The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority unveiled a new logo and passenger pledge Tuesday as part of a comprehensive branding initiative focused on enhancing customer service at Washington’s Reagan National and Dulles International airports.

During the past several years, the Airports Authority has undergone numerous changes to enhance the customer experience, including a major redevelopment of its food and retail concessions, additional parking options, online customer satisfaction surveys and new website. Now the Airports Authority is reinforcing these improvements with a new brand centered around a recommitment to its customers. The new tagline “Your Journey Begins with Us” recognizes that an enjoyable travel experience begins when a passenger arrives at the airport.

“This new logo incorporates every part of our organization into one symbol,” said Jack Potter, president and CEO. “The new brand embodies our choice to embrace change, to innovate and to lead. We want this logo to represent our resolve to serve the needs of the traveling public.”

The branding effort also features a new “passenger pledge,” further reinforcing the airports’ commitment to providing top-quality facilities and services, as well as a promise by airport leadership to advocate for customers when working with other entities that make up the airport community – such as the airlines, Transportation Security Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“This brand is more than just the color scheme and a logo. At its core an organization needs to stand for something; at Reagan National and Dulles International we choose to stand for our passengers,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Jerome L. Davis. “To best serve our passengers, we need to better know them. So as part of this effort we are conducting significant passenger outreach which will let us tailor our offerings to provide the variety of amenities and services our customers want in order to win their loyalty every day.”

Prior to kicking off the brand campaign, the Airports Authority performed extensive customer research, which included employee and passenger interviews, focus groups, competitive brand studies and data analysis of traveler habits across more than 15 U.S. and international airports. The comprehensive study has resulted in a deeper understanding of passengers and allows the Airports Authority to better target its services to meet their needs.

The Airports Authority’s heightened commitment to passengers was announced prior to the busiest season for air travel – the Thanksgiving holiday period. Reagan National and Dulles International expect more than 1.1 million passengers to travel between November 20 and November 30.

“While our commitment to our passengers is not new, this holiday travel season is the perfect time to reinforce it and to let our passengers know just how important they are to us and to everything we do,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Margaret McKeough. “As we approach the busy holiday travel period, our airport staff, retail and restaurant operators, and the host of teams behind-the-scenes are ready for the expected increase in travelers. We will even have our leadership team out in force in the airports, connecting with passengers and answering their questions”

As part of the new brand launch, a familiar message was delivered to passengers who intend to travel during the holiday travel season – arrive early. At Dulles International, technology is in place to provide passengers with real-time security wait times. At Reagan National, passengers can reserve their parking in advance through the e-park system.

Over the next several weeks, the Airports Authority will launch radio and print advertising highlighting the “Your Journey Begins with Us” branding campaign theme. The new logo and passenger pledge will be posted throughout the airports.

Visit here to view holiday travel tips and the Airports Authority’s pledge to passengers.