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Westin Atlanta Airport Provides Valuable Travel Services That Add Revenue

Westin At The World’s Busiest Airport Earns Four Diamonds Specializing in Serving Travelers


March 2010
– When the Westin Atlanta Airport completed a $22 million upgrade in 2008, its management team could not know they were preparing for one of the most severe winter travel seasons on record. Between late 2009 and March 2010, thousands of flights were delayed and cancelled across North America due to weather. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the busiest airport in the world and hub for many airlines, felt the effects daily.

“We upgraded our Westin to make it the perfect Four-Diamond airport hotel designed specifically for travelers, and our property and staff performed perfectly this past winter,” said Bill Henderson, general manager of the Westin Atlanta Airport. “One travel service we implemented for our guests was real-time airline flight information to help them have more confidence in their travel plans. We added an area in our lobby where we positioned a large high-definition airline flight information display so guests could check their flight times before leaving for the airport, and it proved very valuable this winter.”

Flight information adds revenue
 “Our goal in adding flight information screens was to deliver a valuable service and generate revenue,” Henderson said. “When flights are delayed or cancelled, guests stay on property to wait out a new flight time. If they are going to sit in a restaurant and work during the delay, we want it to be in our restaurant.” The Westin Atlanta Airport selected flight information displays by Flyte Systems, the leading provider of airport travel information displays and digital signage content for the hospitality industry, digital signage, convention centers and related businesses.
 
Guests extend stay if flights are cancelled
The property’s staff also relies on the FlyteBoard airport flight information. “Our managers watch the lobby FlyteBoard to track the number of cancellations and prepare for distressed passengers,” Henderson said. “Some nights we picked up 175 distressed rooms due to cancelled flights. Our stay-over business also benefits from the flight information. When guests see their flight is cancelled while they are still at the hotel, they usually extend their stay.” The Westin also installed the FlyteChannel airport information service on guest room TVs. “We upgraded to HDTV in 2009 and had our entertainment provider, LodgeNet, add FlyteChannel, which looks great on the flat panel televisions.”
 
“It is important to give guests accurate information that helps them travel more comfortably,” said Henderson. “It was especially valuable this year when entire regions of the county were closed to air travel. We selected Flyte Systems for our airport information provider because they are widely installed and perform very well. Flyte understands the needs of both travelers and hotels that serve them.”

Real-time Flight Information
What sets Flyte Systems apart from PC-based applications is the ability to post accurate, real-time airline flight arrival and departure information, not FAA-regulated scheduled departure times that do not list delays caused by air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, crew availability and weather.
 
Flyte Systems offers a suite of products that serve the traveling public:  FlyteBoard, FlytePass, FlyteChannel and FlyteTouch.
  • FlyteBoard is a wall, floor or ceiling mounted high-definition, flat panel screen for lobbies, restaurants, bars and other public areas, displaying flight information for one or more airports.
  • FlytePass combines FlyteTouch with free, secure boarding pass printing and can be provided stand alone or neatly packaged in an optional all wood kiosk or integrated metal kiosk, to match your décor.
  • FlyteChannel permits guests to view live airport flight information conveniently and comfortably from their in-room television.
  • FlyteTouch enables individual guests to search flight information using an interactive touch screen that displays real-time flight arrivals and departures for one or more airports.
Many hotel properties also use Flyte Systems’ applications to increase revenue with innovative marketing approaches for distressed travelers. For tips on how to generate revenue by providing guests with Flyte Systems airline information, please log on to the Flyte Systems website at www.flytesystems.com.

About Flyte Systems
The Flyte Systems Division of Industrial Television Services (ITS), based in Chicago, Illinois, is the leading provider of subscription-based environmentally responsible airport flight information displays for the hospitality, convention center and digital signage industries and related businesses. It delivers accurate, instant, airport-centric updates of flight information – not FAA-regulated scheduled departure times that may omit last minute changes. Properties are able to differentiate their products and boost customer loyalty and repeat business with ’glance-and-go’ content critical to a traveler’s day. Flyte Systems’ product suite builds upon ITS’ 50-year history as the leading provider of live flight information to airports, airlines, government agencies, port authorities and other travel-based businesses. Flyte Systems was formed in 2007 to offer new Web-based travel technology and product lines. In addition to using Energy Star-compliant digital displays, Flyte products help significantly reduce energy consumption by eliminating unnecessary trips to the airport. Customers include Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Hilton, Doubletree, Hotel Sofitel, Adam’s Mark, Renaissance and Crowne Plaza hotels, independent properties, convention centers and transportation centers.

About Westin Atlanta Airport
The Westin Atlanta Airport is ideally located less than two miles from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and only 10 minutes from downtown Atlanta and its major attractions. Its newly renovated guest rooms are complete with flat screen televisions, new carpeting, artwork, and signature style furniture and amenities including the Westin Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®.

