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Committee Of Seventy Teams Up With PHL To Improve Operations

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia International Airport wants to make the customer experience more enjoyable, and PHL is reaching out to an unusual source to upgrade its operations and improve outcomes.

The political watchdog group, the Committee of Seventy, is stepping out of its usual realm.

"Pardon the pun, but this was kind of a pilot effort," said Committee of Seventy CEO David Thornburgh. "Seventy created an initiative about a year ago that we called the 'Franklin Challenge."

Named after innovator Ben Franklin, Thornburgh says it's an extension of their advocacy for better government - not just monitoring elections - but how well government runs between them, even the city-owned airport.

"We brought a team of 18 innovators to help the airport think through some of what they call the 'pain points' that are troublesome to their traveler experience," said Thornburgh.

The center of focus? What happens when passengers arrive, connect or depart.

"It's punctuated by either boredom or anxiety," said Thornburgh.

The Seventy project team is also honing a more unified customer service policy and a better digital experience on social media platforms.

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