Passenger Delight in Liminal Spaces: Uncovering the Dynamics of Airport Airside F&B

Authors

Thorsten Merkle, Zurich University of Applied SciencesFollow
Sushanta Das, tRetail LabsFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

Thorsten Merkle: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8945-1438

Sushanta Das: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2712-8095

Executive Summary

The airport airside environment is a unique and highly consequential setting for consumer behavior, where passengers’ food and beverage (F&B) decisions are shaped by time pressure, emotional states, and spatial constraints. This study empirically validates two complementary frameworks - the CX Delightors Framework and the Airport Airside Consumption Model - in the U.S. context to deepen understanding of passenger behavior in this liminal space. Using survey data from 1,374 passengers across three major U.S. hub airports (DEN, PHX, SLC), we conducted principal component analyses to refine the original nine CX Delightors attributes into five robust dimensions: Hospitality & Ambiance, Value for Money, Brand Appeal, Speed of Service, and Product Quality & Menu Variety. We further confirmed the relevance of the three-factor Airport Airside Consumption Model (AirsideStress, AirsideEnjoy, AirsideFear), with the novel finding that “travelling by plane as a special occasion” loads onto AirsideStress rather than AirsideEnjoy, highlighting context-specific emotional dynamics and potential “emotion blind spots” in passenger decision-making.

Theoretically, this study advances research on liminal consumption by demonstrating that passenger delight is a holistic construct and by offering a modular, scalable framework that can extend beyond F&B to retail and the entire curb-to-gate passenger journey. Practically, the results call for emotionally intelligent airport design and targeted experience curation, addressing stress points while amplifying moments of delight. By integrating emotional, spatial, and service design perspectives, airports and concessionaires can transform F&B from a functional necessity into a strategic lever for engagement, differentiation, and revenue growth.

Recommended Citation

Merkle, Thorsten and Das, Sushanta (2025) "Passenger Delight in Liminal Spaces: Uncovering the Dynamics of Airport Airside F&B," ICHRIE Research Reports: Vol. 10: Iss. 6, Article 5.
DOI: www.doi.org/10.61701/382227.968
Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/ichrie_rr/vol10/iss6/5