AtYourGate and mobile ordering platform Golo have partnered to introduce a new airport shopping app that delivers shopping and food to passengers at their gates at San Diego International Airport (SAN). 

AtYourGate was the first innovation to come out of SAN’s Innovation Lab which is tasked with creating new ideas to improve the passenger experience that can be implemented at the airport and beyond to other airports, malls, hotels and convention centers.

Rick Belliotti, director of innovation and small business development at San Diego International Airport said:

“We continually seek to raise the bar on customer satisfaction, and one way we do that is by embracing new technologies that push the envelope. AtYourGate and GOLO had the right formula to deliver a high-quality service that can change the way people experience air travel—a cornerstone of our Innovation Lab.”

P.J. Mastracchio, founder and CEO of AtYourGate says:

“When we proposed the idea of the app to San Diego International Airport, everyone agreed that we were addressing a real need for both airport consumers and retailers.”

Seven airport concessionaires are participating in the launch, with another 25 expected to join by the end of year.

Jean-François Noël, CEO of GOLO, which is part of Paysafe, explains that its white-label software service helped AtYourGate realize their vision: 

“Consumers and merchants today expect a frictionless and sophisticated retail experience when making purchases or selling using their mobile technology. They want to see the products accompanied by visually rich images, in a smooth app where searching is intuitive and there is a secure way to transact.”

Airport Sherpa offers a gate delivery service app, which is currently live at Baltimore Washington International Airport. The app keeps track of passengers’ flight schedule to ensure the goods get to the right gate even if there are flight changes, and includes a live order update feature to reassure buyers their goods are coming. 

Grab introduced convenient app-based airport shopping in 2015, with a consumer app as well as an open platform for airport and concessions integrations. It has grown to offer food and beverage pre-order and pick-up services at 24 airport locations in the US and UK. Grab recently signed an agreement with Air Canada to integrate Grab within the airline’s mobile app offering services from restaurant and retail partner concessionaires. Grab also partnered with LevelUp this February to boost mobile engagement in the US.

Related reading:

Why more business travellers are leaving cash behind

Airlines and hotels still lag global averages for mobile transactions