Seat to Seat: A guide to optimizing every touchpoint of the airport passenger journey

Air travel is judged in moments.

For passengers, every journey carries expectations long before takeoff­—and long after landing.

Did the curb feel organized? Was parking intuitive? Did the shuttle arrive when promised? Were the terminals clean, calm, and easy to navigate?

Did someone help when plans changed? Did the restroom feel cared for? Did the gate area look welcoming and ready for the next wave of travelers?

Behind each of these moments is an operational handoff. Every handoff is an opportunity to build confidence—or create friction.

From parking and curbside flow to terminal readiness, passenger care, and cabin confidence, ABM helps airports optimize every touchpoint of the traveler journey.

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Passenger expectations are rising. So are the operational demands behind every journey.

Airports are judged by the passenger experience, but that experience is powered by operations: clean spaces, easy movement, reliable facilities, attentive assistance, and on-time readiness.

For airport leaders, the challenge is not capability. It is coordination. Multiple vendors, overlapping responsibilities, and disconnected data can create inconsistent standards, limited visibility, and operational gaps.

ABM brings parking, curb management, shuttle operations, passenger care, ambassadors, cleaning, engineering, EV charging, and electrification into one coordinated model that moves with the passenger.

Reduce friction. Improve visibility. Protect airport reputation.

Over 80% of travelers say cleanliness directly impacts satisfaction ¹

Over 60% cite delays and congestion as their top frustrations ²

‍¹ JD Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study
‍² Airports Council International Airport Service Quality (ASQ)

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Airports that win today deliver consistency, confidence, and care at every point of the journey.

ABM brings aviation scale, specialized teams, and integrated delivery to help airports turn fragmented touchpoints into one coordinated passenger experience.

ABM expertise at work:

• 75+ Airports worldwide rely on ABM
• 27 Of top 30 busiest U.S. airports served
• 10 Of top 10 U.S. airlines served
• 30M+ Square feet of airport properties cleaned every day
• 5M+ Wheelchair traveler requests managed annually
• 14K+ ABM aviation specialists at work each day
• ‍1M+ vehicles parked daily
• 800 Buses in airport operations fleet

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Source: ABM internal data, 2026

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Where the passenger journey begins

The first impression of an airport often happens before a traveler reaches the terminal—­in a parking facility, at the curb, or on a shuttle.

Travelers expect intuitive access, clear wayfinding, reliable shuttles, organized curbs, and fast, contactless payment options.

Leading airports are rethinking landside operations as a connected system: parking availability, curb flow, shuttle timing, valet, reservations, license plate recognition, dynamic pricing, and traffic management.

ABM aligns people, technology, and data to keep vehicles moving, manage demand in real time, and reduce friction across the first and last mile of the journey.

Reduce congestion. Increase parking revenue. Improve first and last impressions.

48% of passengers consider easily accessible parking a critical factor when choosing an airport³

Approximately 77% of passengers travel by private vehicle, with a large segment of travelers choosing parking⁴

³ Passenger Terminal Today
⁴ Airports Council International Airport Service Quality (ASQ)

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Connecting parking, curb, and shuttle operations

Travelers see landside operations as one experience. When parking availability, curbside flow, shuttle service, valet, reservations, and payment work together, the journey begins confidently.

ABM helps airports connect staffing, technology, and daily operations across the first and last mile—improving visibility, accountability, and passenger flow before travelers enter the terminal.

• Parking management: Reservations, license plate recognition, dynamic pricing, access and revenue control
• Shuttle operations:  Fleet deployment, routing, timing, operator training
• EV charging: Charger deployment, uptime monitoring, maintenance support, utilization reporting
• Performance visibility:  Demand insights, reporting, revenue and operations data
• Curb management:  Peak-period staffing, traffic flow, queue support
• Valet & customer care: Frontline service, wayfinding, traveler assistance

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ABM expertise at work:

• 1M+ Vehicles parked daily
• 2K+ Parking locations managed nationwide
• 800+ Buses in airport operations fleet
• 1K+ Shuttles operated
• 10-15% Average parking revenue increase with ABM parking management
• $1.5B+ In annual parking revenue managed

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The human side of flawless operations

For many travelers, the airport experience is defined by the support they receive when it matters most.

