How Social Media Marketing is Driving Success for Airlines

Did you know that there are 2.8 billion global social media users around the world?  Or that over half of the world's population uses the internet regularly? If you are an airline, chances are your passengers and potential passengers are looking you up online and researching your brand before they book a ticket with you.

Modern trends in the aviation industry are re-shaping airline business models. Airlines of all types and sizes are competing to distinguish themselves in the eyes of potential passengers. When prices and routes are similar, offering the best customer service is a great way to have your airline stand out from the rest of the competition.

Your passengers are most definitely talking about you, and increasingly these conversations are happening online. Your airline wants these conversations to be positive  so that people are encouraged to fly with you rather than discouraged.  This global shift towards digital means that social media marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for transforming sales...if you use it properly.

Follow these 4 easy steps to excellent customer service and social media success and your passengers AND future passengers will be bragging about your airline all over the web in no time! 

How Can Social Media Give Your Airline a Competitive Advantage?

The best thing about social media is that it continues to evolve with time, with new features and new platforms being added constantly that make things easier and more effective for you and your followers .  Your airline's use of social media isn’t just limited to advertising or answering  questions anymore. New technology could pave the way forward in completely transforming the social media presence for your airline. 

  Excellent Customer Service Step 1: ALWAYS be there for your customers

Today's customer expects to be able to interact with your airline twenty four hours a day, everyday (even over the weekends, and during holidays!) Your airline will undoubtedly receive time sensitive queries by passengers requiring special assistance. As you know, severe weather can affect flight schedules at any time, and a passenger may want to follow up on a concern, track cargo, or simply need a question answered about a connecting flight. Your airline should have somebody there listening to what your passengers want and need and responding to them in real-time in order to ease their minds and provide excellent customer service.

  Excellent Customer Service Step 2: Give your passengers the freedom to do things in their own way, in their own time

It is important to give your customers freedom to do things the way that they feel most comfortable doing them. This extends from flight booking all the way to the check-in and boarding processes. Some passengers will prefer to speak in person or on the phone to an airline agent, while others will want to do everything quickly and independently from their phone or computer. New social media features like chatbots can completely transform the experience a passenger will have with your airline. Passengers can use tools like chatbots to check-into their flight over social media networks such as Facebook Messenger. The important thing is to give your passengers options so that they have the freedom to check-in the way that works best for them and their lifestyle. Giving your passengers these options also has the potential to save them time at the airport as there will be less people waiting in line to check in with the agent. Less time waiting in airport lines = happier passengers! 

Excellent Customer Service Step 3: Show your customers all you have to offer

Your airline can take advantage of social media extensions to offer your passengers extra services they may want to purchase from you, which will help them to tailor their airline experience to their personal preferences. Some examples of ancillary items you may want to offer your passengers or inform your passengers of over social media are: special handling, pre-ordered meals, extra checked baggage, or specialty snacks. Your airline can also use social media to keep passengers up to date by sending out personalized flight information in real-time right to their social media accounts and smartphones. 

Excellent Customer Service Step 4: Communication is key

In the words of George Bernard Shaw "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Never assume that your passengers have all the information they need to enjoy their flight (and trip) to the fullest, make sure that they do!

A very easy way to get started on this is to communicate weather to your passengers. Weather can be communicated from the time that your passenger first books their flight so that they know what type of weather to pack for at their destination, and can extend all the way up to weather forecasts for their entire flight route so they know if there will be flight delays, cancellations or turbulence. Another easy way your airline can start using social media to communicate with passengers is to use it as a channel to send out special deals you are offering, the latest promotions you are running, airport information, and personalized flight information to booked passengers via social media. 

With such a high percentage of people around the world using social media networking sites on a daily basis, social media has grown to become a force to be reckoned with. Harnessing this power is not only an asset in reaching out to potential customers, but also in establishing brand awareness, building loyalty, and getting in on word of mouth marketing.  It is imperative that your airline gets the word out there about your services, special offers, and ultimately your world-class customer service to become your passenger's airline of choice. If you aren't talking to and delighting your passengers, you can be sure that another airline will be.

If it isn't already, your airline should strongly consider making social media marketing a key focus area for your marketing and communications team- especially if your goal is to achieve unparalleled traffic growth for your airline in the future!

4 Outstanding Airlines Recognized at the InteliSys Airline Growth Summit

Award winners at The Airline Growth Summit, recognized as outstanding airlines for excellency in marketing, customer service, and humanitarianism were unveiled September 13th in Saint John, New Brunswick.

