Case Study · Airports

How CVG Airport Turned Wi-Fi Into a Passenger Intelligence Engine

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport deployed Infotap across their Wi-Fi network and QR touchpoints. Today CVG collects over 22,000 completed passenger surveys every month, at a 76% completion rate.

22Ksurveys / month
76%completion rate
+136%F&B sales lift
Customer
CVG · Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport
Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport
IATA · CVGICAO · KCVG
The Challenge

CVG Had Millions of Passengers — But Couldn't Hear Them

CVG serves millions of passengers annually. Like most airports, they relied on traditional post-trip surveys: long questionnaires sent by email days after the flight, returning thin response rates and stale insights. The data arrived too late to act on, and never captured enough voices to be statistically meaningful.

Before Infotap

Traditional post-trip surveys

  • Long multi-question surveys
  • Single-digit completion rates
  • Results arrived days or weeks later
  • Statistically unreliable samples
  • No ability to course-correct in real time
With Infotap

Captive-portal micro-surveys

  • Voluntary gamified micro-surveys presented immediately after authentication, to already-connected passengers
  • 76% voluntary completion rate
  • Results stream in real time
  • Statistically significant at ±1.71% margin of error
  • Dashboard updates the moment each survey is submitted
The Results · CVG Airport Deployment

The Numbers From CVG's Deployment

Every figure below is verified by CVG and approved for public publication.

22K
Completed surveys per month
CVG Airport, Infotap deployment
76%
Completion rate (survey starters)
AAM Study at CVG, 3,284 respondents
~40%
Of all Wi-Fi users complete a survey
CVG deployment average
11,195
Valid traveler responses (single study)
CVG Airport, single deployment
+2.3x
Revenue lift in Concourse B
90-day study, CVG Airport
+136%
F&B concession sales increase
90-day study, CVG Airport
4.29
Avg. experience rating (out of 5.0)
CVG Airport, Infotap deployment
6
Distinct traveler personas identified
CVG AI persona generation
The CVG Engagement Funnel
Far above the 2–5% industry norm for post-trip surveys.
100%
Connect to Wi-Fi
Every passenger sees the captive portal
~55%
See the survey
Tap “Start” to begin
~40%
Fully complete
Average across all CVG campaigns

“In real-time, we’re gaining valuable insights into traveler profiles and their experiences as they navigate our airport and explore the amenities we offer. This empowers us to make data-driven decisions and shape a future of personalized services for our travelers.”

BC
Brian Cobb Chief Innovation Officer · CVG International Airport
CVG International Airport
How It Deployed

From Zero to 22,000 Surveys Per Month

CVG deployed Infotap across their existing Wi-Fi network and placed QR code touchpoints throughout the terminal. No new hardware. No app for passengers to download. The entire deployment was live within days of signing.

1

Wi-Fi Integration

Infotap connected to CVG's existing captive portal. After any passenger authenticates on the CVG guest network and is granted Wi-Fi access, they are forwarded to a branded Infotap survey as the post-login destination, already online, with no condition attached to their connectivity.

2

QR Touchpoints

Physical QR codes placed at gates, F&B areas, restrooms, and baggage claim, capturing location-specific feedback outside the Wi-Fi moment.

3

Live Dashboard

Every response streams in real time. CVG leadership accesses a live dashboard and receives AI-generated executive reports automatically after each campaign.

Standard with Every Deployment No Hardware Required No App for Passengers AI Analyst Real-Time API + Webhooks
The Science

Why Passengers Actually Complete the Survey

The 76% completion rate isn't luck. It's the result of a methodology built on two proven principles: fewer questions and a more engaging experience.

The Infotap Methodology

Engineered for completion

  • Covers all areas of interest in 9 questions vs. 24 in traditional surveys
  • Fewer questions = dramatically less survey fatigue
  • Gamification mechanics reduce boredom, drive completion
  • Randomly rotates question subsets across respondents
  • Real-time feedback enables rapid operational response
Psychological Drivers

Why passengers tap “Start”

  • Achievement Completing something feels satisfying.
  • Momentum Interactive mechanics keep users moving forward.
  • Contribution Passengers feel they are shaping their airport.
  • Respect for time Under 30 seconds, zero friction.
  • Familiarity Tap and swipe mirrors everyday app habits.

Independent Research Supporting Gamified Surveys

Survey Research Literature

Reducing survey length is the single most effective driver of completion rate improvement. A 50%+ reduction in questions can double or triple completion rates.

— Krosnick & Presser, 2010
Gamification Science

Game design elements applied to non-game contexts significantly increase user engagement and task completion, the foundational principle behind Infotap's interactive survey experience.

— Deterding et al., 2011
Live Field Data

Real-world airport deployment achieved a 76% completion rate among starters and approximately 40% of all Wi-Fi users completing a survey, far exceeding the 10–30% industry average.

— CVG Airport, live data
Industry Benchmark

Traditional intercept and email survey completion rates average 10–30% across industries. Infotap's gamified platform consistently delivers 2–5x those benchmarks in airport deployments.

— SurveyMonkey / Qualtrics
AI Output · Traveler Personas

CVG's Six Traveler Personas, Generated by Infotap AI

Beyond raw survey data, Infotap's AI engine synthesizes responses with airline and demographic signals to generate distinct traveler personas. CVG identified six unique passenger profiles, each with actionable implications for F&B, retail, and marketing strategy.

Persona 01
~35%

The Frequent Flyer

Business travelers on Delta and American. High loyalty program membership. Premium cabin buyers. Schedule-driven.

