How Custom Covers Help Airlines Maintain Brand Appearance Across Terminals

Maintaining a consistent brand identity in different airports across the country and around the world is no easy feat. With so many different types of terminals and all the differing technologies that each airport uses, it can be difficult to keep track of where and how your brand appears. Forget rebranding—if you miss a logo somewhere, your brand identity can appear chaotic and disordered, ultimately eroding the trust you’ve built with consumers.

Although it can be a challenge to maintain your brand identity across so many physical locations, there are many benefits to doing so. In fact, because many travelers rely on visual cues for trust and recognition when they’re in unfamiliar environments, consistent branding in airports gives you the opportunity to guide customers in the right direction while reinforcing your branding at the same time.

One of the easiest ways to maintain consistency across terminals and airports is with the addition of custom covers for kiosks, curbside and indoor check-in counters, and terminal counters. Today, we’ll explore what custom branded covers are, the key benefits for airlines, how they support branding across airports, and a real-life use case of a branded custom cover Equip manufactured for Hawaiian Airlines. Finally, we’ll finish off with some tips for airlines when choosing a custom cover.

What are Custom Covers for Airport and Airlines?

Custom covers for airports and airlines are protective fabric covers that can be used to cover check-in kiosks, curbside check-in counters, and terminal counters when they are not in use. These covers can be branded with company logos, allowing airlines to streamline branding across different terminals and airports, all while communicating easily and quickly with travelers.

Custom covers can come in a variety of different fabric options, but not all are acceptable in an airport environment. Look for custom covers that use marine-grade, UV-resistant fabrics that are also highly resistant to mold and mildew. In addition, it’s essential that custom covers are compliant with airport fire safety regulations and follow safety protocols such as those set out in NFPA701 and CPAI84.

Custom Cover Benefits for Airlines

There are a few reasons why airlines should utilize custom covers in terminals and airports across the country:

·         Consistent Brand Presentation: Because you can maintain the same colors, logos, and messaging across different places around the world, airlines are able to reinforce branding with travelers. Plus, when equipment is kept looking clean and professional, consumers are more likely to see the airline in a better light.

·         Operational Efficiency Advantages: When your custom kiosk covers are branded, it’s easy for passengers to identify airline assets quickly and easily. It also reduces any confusion for airport teams and contracted staff who may be unfamiliar with the airport layout.

·         Enhanced Passenger Experience: Travelers appreciate a polished and organized environment, which custom covers can help to provide. Additionally, they cut down on visual clutter in terminals and easily convey if a counter is open or closed.

How Custom Covers Support Brand Consistency Across Multiple Airports

Old logos mixed with new logos, last year’s brand colors splashed across a terminal—even the smallest mistake or oversight can confuse travelers. When passengers are in a new place for the first time, that confusion can be anxiety-inducing, eroding trust in your brand when they get lost or turned around due to improper branding or inconsistencies.

However, when airlines use custom covers with uniform brand logos and colors, this problem is solved. Passengers know they’re in exactly the right place, even if the covers communicate that the terminal counter or kiosk is currently closed. If there’s ever logo revisions or colorway changes, custom covers can be recreated to match the new branding, allowing airlines to roll out seamless rebranding processes.

Real Life Use Case: Hawaiian Airlines

In 2019, Equip was contacted by Hawaiian Airlines to manufacture a custom cover for their check-in kiosks, which were located in an open-air terminal. These kiosks needed to be able to withstand the harsh tropical weather in Hawaii while also clearly communicating brand identity and whether the check-in kiosk was open or closed.

After receiving dimensions and detailed measurements, Equip designed and manufactured a custom cover that featured heavy-duty marine-grade fabric and a mesh panel on the back to allow excess heat to escape from the kiosk. The fabric that we utilized was also mold and mildew resistant in addition to water resistant. We printed the logo front and center, giving branding the biggest priority and allowing the airline to communicate easily with travelers when the kiosk is closed.

Tips for Airlines Choosing Custom Covers

Not all custom covers are created equally, and it’s important that airlines and airport operators are aware of the ins and outs of things like fabric choice and design methods. When looking for the perfect custom cover manufacturer, ensure that they:

·         Use the Right Materials – For outdoor applications, make sure all materials are UV-resistant to protect from sunlight as well as water and mildew resistant. For indoor applications, it’s essential that the chosen fabrics follow fire protocols, such as those set out in NFPA701.

·         Design for Long-Term Branding Needs – Airports are high-traffic environments, and with that high traffic comes damage. Ensure your covers can stand up to the daily use they’ll go through before making the investment.

·         Know How to Color and Font Match – Brand color palettes and fonts are essential to the look and feel of your covers. However, if your custom cover manufacturer cannot color and font match correctly, you may end up with an inconsistent cover that doesn’t accurately represent your brand.

·         Avoid Generic, One-Size Fits All Sizing – The right fit on a cover is the difference between a sleek presentation and a sloppy one, so it’s important to purchase a cover that fits well instead of a generic one-size-fits-all solution.

Key Takeaways for Airlines and Airports

Maintaining brand consistency across numerous airports is a challenge, but with custom covers for kiosks and check-in counters, companies can communicate their brand identity and eliminate ambiguities for travelers in one fell swoop.

There are numerous benefits to utilizing covers, including operational advantages and enhanced passenger experience along each stage in the travel journey. Covers can come in many different forms, but it’s important to look for those that utilize the right materials, are durable and can last for years at a time, match your branding needs, and fit perfectly without any gaps.

FAQs

How do custom covers help maintain brand consistency across different airports?

Consistent brand cues reduce confusion in new environments and allow airlines to build trust across each stage of the travel journey. Custom covers reinforce those brand cues in a variety of different airport environments, giving airlines the opportunity to maintain that consistency and comfort even in differing physical locations.

Do custom covers help improve passenger experience? How?

Yes, custom covers can improve passenger experience by reducing visual clutter in terminals and indicating clearly whether a counter is open or closed. Passengers also appreciate a neat, professional-looking space.

Can custom covers be adapted for outdoor or open‑air terminals?

Yes, they can. For example, Equip designed a kiosk cover for Hawaiian Airlines that presented unique challenges because it was in an open-air terminal. We chose a UV-resistant fabric that also offered protection from mold and mildew, which worked perfectly in the humid and tropical outdoor environment in Hawaii.

How do custom covers support rebranding efforts for airlines?

Using custom covers speeds up rebranding and ensures consistency across all airports. Instead of replacing entire kiosks with updated logos and colors, airlines can slide a cover on, immediately updating it with ease. This helps to eliminate mismatched branding during transitions while still ensuring that passengers see the updated identity everywhere.

Get a Custom Airport Kiosk Cover for Your Facility

Looking for custom kiosk and check-in counter covers designed for real-world airport environments? We specialize in custom commercial covers built for airports and airlines, including those for retail kiosks and concessions as well.

📧 Email: info@equipinc.com 📞 Call: 719-599-0300
Request a quote today and keep your assets covered, protected, and ready for anything.