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American Airlines Hold Room Refresh Project CASE STUDY © Corgan
American Airlines Hold Room Refresh Project
CASE STUDY
© Corgan
In just nine months, Arconas completed the installation of some 21,000 seats in 15 American Airlines airports simultaneously as part of the airline’s sweeping refresh of its gate hold rooms. This project is part of a company-wide rebranding journey started by the airline in 2013 aimed at building a more modern experience for its customers.
From the introduction of a new logo and livery (aircraft branding), new planes, new uniforms, and an
expanded digital presence, American’s mission is to provide a comfortable, convenient and connected travel
experience. Working its way through each customer touch-point, a crucial part of this transformation was
the customer hold room experience, which American embarked on earlier in 2016.
A trusted partnership was forged between American and public furniture manufacturer, Arconas, to transform
these liminal spaces into an integral part of the brand experience. American knew that by choosing Arconas
it could give modern travelers what they want: comfortable seating with access to power to recharge their
electronic devices.
Arconas’ premium Flyaway seating was chosen to keep customers comfortable as they wait. Flyaway offers
higher backrests, effective lumbar support, thick cushions and superior performance. Over the course of
this project, over 21,000 seats will have been installed with more to come. Additionally, 30% of these seats
are equipped with Arconas’ innovative inPower™ flex modules to keep travelers recharged. Each module
easily attaches to the underside of any beam seating allowing travelers to plug in their personal electronics
via a traditional power cord or USB cable. InPower™ flex distributes power to multiple seating units from one
floor outlet, reducing coring costs dramatically. Each module is UL-rated and comes with numerous built-in
safety features that limit currents, is GFCI protected against short circuits, and shields passenger’s electronic
equipment from surges.
For all parties involved, this project was about more than just seating and power solutions. “From the
beginning, it was important to understand the needs, goals and challenges faced by American Airlines and
work with them to find a solution that would meet their requirements from both a logistics and customer
satisfaction standpoint,” says Lynn Gordon, Arconas’ Vice President - Airport Solutions. From the outset,
several important aspects were immediately apparent. It was crucial that this rollout be done simultaneously
across airports, over a short time period, and have as little impact as possible on American’s operations.
This was not a small task.
To ensure this outcome, Arconas became not just a seating provider, but a strategic part of the project team.
Drawing from the company’s in-depth experience in rolling out large seating projects at operating airports,
Arconas’ project manager was able to advise on the detailed planning of the shipping and installation
schedule. “The rollout became a highly coordinated effort with multiple stakeholders to ensure the project
was completed on time and on budget,” said Gordon. Arconas initiated weekly American Airlines project
Raising the Value of Public Spaces
meetings and was in constant communication with American’s airport managers, utilizing its network of local
sales representatives and installers. As part of Arconas’ holistic approach to airport furniture, the company
worked with American’s design team, with Corgan as project manager, and with several local architecture
firms, advising on many aspects of the hold room refresh. This included optimizing layouts that would
facilitate passenger flow and accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
In order to not disrupt American’s airport operations, the seating was assembled off site by local crews who
delivered and installed full gate hold rooms literally overnight. “Our crews not only removed and responsibly
disposed of the old seating on the same night as bringing in the new, they worked around other trades
replacing carpet, paint and counters,” added Gordon. “The planning had to be carefully coordinated with
many stakeholders to transform the space efficiently.” Gordon credited American’s Corporate Real Estate
and Procurement staff along with Corgan’s experienced project team for making the rollout go smoothly.
The American Airlines refresh project included ATL, BNA, BWI, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAX, LGA, MSP, ORD, PDX,
PHL, PHX, PIT and STL. The renovations are expected to be completed by early 2017, when customers can
fully experience the new look and feel of American’s hold rooms.
“From the beginning, it was important to understand the needs, goals and challenges faced by American Airlines and work with them to find a solution that would meet their requirements from both a logistics and customer satisfaction standpoint”
© CorganFlyaway Los Angeles International Airport
In just nine months, Arconas completed the installation of some 21,000 seats in 15 American Airlines airports simultaneously as part of the airline’s sweeping refresh of its gate hold rooms. This project is part of a company-wide rebranding journey started by the airline in 2013 aimed at building a more modern experience for its customers.
