We have proposed our mobile Airport Advisor at the International Airport Review Awards 2017

Name Founder: Karima KOUIDRI

Name Company: KOUIK Agency

Website: www.airport-advisor.fr and www.airportbenchmarking.com

Name App: Airports Advisor

Category App: Travels

Is the App created for a certain country/area or worldwide: worldwide

Appstore

Facebook

Q & A:

As Founder of this fantastic App, what was your motivation to create such an App?
“After having working 23 years at Paris Airport, once I have decided to create my own company, I wanted to boost the passenger experience at airports.”

Why should Users download this App?
“Because this is a unique opportunity for travelers to give their opinion about airports services. The passenger become a real partner for airports.”

What are the advantages compared to other similar App’s?
“This is a Première… no app like mine does exist, its really an innovation for customer experience.”

Can you tell something about the proces, challenges, hurdles and time spend from the moment you start (The Idea) till the moment you launched the App at the AppStore / GooglePlay?
“We spent like 6 months before offering our app. We did think and rethink the very easy way for a traveler to use it. We did add some services, and might add some more.

We wanted the app to be available for all countries, so we have selected the 14^th most languages used by app to make it usefull. On the Version 2 we are thinking of adding indoor positining (route map) and chat box. We also want duty free shops to become partners for the travelers, by offering special discount… for example. And also airports to supports us by offering a gift to our monthly ambassador.”

Once you launched the App in the Appstore / GooglePlay, what did you do the promote this App to your target audience (user group)? Do you think Applepies (as worldwide rating and reviewing Online App Magazine) can have a certain role in this?
“I informed all my professional resort on LinkedIn, I did inform all airports through my website airport benchmarking. In the coming days I will organise a campaign for mobile app. I sent the info to all the newspapers specialized in newtech and travels. I will organise an adwords campaign later on.”

You as a visionair, what is your view on the new technologies of the digital smartphone (App) world. Do you think that within 1 to 5 years App’s will be indispensable? So App’s will replace manual activities like controlling our home appliances from your smartphone, talk to your doctor via an App, instead of cash payments pay by your smartphone.
“This app is a tool for all airports. We will be able to re-sent all post by fields, directly to concerned service (if the airport ask for it). They will be able to answer directly their customers. But airports have to grow up also on the new tech fields and create new community manager positions to follow this new way of expression.”

What is your business model?
“This app is a perfect marketing and data tool at the same time. When passengers use this App, the Airport can get usefull data about how passengers experience their airport. So airports can buy different data sets (based on different services like boarding, security, car park, toilets, shops etc) from us. On the other hand all the shops on the aiports can advertise within our App to attract customers to their shop (for example with digital discount vouchers).

Are you still looking for additional funds?
“Yes, currently we are upgrading the App (Version 2) to include a chat possibility and an interactive digital routemap of the airport. So for this we use some additional funds ”

Last but not least is there anything you want to recommend other creators?
“Listen first to customer to be able to offer a proper service. Make your customer not a ROI anymore but a real partner to your company.”

source : http://www.applepies.nl/interview-app-founder-karima-kouidri/