Top Airlines
Delta American
Signals
Business Loyalty Member Premium Cabin Schedule-Driven
Persona 02
~40%

The Leisure Explorer

Leisure travelers on Frontier, Allegiant, and Southwest. Price-sensitive. Family groups. High F&B engagement potential.

Top Airlines
Frontier Allegiant Southwest
Signals
Leisure Price-Sensitive Family F&B Engaged
Persona 03
~10%

The International Traveler

British Airways, Air Canada, and Delta Paris routes. Higher household income. Unique customs and transit needs.

Top Airlines
British Airways Air Canada Delta
Signals
International High HHI Customs Long-Haul
+3 more CVG's full persona report includes 6 distinct traveler profiles with detailed behavioral and demographic breakdowns. Available in the Infotap dashboard.
Featured Study · AAM Awareness Research

Advanced Air Mobility Awareness Study: Research-Grade Results From the Wi-Fi Gateway

CVG used Infotap to conduct a statistically rigorous awareness study on Advanced Air Mobility (electric air taxis and urban air transport). The results demonstrate that the Wi-Fi gateway can deliver research-grade insight at scale, fast. See how AI Survey Analysis works →

3,284
Total respondents
76.2%
Completion rate
±1.71%
Margin of error
28s
Median completion time
Key Finding

65.7% of respondents had zero prior awareness of AAM, making education the highest-ROI lever for adoption campaigns.

Segment Insight

Among travelers “Very familiar” with AAM, 77% indicated they were “Likely” or “Very likely” to travel by it, proving education directly drives willingness.

Strategic Recommendation

Target business travelers with safety and cost messaging, the two dominant open-ended concerns, for maximum adoption impact.

This depth of analysis is available for any question your airport chooses to ask its passengers.
Applied Insight

From Survey Response to Airport Decision

CVG doesn't just collect data, they act on it. Here's how Infotap insight flows into real airport decisions across four departments. Learn more about the Guest Experience Platform.

Retail, Food & Beverage Revenue

  • Identify top restaurant and retail brand requests by concourse
  • Understand dwell time and spend willingness by traveler segment
  • Test new concept ideas before committing to long-term leases
  • CVG result: +2.3x revenue and +136% sales at Concourse B
  • Top passenger requests surfaced: Skyline Chili, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's

Operations Optimization

  • Real-time facility feedback via QR codes at restrooms, gates, and baggage claim
  • Security wait time perception and checkpoint satisfaction scoring
  • Identify pain points by terminal, time of day, and traveler type
  • Reduce negative reviews with proactive real-time issue resolution

Master Plan & Capital Projects

  • Gather direct passenger input on terminal expansion priorities
  • Validate amenity concepts before design and construction phases
  • Segment feedback by frequent travelers vs. first-time visitors
  • Benchmark satisfaction before and after improvements for ROI proof

Passenger Experience

  • Build rich traveler personas across the full annual passenger base
  • Identify personalization opportunities by traveler type and airline
  • Measure real-time NPS and satisfaction scores continuously
  • Support ACI ASQ scores with high-volume, statistically reliable data
FAQ

Common Questions About the CVG Deployment

How long did it take CVG to go from signing to live deployment? +
CVG was fully live within days of signing. Infotap integrates with existing Wi-Fi infrastructure: no new hardware is required and there is nothing for passengers to install or download. The deployment process involves connecting Infotap to the airport's captive portal redirect URL, configuring the branded survey template, and testing on the live network. Most airports are collecting responses within one business day of completing setup.
What was CVG's completion rate and why is it so high? +
CVG sees a 76% completion rate among passengers who start the survey, and approximately 40% of all Wi-Fi-connected passengers complete a full survey. The high rate is driven by three factors: the survey is presented at the peak attention moment (when passengers actively want internet access), the format is gamified and takes under 30 seconds, and questions are rotated so no passenger sees a survey they've already answered. Traditional post-trip email surveys average 2–5% completion across the industry.
How did Infotap contribute to the +136% F&B sales increase at CVG? +
Infotap surveys revealed which specific food and beverage brands passengers most wanted in Concourse B, top requests included Skyline Chili, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald's. CVG used this data to inform concession strategy and tenant selection decisions. The 90-day study measuring the resulting changes showed a +2.3x revenue lift and +136% increase in F&B concession sales in that concourse. Infotap provided the data; CVG's team made the decisions and executed the changes.
What is the AAM Awareness Study and what did it find? +
CVG used Infotap to conduct a research-grade awareness study on Advanced Air Mobility (electric air taxis and urban air transport) to inform their innovation and planning strategy. The study collected 3,284 valid responses at a 76.2% completion rate with a ±1.71% margin of error, in a median response time of 28 seconds per survey. Key finding: 65.7% of passengers had zero prior awareness of AAM, identifying passenger education as the highest-ROI lever for CVG's AAM adoption strategy.
Can other airports replicate CVG's results? +
Yes. The CVG deployment is replicable at any airport with a captive portal Wi-Fi network, which covers the vast majority of commercial airports. The same methodology, platform, and AI reporting engine that CVG uses is available to all Infotap customers. Results will reflect each airport's unique passenger mix, but the structural dynamics: high voluntary completion rates from already-authenticated, already-connected passengers, AI-generated personas, real-time dashboards, are consistent across deployments.
Get Started

Build This at Your Airport.

CVG went from zero passenger data to 22,000 monthly survey completions. Book a walkthrough and see what the same deployment could look like at your airport.

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