The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has released its updated ratings and reviews feature of AOPA’s Airport Directory Online.
From the airport itself to FBOs, restaurants, flight schools, and maintenance shops, pilots are encouraged to give their feedback on all aspects of an airport’s amenities and to check the experience other pilots had at those locations.
The new rating functionality allows users to provide up to five star ratings, post reviews, upload photos, and like other users’ comments, according to AOPA officials.
Just as important, they say, managers and business owners can interact with customers by responding to user comments, recognizing great feedback, and addressing customer concerns that would otherwise go unanswered. For both pilots and airport businesses, the tools are designed to make traveling with general aviation (GA) aircraft better, AOPA officials said.
“AOPA’s rating and review platform is a great tool to give pilots added confidence to get out, fly, explore, and visit the thousands of great destinations that GA can take them,” said AOPA Senior Vice President of Marketing Jiri Marousek. “Crowdsourced reviews are a critical customer expectation today, and they drive every industry to get better at serving our customers and foster transparency by sharing firsthand experiences — it’s a win for pilots, airport managers, and local businesses.”
Along with the new ratings and review feature, AOPA’s Airport Directory Online also has an updated and rebuilt kneeboard format. The kneeboard now displays traffic pattern altitudes in addition to FAA reported pattern altitudes. Comments on runway conditions, noise abatement information, pilot-activated lighting details, and clearance delivery phone numbers are also available.
Users leaving reviews must be logged in to AOPA.org, but do not need to be an AOPA member. Airport and business managers do not need to have a paid AOPA membership to respond to a review, but must have administrative access to their listing, which is provided at no cost.
Will the directory ever be offered in the printed format again?