhanced airport and travel experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million end users. The London-based company, currently offers its expertise to some 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide, as well as working with the world’s leading payment networks and over 1400 banks.
The company’s best-known product, from an end-user point of view, is Priority Pass – the world’s first and leading airport experience programme. It offers travellers access to a network of over 1400 lounges and travel experiences.
Priyanka has over 20 years of experience in designing and delivering customer loyalty experiences in the travel and financial sectors. At Collinson, she is responsible for introducing the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions to Collinson’s Loyalty, Travel Experiences, Insurance and Assistance programs.
With over 20 years of experience in customer engagement, how do you see the ‘Fear of Switching Off’ (FOSO) evolving in the travel industry, particularly in the EMEA region?
Travellers, including those from the UAE, are increasingly finding it challenging to fully immerse themselves in their travel experiences. Our study discloses that on a global scale, approximately one in three individuals, accounting for 34% of the surveyed population, encounter difficulties in truly switching off from the demands of their daily lives while embarking on their travel adventures.
These findings emphasize the pervasive struggle people face worldwide to attain a genuine break from their routine responsibilities and the importance of addressing this issue in the realm of travel and leisure. Almost half (49%) of respondents from the UAE expressed difficulty in completely disconnecting from their everyday routines during their travels.
Travel is a means of escape from the stresses of everyday life. As a brand, we fully acknowledge this and being the ideal travel companion means our core missions will continue to put the customer first and focus on elevating their travel journey.
Can you elaborate on the key findings of Collinson’s latest study on FOSO among travellers, especially in the context of the UAE?
The study revealed that travellers from the UAE exhibit a unique challenge in disconnecting from their digital devices, positioning them among the least likely globally to achieve a complete digital detox during vacations. More than half (58%) of respondents admitted to finding it hard to reduce their phone usage while away, with millennials facing an even more significant struggle, reaching 61%.
Further insights from the study indicate that a considerable 57% grapple with the persistent urge to check work-related matters during their leisure trips. Remarkably, over a quarter (28%) of UAE travellers regularly check their phones every 30 minutes or less, surpassing the global average by 10%. Despite attempts to unwind and detach from digital devices during their journeys, more than a quarter (37%) of UAE travellers will revert to getting back online to check in at home or work, making it difficult to step away and get absorbed in their holiday.
Delving a little deeper, we asked UAE-based travellers to outline their vision of the perfect “Fear of Switching Off (FOSO)-free” trip. Interestingly, UAE travellers highlighted that a beach vacation takes the top spot as the most conducive environment for a digital detox, closely followed by city breaks, safaris, or camping trips. The average time needed to feel like they’ve truly had a relaxing holiday is one week.
How does Priority Pass specifically cater to the needs of UAE residents to help them overcome FOSO and enhance their travel experiences?
Our research tells us that 62% find the pre-travel airport rush the most stressful part of the travel journey, which is why we are targeting that pre-flight experience to ensure travellers can mitigate stress and ‘FOSO’ before they head off on their holidays. We encourage a seamless travel journey from start to finish, which offers a global network of over 1500 airport lounges and travel experiences in 135 countries, for Priority Pass members to access and enjoy before they fly.
We are working with lounge partners to offer a range of tailored experiences that cater to creating a calming and relaxing environment. From spa experiences, to sleep pods to game spaces, in addition to complimentary food and beverage, we aim to cater to the unique needs and wants of the customer and its market.
What unique benefits and services does Priority Pass offer to ensure UAE residents can fully disconnect and unwind during their travels?
Priority Pass offers an unparalleled experience focused on tranquillity, service, space, and comfort. Customers gain the value of travel benefits from their everyday spending if they are cardholders of one of our many partners. Not only do they get access to over 1,500 airport lounges globally, but members can also benefit from a wide range of travel rewards. De-stress features include a complimentary fitness membership and pre-flight spa treatments such as Oxygen Aromatherapy, massages, manicures, and facials.
How is Priority Pass committed to making the travel journey, from departure to arrival, more enjoyable for UAE travellers?
We know that airport lounge access makes a huge difference to the end-to-end travel journey. In another study, we found that 45% of consumers say that they made their decision to sign up with a payment card based on the card’s benefits. By contrast, this percentage drops to 33% for payment cards that did not include airport lounge access as a benefit. Over half of consumers (52%) expressed interest in paying a fee to pre-book an airport lounge to guarantee access at peak travel times.
Airport lounge access is either non-negotiable for some travellers to ensure a seamless travel journey, or it can be a forgotten benefit where many forget to check the hidden benefits, they may receive from card issuers.
Our goal is to make every step of the travel journey smooth, stress-free, and enjoyable. Beyond lounge access, Priority Pass aims to make all aspects of the journey an enjoyable experience from the moment you leave the house to getting back home. We offer additional services for members that can help to make the admin less stressful when travelling such as exclusive rates on car rentals at over 50,000 locations through the Priority Pass app which includes convenient airport transfers.
How does Priority Pass support the well-being of travellers, ensuring they can disconnect from daily routines and enjoy the true benefits of travel?
The travel industry in the UAE is witnessing transformative trends in response to changing traveller preferences. A noteworthy trend is the rise in ‘wellbeing holidays’ driven by the impact of digital connectivity on travellers, which is something that Priority Pass recognizes to help travellers disconnect from daily routines and truly enjoy the benefits of travel.
The airport experience has rapidly become a key indicator of how well individuals can unwind during their trips. Globally, over 6 in 10 (62%) travellers note that pre-flight concerns often trigger FOSO but can be alleviated by certain airport services. Three-quarters of people (70%) believe that visiting an airport lounge would have a positive impact on their ability to unwind for the rest of their journey.
We address specific traveller needs by putting members’ wellbeing first and promoting mindful travel practices from the very start of their trip. This is no longer a nice addition, but a must-have, which is why we’re continuing to elevate our offerings focused on promoting wellness through rewards and experiences.
The press release mentions the role of duty-free shopping in unwinding. How does this integrate with Priority Pass’s offerings to enhance the overall airport experience for travellers?
When in the airport before a flight, we found that women prefer shopping in duty-free areas, while men prefer visiting airport lounges. We also know that people are tight on time, so we also offer an online duty-free shopping experience in collaboration with Inflyter. As a member, you can enjoy the convenience of shopping online ahead of your trip, with options to collect your purchases at the airport in-store, at the boarding gate, in the lounge or from smart lockers available at some airports.
Beyond just the airport, we collaborate with a range of retail partners to offer collaborative rewards when shopping. For instance, Emirates Skywards members can earn Skywards Miles whilst shopping online across more than 50 brands in the UAE. Skywardsmilesmall.com is powered by Collinson’s SmartEarn and SmartLink, both part of Collinson’s Valuedynamx suite of global loyalty commerce solutions. Members can choose to shop from a wide range of categories including retail, dining, grocery, health and beauty, leisure and entertainment, sports, fitness and more with leading partner brands including Apple, John Lewis, Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, Macy’s, Nike, and Selfridges.