From the introduction of a new logo and livery (aircraft branding), new planes, new uniforms, and an
expanded digital presence, American’s mission is to provide a comfortable, convenient and connected travel
experience. Working its way through each customer touch-point, a crucial part of this transformation was
the customer hold room experience, which American embarked on earlier in 2016.
A trusted partnership was forged between American and public furniture manufacturer, Arconas, to transform
these liminal spaces into an integral part of the brand experience. American knew that by choosing Arconas
it could give modern travelers what they want: comfortable seating with access to power to recharge their
electronic devices.
Arconas’ premium Flyaway seating was chosen to keep customers comfortable as they wait. Flyaway offers
higher backrests, effective lumbar support, thick cushions and superior performance. Over the course of
this project, over 21,000 seats will have been installed with more to come. Additionally, 30% of these seats
are equipped with Arconas’ innovative inPower™ flex modules to keep travelers recharged. Each module
easily attaches to the underside of any beam seating allowing travelers to plug in their personal electronics
via a traditional power cord or USB cable. InPower™ flex distributes power to multiple seating units from one
floor outlet, reducing coring costs dramatically. Each module is UL-rated and comes with numerous built-in
safety features that limit currents, is GFCI protected against short circuits, and shields passenger’s electronic
equipment from surges.
For all parties involved, this project was about more than just seating and power solutions. “From the
beginning, it was important to understand the needs, goals and challenges faced by American Airlines and
work with them to find a solution that would meet their requirements from both a logistics and customer
satisfaction standpoint,” says Lynn Gordon, Arconas’ Vice President - Airport Solutions. From the outset,
several important aspects were immediately apparent. It was crucial that this rollout be done simultaneously
across airports, over a short time period, and have as little impact as possible on American’s operations.
This was not a small task.
To ensure this outcome, Arconas became not just a seating provider, but a strategic part of the project team.
Drawing from the company’s in-depth experience in rolling out large seating projects at operating airports,
Arconas’ project manager was able to advise on the detailed planning of the shipping and installation
schedule. “The rollout became a highly coordinated effort with multiple stakeholders to ensure the project
was completed on time and on budget,” said Gordon. Arconas initiated weekly American Airlines project
Raising the Value of Public Spaces
meetings and was in constant communication with American’s airport managers, utilizing its network of local
sales representatives and installers. As part of Arconas’ holistic approach to airport furniture, the company
worked with American’s design team, with Corgan as project manager, and with several local architecture
firms, advising on many aspects of the hold room refresh. This included optimizing layouts that would
facilitate passenger flow and accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
In order to not disrupt American’s airport operations, the seating was assembled off site by local crews who
delivered and installed full gate hold rooms literally overnight. “Our crews not only removed and responsibly
disposed of the old seating on the same night as bringing in the new, they worked around other trades
replacing carpet, paint and counters,” added Gordon. “The planning had to be carefully coordinated with
many stakeholders to transform the space efficiently.” Gordon credited American’s Corporate Real Estate
and Procurement staff along with Corgan’s experienced project team for making the rollout go smoothly.
The American Airlines refresh project included ATL, BNA, BWI, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAX, LGA, MSP, ORD, PDX,
PHL, PHX, PIT and STL. The renovations are expected to be completed by early 2017, when customers can
fully experience the new look and feel of American’s hold rooms.
“From the beginning, it was important to understand the needs, goals and challenges faced by American Airlines and work with them to find a solution that would meet their requirements from both a logistics and customer satisfaction standpoint”
© CorganFlyaway Los Angeles International Airport
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Client:
Product: Flyaway, inPower™ flex, inPower™ stools
Architect: Corgan
Year: 2016
Facts & Figures SeatingSeries: Flyaway
Designer: Doug Ball
Upholstery: Majilite - Destiny Black
Total flyaway seats
21,000Total inPower™ flex modules
3,700Total inPower™ stools
1,600
ATL
BNA
BWI
EWR
HOU
JFK
LAX
LGA
MSP
ORD
PDX
PHL
PHX
PIT
STL
- Atlanta
- Nashville
- Baltimore/Washington
- Newark
- Houston
- New York
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Minneapolis
- Chicago
- Portland
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- St. Louis
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Airport Location
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5700 Keaton Crescent
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada, L5R 3H5
Telephone: +1 905-272-0727
Toll Free: +1 800-387-9496
/arconas
@arconas
@arconaspublicfurniture
arconas.com
