The baggage reclaim areas at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport are inefficient and frustrating for passengers. To solve this, we developed and tested 11 innovative concepts to improve navigation, comfort, cleanliness and passenger flow, transforming the baggage reclaim process into a smoother, more positive experience.
Originally opened as a military airfield in 1916, Schiphol Amsterdam Airport has grown significantly over the years to become Europe’s preferred transfer airport, welcoming over 61.9 million passengers a year. Despite its growth through well-intentioned expansions, it has become a complex and difficult environment for passengers to navigate, particularly in the baggage reclaim areas. The baggage reclaim areas are confusing and inefficient, with low satisfaction levels. Observations and interviews with hundreds of passengers resulted in a comprehensive Arrival Journey that identified over twenty pain points that significantly impact the passenger arrival experience, highlighting the need for a comprehensive redesign to address the chaos, confusion and inefficiency that characterise the current state of these areas. The challenge was to improve the efficiency and customer satisfaction of both the security and baggage reclaim experience to meet the needs of the 60,000 passengers who pass through these halls each day.
Royal Schiphol Group, 2020-2021
With: Schiphol’s PX Team and Schiphol Digital
In addressing Schiphol’s baggage reclaim challenges, I engaged in a collaborative process with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, security staff, ground operators and, most importantly, passengers. Through day-long observations, interviews and scenario testing, we identified key issues in the arrival and security process. Our approach led to the development of 11 innovative concepts aimed at refining, rather than overhauling, the space and ensuring operational continuity. Each concept emerged from a deep dive into the pain points, taking into account the diverse needs of stakeholders. Our ideation process aimed not only to solve the problems identified, but also to improve the atmosphere, navigation, cleanliness and hospitality within the airport’s reclaim and security areas.
The baggage reclaim experience at Schiphol has been improved with eleven easy-to-implement concepts to increase passenger satisfaction scores and flow efficiency. These changes have turned waiting time into a positive experience with improved passenger flow, cleanliness, atmosphere and navigation. Tested in a living lab, the results showed a 70% improvement in finding baggage carousels and an 80% reduction in exit errors. The new family lane at security also speeds up screening and reduces stress, making the experience more welcoming for families.
