WhatsApp as the airport’s official channel: 6 use cases

Airports have spent years trying to get passengers to download their app. The problem is that most travelers go through an airport only a few times a year and don’t want to install anything for a single trip. WhatsApp, on the other hand, is already on their phone.

6 use cases that create value

• Flight status: delay alerts, gate changes and boarding calls straight to the phone.
• Frequent questions: VIP lounges, baggage, transport to the city, hours and services, 24/7.
• Retail: recommendations based on gate and available time, and Buy & Pick Up orders.
• Complaints and lost items: an organized channel with case numbers and follow-up.
• Special assistance: accompaniment and accessibility requests, coordinated with the team.
• Satisfaction surveys: one or two questions at the end of the trip, with high response rates.

Best practices

• Ask for the passenger’s consent and respect their choice to stop receiving messages.
• Send only useful messages: WhatsApp is not a mass advertising channel.
• Define a brand tone and respect the passenger’s language.
• Connect the channel to real flight and service information.
• Escalate sensitive cases to a person, with the full history.

How to start

The most practical path is to start with flight information and frequent questions, measure satisfaction and the drop in counter queries, and add retail and complaints in a second stage.