A wheelchair request, queue guidance, gate assistance, or help making a connection may last only minutes, but those moments leave a lasting impression.

Customer Service Ambassadors turn operational complexity into passenger confidence—providing direction, reassurance, accessibility support, queue help, and real-time information when travelers need it most.

ABM brings high-touch hospitality together with standardized workflows, dispatch, training, and technology to help travelers move through busy terminals with confidence.

Improve accessibility. Reduce stress. Keep passengers moving.

• #1 Ease of travel is the number one driver of airport satisfaction ⁵

• 27M+ More than 27 million passengers requested wheelchair assistance on U.S. airlines in a single year ⁶

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‍⁵ JD Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study
‍⁶ U.S. Department of Transportation

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A calm voice, clear direction, or timely assistance can turn stress into confidence.

How ABM supports consistency:

• Continuous training and aviation-specific service standards
• Dispatch and real-time coordination across terminal zones
• Escalation protocols for irregular operations and passenger needs
• Accessibility, wayfinding, queue flow, and connection support
• Performance reporting that helps leaders see where demand is building

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The result: a more welcoming, easier-to-navigate airport experience for every traveler.

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Passenger services:

• Wheelchair
• Queue Management
• Skycap
• Ticket Verification
• Interline Transfer
• VBC (Vendor Behind Counter)
• BSO (Baggage Services Officer)
• Concierge
• Ambassador
• Security

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The invisible work passengers see everywhere

Travelers form impressions quickly. A spotless restroom, orderly gate area, or well-maintained terminal builds confidence long before passengers reach their gates.

Passenger volumes shift, gates change, and delays can turn quiet spaces into high-traffic areas within minutes. Fixed cleaning schedules cannot keep pace.

ABM cleaning teams use airport-specific protocols, training, smart routing, and real-time operational data to align resources with passenger movement across the terminal.

The impact goes beyond appearance. When spaces are clean, stocked, and ready, passengers move with greater confidence and the airport runs more smoothly.

Protect brand perception. Improve readiness. Respond to passenger flow in real time.

Clean terminal facilities make up ~55% of overall airport satisfaction⁷

Restroom cleanliness accounts for over 50% of the terminal cleanliness score⁸

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⁷ Airports Council International ASQ research
⁸ MDPI: How to Achieve Passenger Satisfaction in the Airport

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Cleanliness is one of the strongest influences on the air travel journey.⁹

• Airport-specific: Protocols and training for complex aviation environments
• Smart routing: Resources aligned to flight schedules and passenger flow
• Real-time: Work orders, issue response, and operational visibility
• Quality control: Inspections, reporting, and continuous improvement

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ABM expertise at work:

• 30M+ Square feet of airport properties cleaned daily
• 100+ Years of experience in commercial janitorial services

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What passengers experience: stocked restrooms, orderly gates, active spill response, cleaner common areas, and calmer movement through the terminal.

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⁹ JD Power 2025 North America Airport Satisfaction Study

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Systems that make travel feel effortless

Passengers rarely notice building systems when they work. They notice immediately when they do not.

HVAC, lighting, electrical systems, vertical transportation, restrooms, utilities, and other operational essentials must perform consistently.

For airport operators, engineering reliability drives passenger comfort, safety compliance, asset preservation, energy performance, and on-time operational readiness.

ABM onsite engineers, predictive maintenance programs, and digital platforms provide real-time visibility, help reduce unplanned downtime, and extend asset life.

Reduce downtime. Extend asset life. Improve comfort and energy performance.

