Glossary · Operations

What is “Airport transfer”?

An airport transfer is the organised pickup that takes a participant from an airport or station to the hotel or venue, assigned against their arrival details and published to their app.

Also called: airport pickup, arrival cab

Airport transfer in detail

The first impression of an event is usually a driver holding a board. Airport transfers turn collected travel data into that moment. The hospitality team asks participants for flight details, matches arrivals into pickup waves, assigns cabs and drivers, and publishes each person's pickup information, including cab and liaison officer details, to their own page. When a flight changes, the pickup changes with it, and the republished card reaches only the person affected. Sociana does not book cabs; the organiser or its travel desk arranges vehicles, and the platform handles collection, assignment records and publication. Reconciling PNRs against arrival manifests the night before prevents the commonest failure, a driver waiting for the wrong flight. Group pickups by terminal and arrival window to reduce cars, and include a fallback instruction in the app for guests who cannot find the driver. Log exceptions and use them to staff the next occasion better.

How Sociana uses it

Pickups are a hospitality field collected and published through the operations workspace, with cab and liaison cards shown on the participant's journey.

Example

The Indian Coast Guard's SAREX-26 maritime search-and-rescue workshop showed delegates cab and liaison information for their pickups.

Read the case study: SAREX-26

Questions

Does Sociana book airport cabs?

No. The organiser or travel desk arranges vehicles. Sociana collects arrival details, records assignments and publishes pickup information to each participant. An airport transfer is the organised pickup that takes a participant from an airport or station to the hotel or venue, assigned against their arrival details and published to their app.

What happens if a flight changes?

The record is updated and republished, so the new pickup information reaches only the participant affected. The hospitality team asks participants for flight details, matches arrivals into pickup waves, assigns cabs and drivers, and publishes each person's pickup information, including cab and liaison officer details, to their own page.

How do I avoid wrong pickups?

Reconcile PNRs with arrival manifests the night before and group pickups by terminal and arrival window. Reconciling PNRs against arrival manifests the night before prevents the commonest failure, a driver waiting for the wrong flight. Group pickups by terminal and arrival window to reduce cars, and include a fallback instruction in the app for guests who cannot find the driver.

Want this off your desk?

Our team sets it up before the event and sits on the ops desk with you on the days.