The Airline Growth Summit brought together InteliSys airline clients as well as aviation specialists, industry partners, marketing and IT professionals and InteliSys team members, for a three day summit to share ideas, techniques and theories all around the theme of boosting airline growth.4 InteliSys client airlines were recognized  in particular for their outstanding work and contributions to their communities and passengers.  Awards were given out in the areas of marketing creativity resulting in revenue growth, generosity and community participation, and exemplifying amazing customer service by putting passengers before profit.

Most Innovative Airline Marketing Campaign presented to VietJet Air

The Most Innovative Airline Marketing Campaign Award was created to recognize an airline that has used their creativity and innovation over the past year to grow their exposure in their competitive market while increasing ticket sales.

InteliSys is proud to name this year's recipient as VietJet Air! VietJet, also known as the ‘Bikini Airline’ is well known for their creative marketing ploys throughout the years. This year, VietJet Air ran their biggest 0$ seat sale of all time. A marketing campaign that boosted VietJet’s sales and brought even more exposure to their airline. The particular 0$ seat sale was in honour of CEO and Chair lady of the board, Madame Thao’s birthday. VietJet used the opportunity to market to their entire customer base. This was no ordinary seat sale for VietJet.  Usually VietJet’s seat sales last for 2 hours - this one was an entire day. The airline was taking online $0 seat sale reservations for a 24 hour period, bringing in over 221 thousand airline bookings.

InteliSys has had the pleasure of serving VietJet since 2011. At the time, the airline had only 1 aircraft. Now, seven years later, they have a fleet of 55 A320s and are operating over 40% of the Vietnam domestic aviation market. Thanks to their clever and innovative marketing, VietJet continues to grow month over month and have been recognized as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.

Humanitarian Excellence Award presented to PAL Airlines 

The Humanitarian Excellence Award was created to honour an airline that exemplified generosity by going above and beyond expectations and showing great care for the communities that they operate and fly in.

The winner of this year's Humanitarian Excellence Award is PAL Airlines! PAL consistently gives back to their community in many ways, partaking in numerous community activities, supporting local groups and initiatives, and raising money for causes close to their heart.

The InteliSys team highlighted a few of the many wonderful initiatives that PAL Airlines takes part in. The team at PAL hosts an annual Kite Festival with proceeds going to a different worthy community organization each year. This end of summer event raised $2000 for The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada- Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter in September of 2016. The Kite Festival is well-known around Newfoundland and Labrador as an event that brings the community together under the common goal of supporting a local cause and giving back. Additionally, PAL partners with Ronald McDonald House, supports Young Adult Cancer Canada, and donated over 225 lbs of food to CBC Feed Nova Scotia this year.

PAL truly stepped up this past year, lending a hand on the ground to assist with the flood efforts in Mud Lake. They helped transport over 1,110 lbs of cargo on behalf of the Canadian Red Cross.

Best Passenger Story Award presented to Central Mountain Air 

The Best Passenger  Story Award was created to honour an airline that received a very positive online review from a satisfied passenger. The winning story is from a passenger on a Central Mountain Air flight.

"Amazing customer service with this airline. I booked this flight from Quesnel to Comox for my father, who is having cognitive difficulties and I was worried about him making his connection in Vancouver. I contacted CMA and they made a point to call me back to discuss the situation and then ensured someone would be there to make sure my father didn't feel lost and got on the right plane! Due to weather and traffic accidents on the way to the airport, we were late picking my father up, and again I was able to contact someone who sent an attendant to relay the message to my father (who doesn't own a cell phone). I was so impressed."

InteliSys is proud to recognize Central Mountain Air for the way they treat their passengers and the extra care they provide; truly putting their customers first!

 Jock English Memorial Award for Supremacy in Customer Service presented to Pacific Coastal Airlines

The Jock English Memorial Award for Supremacy in Customer Service is very close to the heart's of the InteliSys team members. Jock English was the CEO of InteliSys Aviation Systems from 2006 to 2012 when he lost his fight with cancer. Jock was an engineer by trade, a great salesman and CEO.  Jock truly cared about relationships with clients and built strong customer relations.  He was all about customer service. The InteliSys team will honour Jock each year by presenting this award to a deserving airline, who follows his passion of customer service.  It was an honour to have Jock's wife of 15 years, Pam Reid, in the audience as the first annual award in Jock's memory was presented to Pacific Coastal Airlines.

