Have you ever had food delivered by a robot? You can at the CVG Airport in Northern Kentucky!
That’s right, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport now offers autonomous delivery robots as a way for travelers to make and receive contactless orders.
Why Have Delivery Robots at the Airport?
The contactless delivery service by the first fully automonos delivery robots at CVG Airport was introduced during the holiday travel season. The pilot for the Ottobots at CVG began in late 2020 with passenger feedback to help provide data for improving the travel experience for guests.
“At CVG, we are redefining the travel experience by combining talent and tech to deliver innovative solutions,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG Airport.
“We’ve built a culture of innovation at the airport and are excited to partner with Ottonomy to test and advance this technology in a live, airport environment.”
“We are able to provide a safe and secure experience through our Ottobots, executing automated contactless deliveries of food and beverage and retail products.
COVID-19 has changed the way we all interact and relate to travel, making contactless delivery even more relevant and essential.” – Ritukar Vijay, Co-Founder, and CEO of Ottonomy Inc.
Indoor Deliveries by Robots at my airport??!!
I first learned about the robots at CVG during a dinner at Domestic Showcase in Virginia Beach from another travel writer at my table. Max from Go Nomad was telling me about an article that he wrote about robots at an airport in Cincinnati.
He immediately had my attention because that’s my home airport and I had never seen one there!
As fate would have it, I saw one as I exited my gate the very next day. I captured a few pictures and video of the robot passing by and I was on my way to pick up my luggage at the baggage claim.
Unfortunately my quest for a robot delivery adventure would have to wait that day.
Luckily, I already had another upcoming flight a week later. Thankfully, my flight wasn’t ridiculously early which allowed me enough time to check it out before departing.
Where can you order food from the Autonomous Robots?
Robot delivery is only available in Concourse B of the airport. If your flight is out of Concourse A, you can still go to Concourse B to have your items delivered.
You’ll just want to allow enough time to travel back to your gate for your flight.
How do you order food from the Robot at CVG?
You can order your items from the website orderatcvg.com and select what you want to purchase. The user experience is pretty simple.
When you make your order, you are given a unique QR code and updated on your delivery via text.
What types of items can be delivered by the Robot?
The website has an assortment of drinks, food items and snacks. There are also a few lifestyle products including electronic and travel items. All of the items seem on par with typical airport prices. I opted for a Caesar wrap as my breakfast because there were only a few sandwiches to choose from.
My grilled chicken Caesar wrap cost $9.59 and a taxes and fees were added making it around $11.74. This isn’t what I would normally pay for a grab n’ go sandwich but this was research.
How Do you know when your items are ready from the delivery robot?
When you order your items on the website you’ll select where your gate is. You’ll receive status updates via text to confirm your order and let you know when your item is ready.
It didn’t take very long for the robot to arrive. The biggest question in my mind was wondering where would it go.
I didn’t know if it would come directly to where I was sitting or if it was just going to be in the general vicinity. The robot arrived in the center of the terminal near my gate.
How do you retrieve your items from the Robot?
You need to scan your unique QR code on top of the robot in order to retrieve your items. I kept trying to place my phone with my unique QR code on top of the screen of the robot.
The problem was that it’s actually supposed to go on the area ABOVE it. (That was definitely an old habit from scanning boarding passes)
The top of the autonomous robots has a secure compartment to carry the items. The delivery robot opened when my unique QR code was scanned properly.
I was able to quickly retrieve my sandwich wrap that came in a plastic container.
The Caesar wrap tasted fine as a prepackaged grab n’ go option. After our brief transaction the robot was on its way back down the terminal.
The entire delivery experience was pretty easy. It’ll be even easier next time now that I know what to expect.
Who is robot delivery service ideal for?
Robot delivery is great option for anyone who is elderly, doesn’t want to wait in line, or who is traveling with younger kids.
It’s also a convenient option if you are trying to get work done before your flight and don’t want to disrupt it to go get the item you need.
The delivery service can also come in handy when the crowds at the airport increase during the holiday season.
I’m a sucker for a gimmick which is why I wanted to try it. If I order from the delivery robot again it will probably be just for the novelty of it.
Additional Dining Options at CVG Airport
CVG does have fast-casual and sit-down options in both Concourse A and Concourse B if you prefer to order in person.
Would You Order From a Delivery Robot?
@adventure_mom You can order food from a robot at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) #cvg #cincinnati #travel #airportrobot #airportfood #airportfun ? Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
