Innovation

In the race to remain competitive, airlines are investing in different facets of the customer experience. Regarding IT investments, airlines spent an estimated USD 37 billion in 2022 alone, with the pandemic serving as an urgent reminder to pick up the pace in digital transformation initiatives. To compete in the digital economy, decision-makers face the challenge of pinpointing priority investment areas in line with consumer expectations. From personalization to new revenue streams from integrated partner sales, several key investment areas are in the spotlight to boost airline revenues while...

With IATA forecasting USD 4.7 billion in net profits for airlines in 2023, things are looking up for the travel industry. And with the global online travel booking market expected to witness a 14.9% CAGR in the run-up to 2028, the challenge now shifts from staying alive to being competitive. Nearly half of all digital travel sales happen via smartphones, and over a quarter of travelers use smartphone apps exclusively to make their bookings. With widespread and increasing smartphone usage, airlines simply can´t ignore the channel. Relying on mobile-supported websites and clunky app user experie...

Airports play a central role in shaping the traveler experience, with creative design thinking and investment primarily focused on physical amenities. While great care is given to making the traveler's time at the airport more efficient and pleasant, one area of the experience still screams for attention — airport digital channels. Just because travelers happen to be at the airport doesn't mean they are using onsite amenities and services. As mobile usage continues to rise year on year, travelers are often glued to their devices rather than exploring what the airport has to offer. And this beh...

Striking the sweet spot between revenues and costs is a balancing act that keeps many business leaders up at night. With ever-increasing competition, sweating out the margins is "the" business mantra, particularly in times of slower growth. So how can cloud-native technology help increase revenues, lower costs, and improve business agility? And why should business leaders care about technology design – isn´t that why IT departments exist? The decision-making process when selecting new technology often starts with people cross-referencing capabilities with set business objectives. What doe...

Airline contact centers are in a pinch. Despite the growth of messaging platforms, chatbots, and dedicated portals, email traffic continues to grow. About 306 billion emails were exchanged every day in 2020, and the volume is expected to climb 4% annually over the next four years. Experienced agents are already struggling to respond to today´s email volumes in a timely manner. And for every email that gets responded, the chain only grows with follow-up queries, pushing agents into a vicious circle. Eventually, fulfilling service level agreements is at risk, while customer satisfaction plummets...