CASE STUDY
Volair: Reimagining Member Access
Volair were looking to ease pressure on reception teams, improve accessibility, and make it simpler for members and visitors to access facilities and book activities.
By moving from plastic membership cards and manual checks to digital tickets and passes, they introduced a smoother, more convenient access journey that supports both memberships and casual bookings.
Faster entry for members
Less pressure on reception
Secure validation
At a glance
| Customer | Volair | |
| Location | Knowsley | |
| Sector | Leisure Trust | |
| Solution | Digital Access |
THE ACCESS CHALLENGE
From card-related friction to digital access
Challenge
Membership cards and manual checks created unnecessary friction at entry. Forgotten cards, replacement requests and manually checked tickets added pressure at reception and made it harder to manage access consistently across memberships and booked activities.
Outcome
Volair created a smoother, more secure access journey across memberships and booked activities.
In the first four months, members and customers downloaded 18,000 digital passes and 1,240 digital tickets, while Volair saw an 18% increase in attendance recorded via turnstiles.
Reducing friction at reception
Members and customers can now access facilities and booked activities using digital passes and tickets on their mobile devices. This helps reduce reliance on membership cards, lowers the number of card-related issues handled at reception, and creates a smoother arrival experience across Volair centres.
With fewer members relying on cards, front-of-house teams spend less time dealing with forgotten cards, replacement requests and avoidable access issues. This also helps Volair capture more accurate attendance data through its turnstiles.
Securing access with real-time validation
Every digital pass and ticket is validated in real time against live membership and booking data in the Gladstone Platform. Using Marketplace Partner ASP, Volair securely connects digital membership passes and tickets directly to its turnstiles, allowing entry to be validated instantly at the point of access.
QR and NFC-enabled access help prevent pass duplication and unauthorised sharing, giving Volair a more secure and consistent way to manage access across its centres. Improved attendance recording also gives Volair more accurate participation data across group exercise sessions and activities.
Supporting the shift to digital access
Digital adoption has been strong across all age groups, including older members, many of whom quickly embraced the convenience of having their mobile membership card available on their phone.
The move away from physical cards also reduces replacement card requests and associated printing costs, while supporting a more modern member experience across Volair centres.
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“Digital passes have improved both the member experience and day-to-day operations across our centres. Members can access facilities quickly using their phone, while our reception teams spend less time dealing with forgotten cards and manual checks.”
Dale Baines
Commercial Manager
“We introduced digital tickets to modernise the customer journey and improve the overall member experience across our leisure facilities.”
Dale Baines
Commercial Manager
“Reception teams are spending less time resolving access issues and more time engaging with customers and supporting enquiries.”
Dale Baines
Commercial Manager
“One of the most positive outcomes has been the level of engagement across all age groups, including older members.”
Dale Baines
Commercial Manager