• 70% Nearly 70% of passengers report dissatisfaction with indoor air quality ¹⁰
• 40-60% HVAC systems account for up to 60% of total energy consumption in most airport terminals ¹¹

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‍‍¹⁰ OXMAINT: Airport Terminal Environmental Monitoring with IoT
‍¹¹ iFactoryAI: Airport HVAC Energy Optimization

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When systems perform consistently, the entire airport experience feels effortless

ABM expertise at work:

• Reliability: 10K+ Professionals With more than 10,000 engineers and technicians, ABM is one of the nation’s largest onsite facility engineering providers.
• Safety: NETA Testing As a fully accredited NETA testing company, ABM helps clients meet NFPA 70E and other critical safety standards.
• Reliability: 10% Downtime Reduction ABM helped a major airport authority reduce critical system downtime by 10% through a customized maintenance program.¹²
• Cost: 8.2% Lower OPEX A top-10 international airport reduced operating expenses by 8.2% within 15 months of partnering with ABM.¹³
• Value: 57% ROI Engineering-led infrastructure upgrades at a major airport delivered a 57% annualized return on investment.¹⁴
• Energy: $170,000 Energy Savings A 1.1 million-square-foot airport terminal saved $170,000 in its first year using ABM Connect™.¹⁵

ABM Connect turns airport operations data into executive visibility—giving leaders one trusted, real-time view of service performance, work orders, traveler feedback, and team activity so they can act faster, improve accountability, and deliver a smoother passenger experience. ABM.com/abm-connect

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¹² ABM.com/perspectives/turn-key-airport-shuttle-operations
‍¹³ ABM.com/perspectives/upgrading-the-parking-experience-for-lax
‍¹⁴ https://www.abm.com/perspectives/upgrading-the-parking-experience-for-lax?
‍¹⁵ https://www.abm.com/perspectives/unlocking-hidden-performance-gains-with-abm-connect?

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The final handoff before takeoff

The passenger journey does not stop at the gate. A clean, prepared aircraft is one of the last signals that the airport and airline experience is working as it should.

As travelers move from the terminal to the aircraft, every detail matters: cabin cleanliness, prepared seating areas, stocked lavatories, clear boarding flow, and a ready aircraft.

These moments happen quickly, but they shape passenger confidence before departure and influence how travelers remember the journey.

ABM supports airlines and airport operations with trained, badged aviation teams who work within tight turnaround windows, changing flight schedules, and airline-specific standards.

From cabin cleaning and lavatory service to targeted turn support and quality checks, ABM helps aircraft remain clean, prepared, and ready for boarding.

By connecting terminal care, passenger support, and cabin readiness, ABM helps create a smoother transition from gate to seat.

Protect final impressions. Support on-time departures. Build confidence before takeoff.

U.S. travelers say aircraft cleanliness is a deciding factor when choosing an airline¹⁶

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‍¹⁶ https://www.sogolytics.com/blog/us-airline-cx-rankings-2026/

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Strong turnaround performance keeps flight departures smooth and confidence high.

ABM expertise at work:

• 1.3M+ ABM aviation teams clean over 1.3M aircraft each year ¹⁷
• 10 of the top 10 airlines in the U.S. trust ABM with solutions that surpass passenger expectations
• Turn Support Priority tasking, tight-window execution, flight schedule alignment, and support for changing operational needs.
• 100+ ABM has over 100 years of commercial cleaning expertise
• Flexibility Real-time flight activity and demand-based resourcing help teams adjust service priorities as schedules, gates, and turnaround needs change.
• Quality Airline SOP alignment, inspections, escalation processes, and service validation to help maintain consistent standards.

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The result: clean cabins, confident boarding, and smoother turns that help keep departures on schedule.

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‍¹⁷ ABM.com/perspectives/fast-facts-airport-airline-services

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How ABM operationalizes the journey

For facilities and aviation operations teams, consistency comes from disciplined execution—not disconnected tasks. ABM turns the journey into a measurable operating rhythm.