提升旅客体验：航空公司获得竞争优势的必要条件

White Paper competitive advantageElevating the Traveler Experience:A necessity for airlines to gain a This white paper offers an in-depth exploration of evolving travelerbehaviors, challenges, and the influence of digital strategies on CX. The pandemic irrevocably altered the air travel landscape,leaving passengers with heightened expectations and airlinesscrambling to adapt. Today’s traveler prioritizes flexibility, health,and convenience, demanding a seamless journey from bookingto baggage claim. Travelers now seek options to modify or canceltrips with ease. To address this, airlines offer more flexible ticket Mobile apps enable self-service options, real-time updates, andpersonalized communication. Biometric authentication offersfrictionless experiences, while in-flight entertainment systemscater to individual preferences. Other significant trends shapingthe travel sector are the rise in usage of co-branded travel credit These trends reflect the evolving needs and expectations oftravelers and the dynamic nature of the airline industry. Byembracing these trends and leveraging innovative solutions, The global economic slowdown, rising inflation and interestrates, and geopolitical instability (arising from conflicts/war) havereduced spending on leisure and business travel, impacting thetop line for travel and hospitality. Further, the post-pandemic Rapid technological advancements, such as digitalization,artificial intelligence (AI), and automation, present bothopportunities and challenges for airlines. Embracing newtechnologies requires significant investments and organizational Why airlines must not ignore customer discontent Customer discontent can significantly affect airlines’ reputation,revenue, customer loyalty, regulatory compliance, employee The most significant pain points post-pandemic, such as flightdelays, cancellations, lost baggage, security, and immigrationqueues, continue to haunt the industry and are exacerbated by In 2023, The US Department of Transportation issued the largest fines onairlines in the history of the consumer protection office while helping return To mitigate these risks, airlines must prioritize customer satisfaction, investin service quality and reliability, and proactively address customer concernsand feedback. Building a positive CX is essential for long-term success and Airlines should invest in improved data analytics to help uncover patternsand insights that might not be evident through direct feedback, such asflight time and seating preferences and future travel trends. These insights Passenger expectations have created a competitive aviation landscapewhere experiences have become essential to winning customers. The lure Elevating the Traveler Experience:A necessity for airlines to gain a competitive advantage Airlines are struggling with a lack of a cohesive channel strategy,which is causing fragmented customer interactions andinconsistent service delivery. Talent shortages and knowledge 60%of consumers switch travel brandsfollowing just 1-2 instances of poor In agent-powered channels such as voice (the most preferredchannel), customers experience inconsistent support, highqueue times, and knowledge gaps, while IVR systems have 2.4xCustomers are more likely to staywhen companies solve customer Non-voice channels like social media have low responserates and are often ill-equipped to handle customer reviews;conversational bots lack understanding and empathy; andemail and web forms suffer from slow response times and lack To address these issues, airlines must optimize their channelstrategies with data-driven insights and actively understand 2x Individuals tend to share negativebrand experiences with nearly below), aligned with these optimized channel strategies, create apositive brand and user experience. A holistic measurement system,enabling KPI tracking against industry benchmarks, can help airlines How airlines leverage emerging technologies to improve CX Emerging technologies are reshaping the air travel sector by revolutionizing various aspects of the industry, from CX to operationalefficiency. Airlines leverage AI, machine learning (ML), data analytics, and automation to offer personalized experiences, streamlineoperations, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Additionally, innovations in augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) are GenAI Automation Airlines are increasingly adopting automation toimprove customer service and operational efficienciesthrough self-service options, automated notifications, GenAI has garnered the attention of several techand business leaders in the airline industry, with usecases varying from personalized offers/travel plans, Use Case: Use Case: Amid talent shortages, a leading Dutch airline, whichwas fielding 50,000 Facebook messages daily, deployedan ML-based chatbot to support customers. A leading Indian airline deployed a GenAI virtual agentthat handles customer queries across