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Contact:

Flyte Systems
Debbie Kalish, Account Executive
3515 Martens Street
Franklin Park, IL 60131
Phone: (877) 463-5983
Email: [email protected]  
www.flytesystems.com 

Westin Atlanta Airport
4736 Best Road
Atlanta, GA 30337
Phone: (404) 762-7676 or (866) 716-8128
http://www.westinatlantaairport.com
  
Media Contact:
Julie Keyser-Squires, APR
Softscribe Inc.
180 River Springs Drive NW
Atlanta, GA 30328
Twitter:  @Juliesquires
Phone: (404)256-5512
Email:  Julie(at)softscribeinc(dot)com
http://www.softscribeinc(dot)com
http://www.marketingsnacks(dot)com

 
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Flyte Systems Unveils Enhancements to FlyteTouch Airport Information Product Line at HITEC 2009; Enhanced FlyteTouch gives travelers real-time airport flight status, boarding passes, local weather, traffic and safety information for total traveler service / June 2009

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InterContinental Chicago Launches Guest-centric Flight Information Service; Guests queuing up to use boarding pass kiosks from Flyte Systems / January 2009

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Fourteen Hotels Add Flyte Systems Live Airline Information to Serve Travelers; Increasing demand reflects growing guest expectations, immediate ROI / October 2008

Flyte Systems Partners with Digital Signage Provider DisplayIQ, Installs Live Airline Information at 2 Hotels; Enhance guest service: operators add airline information to digital signage systems / October 2008

Leading Management Company Selects FlyteBoard to Serve Air Travelers at 'A' Location Hotels in Virginia and DC; New guest amenity provides competitive advantage in hot market / September 2008

Holiday Inn Select Rosemont Installs FlyteBoard and FlytePass To Serve Business Travelers; Flyte Systems airline information products fill the ‘travel confidence’ gap / August 2008

New Management Company Makes Its Mark by Executing on Upscale Service, Unique Amenities and Maximized ROI; Rolls Out Flyte Airline Information Systems Across Portfolio to Serve Business Guests, Differentiate Properties / August 2008

Flyte Systems Triples Size in First Year of Operations Providing Airline Information to Aid Busy Travelers; At HITEC '08 Flyte will cement leadership, build partnerships to deliver real-time airline information / June 2008

Flyte Systems Partners with Digital Signage Provider Four Winds Interactive to Provide Live Airline Flight Information; Partnership powers potential new service offerings, adds vital travel information / May 2008

'The Belamar' Luxury Boutique Installs Flyte Systems in State-of-the-Art Business Center; Live airline flight information and boarding pass printing provide travel convenience for business guests / May 2008

Kokua Hospitality Signs Agreement with Flyte Systems to Install Airline Information Products in Five Hotels; Live airline flight information to provide travel convenience for guests / April 2008

Four-Diamond, IACC Certified Eaglewood Resort & Spa Installs Flyte Systems Products to Elevate Service; Shortened ROI proves value of airline flight information to guests and property / April 2008

Hyatt Rosemont Installs FlyteBoard Flight Information Display to Serve Traveling Guests; Hyatt gains ‘wallet share;’ guests stay on property longer when flights are delayed / March 2008

Annual Digital Signage Expo ‘Ripe for Content Providers in 2009’; Flyte Systems President Brian Reynolds sees three top trends emerging / March 2008

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Doubletree and Hilton Hotels at Seattle Airport Install FlyteBoard Airline Information Screens to Serve Business Travelers; FlyteBoards aid road-warrior guests with real-time airline information at two giant properties / February 2008

Supercharged Embassy Suites Turns Guest Perks Into Record-Breaking Year; Installation of FlyteBoard technology focuses on flier needs / January 2008

Marriott Dallas/Fort Worth Airport Hotel Provides Guests with Airline Flight Information from Flyte Systems; FlyteBoard screens in lobby aid airport-bound guests with flight times / January 2008

Tech Savvy Road Warriors Expect Travel Innovations from Hotels; The Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport responds with real-time flight information in lobby / December 2007

The Chicago O'Hare Crowne Plaza Attracts Business with Unique Technology Perks; Focus on the business traveler includes real-time flight information / November 2007

Flyte Systems Installs Airline Flight Information Display at Javits Center for IH/M&R Show; Meet me at the FlyteBoard- IH/MRS attendees confirm airline flights on FlyteBoard in Javits Center lobby, make confident travel plans / November 2007

Sofitel Chicago O'Hare's European Style Embraces Guest Airline Services; The focus on amenities like FlyteBoard delivers a value-add for business travelers / October 2007

Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel Provides Guests with Airline Flight Information To Speed Their Travels; Real-time airline departure-arrival screens set The Westin Boston Waterfront apart / October 2007

Flyte Systems Installs Airline Flight Information Displays at Berger Hotels; Updated airline departure-arrival screens keep guests and revenue on property / September 2007
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