Pacific Coastal Airlines was honoured for this award because of the overall quantity and quality of positive feedback for customer service they received across the internet this year.  Specific examples from their passengers demonstrated their dedication to going above and beyond for their clients and the extra compassion they showed for passengers during the wildfires in British Columbia this year.  The judging panel highlighted a passenger story that stood out in particular:

"Thank you so much for taking such good care of my daughters for their first flights without a parent! They felt so special and every single person from booking agent to counter people and the whole staff made the experience a complete delight! Flying an 11 year old and 13 year old amid forest fires and evacuation alerts was nerve wracking, but you all made it seamless and safe. Having someone greet them for a flight change especially eased the anxiety of nervous mom. Also, thank you for not charging the $100 babysitting fee other airlines charge. I will shop you first every time I need to from Vancouver Island." 

It was InteliSys' honour to present the first Jock English Memorial Award for Supremacy in Customer Service to Pacific Coastal Airlines.

 

For more information on the award winning airlines, please visit their websites:

VietJet Air, PAL Airlines, Central Mountain Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines

For more information on InteliSys, please visit: www.intelisysaviation.com

Is It Time To Consider a PSS Switch?

As an Airline Owner, CEO, CFO or CIO you may feel that your airline reservation & distribution fees represent a significant Costs-of-Sales, or that the bundled approach that some traditional providers offer means you may be indirectly paying for functionalities that you don’t actually need and will not use.

At the same time, your perception might be that switching PSS solution providers presents a major project with unknown business risks and costs, and therefore the option to switch PSS providers hasn’t been seriously considered by your management team.

Why Switch Passenger Service Systems?

New Business Needs

As a developing airline, you may have previously been on a system with limited features and are now looking to expand your distribution channels, including GDS functionality, without wanting to pay for a full legacy system.

Cost Reduction

While reviewing your airline's operating costs, your team realizes you are overpaying for your legacy airline system. You realize you could acheive a win-win scenario with a system that allows you to generate customer service enhancements AND significantly reduce your fees by moving to a next generation system that still has robust GDS functionality.

Customer Service

Are you tired of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Your airline team may be tired of experiencing poor customer service from your current solution provider and realize that you could raise your service level, reliability and functionality by adopting new technologies that offer a higher level of support and by parterning with an airline solution provider who makes you feel important and valued as a client.

Ease of Switching

Airlines are realising that the project dimensions involved in moving from one airline solution provider to another have been significantly reduced in recent years. There are airline solution providers who are experienced in helping airlines switch systems and who are focused on ensuring that the move from one provider to another is as smooth as possible. 

Some key points to consider when choosing your next airline PSS solution provider:

• Choose a solution provider who offers you flexible functionalities so that you are able to develop your systems as you need to; helping you to stay up to date and fit your growing airline's needs and the changing aviation market's demands.

• Look for a solution provider with a global client list as well as staff stationed around the world. Having constant support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year is crucial! You never know when your airline will have a critical business issue that needs to be solved immediately. Reliability and customer service are key in the airline IT industry.

• Find a provider that offers you real-time replicated dabases- so that you are able to run your own custom reports and integrate your data with any 3rd party systems you want to. This will ensure that you can offer your passengers the best possible services and will keep you competitive in your market.

• If you are an airline looking to grow, you need a system with unlimited scalability. The best way to achieve this level of scalability is to have a fully cloud-based system. Having a cloud-based system means enhanced reliability, security and availability for your airline. A cloud-based system will be able to support your airline weather it is selling seats to 200 passengers or over 2 million passengers without blackouts or crashes.

• All airlines are unique, and many airlines require specific system features for their airline rather than a generic one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of paying extra for features your airline doesn't need and won't use, choose a solution provider who offers a wide variety of business switches and will work to tailor their system to fit your airlines specific business model and growth plans.

 Discover how your airline can reduce costs while enhancing reservation & distribution functionality

How Airlines Can Provide Superb Customer Service to Their Passengers

With customer service being one of the leading factors for sustaining competitive advantage among companies and with social media invading every corner of the business world, it has become necessary, more than ever, for airlines to provide the most superb and impeccable service to every passenger, every time.

One unhappy passenger has the power to warn and discourage other potential customers from booking with your airline if it has failed to satisfy their expectations. Even worse, a swarm of unhappy and unsatisfied customers now have the power to drive any company bankrupt.

Passenger customer service is more important now than ever before.

growing, ever-changing aviation landscape the airlines that do not step up and delight their customers will be left behind.

Airlines must acknowledge the urgency of promoting excellence in customer service which in turn will directly affect profit, passenger retention, and overall airline growth.

How can your airline provide superb customer service to its passengers?

Keeping in mind that your goal is to keep clients and customers happy and more than satisfied with your services, you must focus all of your attention on your customers.

Airline companies must create and promote a customer-centric culture.

Let’s start by defining what customer-centric culture is.

