The Rest Of The Flyers Arrive

After touching down at Beijing capital airport, a couple of thoughts from our new arrivals, Aarti and Nicky. Sadly Nick Phelps couldn't make it, but we all wish him well on the road to recovery (perhaps he wasn't up of the Karaoke challenge?).

First impressions, you know right away that the Olympics are here. Billboards from TOP and national sponsors welcome an international audience. Individually the executions had good stand-out, however taken as a whole no one sponsor owned the welcome - more a feeling of being welcomed to Beijing and it's games by Beijing it's self.

We'll need to think about our position when it comes to our turn, it seems unlikely we'll be able own all of Heathrow, so how do we create unique position amongst the clutter?

The advertising was welcoming, perhaps missing a personable side. Beijing is quite a confusing city, there's a language barrier: people don't speak much English and rarely understand Western attempts at Chinese. Perhaps a z-card with key translations would be a better understanding of the needs of those who arrive.

On the way to the hotel, the roads have been branded 'the Beijing Games'. The lamposts have multi-coloured banners celebrating the One world, one dream games.

Nicky - I was asked if I was a movie star by the immigration official, made my day. However I was asked just afterwards to rate his customer service skills just 2 minutes later...

BTW - T5 isn't the only airport with finishing touches being carreid out, take a look.