Press Release

Airport Passenger Panel will help tackle issues and tailor traveller experiences

Gatwick Airport today announced that it is bringing together a panel of independent experts to help shine a light on passenger travel challenges and to tackle long-standing issues head on.

The Airport Passenger Panel will meet to discuss current airport experiences and explore how different types of passengers really think, feel and act as they arrive, experience and leave an airport, both before and after their trip. Their honest and unbiased picture of airport life, combined with informed recommendations will enable Gatwick - and other UK airports - to devise customer-orientated solutions designed to ultimately deliver a better experience for all travellers.

Five inaugural panel members have been carefully selected in an effort to ensure that the diverse challenges and needs of different traveller groups are well represented:

Representing Leisure Travellers: John Carter

John Carter was one of the founders and original reporters of the BBC’s Holiday programme when it was launched in 1969 and later co presented Thames Television’s Wish You Were Here…?. Since then he has made many contributions to BBC radio and national newspapers and is widely acknowledged as one of travel’s most experienced and respected commentators.

John comments: “Over the years, at airports all over the world, I’ve experienced bewilderment, anticipation and frustration. The world of travel is rarely predictable but it’s good to see airports like Gatwick taking steps to be ever more responsive to the people that really matter, their passengers. I look forward to working with the rest of the panel to help build a better experience for all travellers.”

Representing Business Travellers: Mike Toynbee

Mike Toynbee is Managing Editor at Buying Business Travel, the leading magazine aimed at corporate travel and meetings buyers, and arrangers, and is one of travel's longest serving editors. He edited Executive Travel magazine, which targeted frequent flyers, for 18 years, and is a former editor of Travel Trade Gazette.

Mike says: “People travelling through an airport on business often have very different mindsets and needs than the average leisure traveller, but the overall experience for many is not that dissimilar. I welcome the opportunity to help take a more tailored approach for each type of traveller so that everyone, in every airport, can benefit from the best possible experience.”

Representing Families: Becky Wiggins

Becky Wiggins is a well known mummy blogger with in excess of 18,000 unique visitors per month on her blog ‘English Mum’. She is 40 years old, married to a pilot and mum to two teenagers.

Becky says: “Everyone in our house has always been mad on travelling and we love to explore new places together but getting there while keeping everyone calm and entertained hasn’t always been the easiest. Being offered the chance to actively contribute to making airports a more stress-free environment for us and other families feels like an exciting responsibility.”
 

Representing Shoppers: Jasmine Birtles

Jasmine Birtles is the founder of moneymagpie.com and a self-confessed shopping expert. She regularly comments on retail trends and in particular advises on how people can best save money.

Jasmine says: “For many, shopping can be one of the happier elements of the airport experience, whether they're browsing for a beach read or getting a top label item at a discount. But there’s still a lot of confusion around what actually represents a good deal in these shops. I look forward to helping demystify airport retail and making shopping simpler for passengers.”  

Representing Passengers with Disabilities: Philippa Bromley

Philippa Bromley is Head of Independent Living at the Disabled Living Foundation. DLF is an independent charity specialising in education, information, and hands-on experience with relevant equipment and technology to provide practical daily living solutions for those with disability. Philippa is an ergonomist who specialises in design usability and has a physiotherapy background; she is also a nationally-recognised manual handling expert.

Philippa says “People who use airports come in all shapes, sizes, cultures, preferences, attitudes, expectations, physical capabilities and levels of understanding.  I welcome this opportunity to share in Gatwick’s commitment to make users’ experience of the airport a comfortable one, especially if they have a disability or impairment.”

Gatwick Airport’s Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate, comments: “In bringing together the Airport Passenger Panel our mission is simple: to improve the experience for every passenger. Passengers are the lifeblood of any airport and our position as an independent airport allows us to take a new approach to solving long-standing issues. We are 100% committed to making sure that from the moment passengers step though our doors to the moment they leave, their time is as enjoyable and as stress-free as possible.

“By seeking independent opinion and advice, without influence from political or commercial agendas, we will be able to continue identifying the real issues affecting passengers from across the UK and across all traveller groups. Collectively we will explore and execute innovative solutions that will help build a better future for all travellers.”