It likely can’t do anything about the security pat down, but American Express Canada is making several other aspects of the airport experience better for both cardholders and non-cardholders.
The credit card company has embarked on a multi-million dollar partnership with Toronto Pearson International Airport that includes traditional advertising and sponsorship, as well as a series of perks for travelers. While it’s estimated 4 million Canadian cardholders will accrue the majority of the benefits, the program also provides non-cardholders with some perks.
Among the benefits for selected American Express cardholders are access to priority security lines in Terminals 1 and 3, complimentary valet services and a 15% discount on parking at the Terminal 1 Express Park and Daily Park in Terminals 1 and 3. This fall will also see the introduction of a designated taxi and limousine line at the arrivals levels.
American Express is also hoping to convert non-cardholders by sponsoring complimentary internet access throughout the airport, as well as “special entertainment experiences” that it is working towards delivering in the near future.
“We do try to set ourselves apart and do some things that are a little different,” said David Barnes, vice-president, advertising and sponsorships for American Express in Markham, Ont. “It stems from our philosophy that the American Express is more than just a credit card that you pay for things with.”
The airport is a natural environment for American Express, said Barnes. Cardholders not only tend to be heavy travelers, he said, but the heavy traffic at Pearson makes it an ideal venue to showcase the card’s benefits to non-cardholders.
“There are 33 million people going through this venue,” said Barnes. “That’s a great starting point, and then when you layer on the fact that… a lot of our services and benefits associated with our card are travel-related, that accentuates its attractiveness.”
The average airport visit lasts for two-and-a-half hours, providing advertisers with a captive audience that is more receptive to advertising.
American Express has traditionally positioned itself not just as a mere credit card, but a lifestyle brand. Cardholders expect premium service that sets the company apart from its competitors, but Barnes said it is an “intangible” benefit that is hard to convey through traditional mass-media advertising.
The airport environment, he said, enables American Express to combine its brand promise with a practical application of that promise. “It is an additional value point for our customers,” he said. “And for people who aren’t American Express customers, it’s a proof point of the quality of service and perhaps will get them to consider us in a way they may not have before.
“There’s a very strong correlation between what we’re doing in the market and what we’re going to be doing in the airport.”