A customer-centric culture does not only mean providing good customer service and fair treatment to customers. This is good, and necessary, but it encompasses more than that. Customer-centricity seeks to study, analyze, and keep high-value customers to increase profit and customer retention by providing support, communication, and the best experience for the customer throughout the whole purchasing process (awareness stage, purchase stage, and post-purchase stage.)

This leads us to the next question...

How can airlines create and promote a customer-centric culture?

Here are 5 essential steps to consider:

1. Focus on the passenger’s wants and needs and develop services around those

In other words, see things from a customer’s perspective. What would you expect? How would you like to be treated? What would make you never want to change services? Which would be some suggestions you would make to your own company? What type of airline would you like to be flying on on your next vacation? These are just some questions that you could ask yourself in order to appreciate the customer’s view. Having answered those questions and having seen things as a customer would, develop new or adjusted services around the information you obtained.

2. Evaluate yourself: What do customers think about you and your services?

It is pointless to keep offering your services if you don´t know what the majority of your customers think about them. This includes before-and-after service communication, feedback requests, and suggestions. Customers will always be more than happy to point out things that need to be improved and to congratulate you for what they loved about your services. This compliments the first step, helping you focus on customers´ suggestions, wants and needs.

3. Promote and encourage the sharing of customer information and feedback among departments in the company

In many companies, communication among different departments is one of the biggest problems. But, a company that is to succeed must overcome this obstacle. Feedback obtained by a given department will be useful for others as well in order for a company to provide the ultimate service for its customers. It is therefore necessary to promote and encourage healthy feedback and information sharing among departments.

4. Apply changes to the customer service platform based on the client's´ feedback, suggestions, and information obtained

All the above given steps are useless unless something is done about them. Changes must be made in every aspect of the issues you have identified, from the personnel to the customer-service policies. Your airline company must be able to put all of its newly developed and adjusted services (based on the client's wants and needs) to work. Once they have been set active, changes in customer satisfaction will start coming to light.

5. Motivate company members by promoting prizes and recognitions for outstanding employees

Recognition will motivate company members to achieve personal success. By recognizing outstanding employees, company members will seek to surpass not only their own level of professionalism and excellence, but also that of other employees ahead of them. This, in turn, will promote an increase in success on customer satisfaction.

Airlines must form greater emotional connections with customers.

First of all, why is this so important? Keeping passengers and being their preferred travel provider is what every airline should aim at. Attracting new clients is pointless if they will request your services just once or twice and then change your airline's services for the services of another airline, and even worse, post negative feedback on your airline (which, with the help of social media, will spread faster than any epidemic).

Studies show that a 2% growth in customer retention has the same effect as cutting operational costs by 10%. So if you didn't believe us before, keeping customers is vital. How then, can your airline achieve this? Airlines achieve this by forming hard-to-break relationships and emotional connections with customers. This includes points previously mentioned, such as keeping constant communication with clients before, during, and after the purchasing process, asking for feedback and suggestions, applying changes based on those suggestions, and letting customers know that their feedback and suggestions have been taken into consideration. But it is more than that. Forming emotional bonds with customers can be compared to making friends. There are some steps to follow:

1. Get to know your customer.

If you want to make good friends with another person, you must get to know your friend. This is no different. A company must get to know their customers. In this case, airlines must find out what their clients like the most, what kind of services they prefer, what little details would make them happy, etc.

In order to achieve this, your airline must get close to clients, interact with them, listen to them, and accept suggestions, reprimands, or complaints. Remember, the client is always right! If your company is able to provide this, clients will feel cared for, which is the first step to forming closer bonds with them.

2. Make your customer’s whims and expectations your priority.

After you have gotten to know your clients on a deeper level, you will be able to tell what their whims, preferences and expectations are. Now it's time to do something about them. Little details drive clients closer to companies and create greater emotional bonds between them. Try to appeal to as many clients as you can by implementing reforms in customer service that will make passengers feel that the whole airline is all about them!

3. Give your company a personality.

This is the final step, in which, just as in a friendship, your company will interact with customers by sharing information, good news, sales, excellent opportunities, facts, useful data, and much more through social media, updates, and any personal touches you think they would enjoy. This will give your company a voice. The main purpose of all these things is to let customers know that your company cares about them and to make them feel proud that they are part of your airline.

Although this looks as an overwhelming task, it is all based on a simple truth: it is passengers that will make your airline succeed.

Delight your passengers, and they will stay; disappoint them, and they will leave.. If you are able to surpass clients’ expectations for good, then you have achieved it all!

10 Ways Low Cost Airlines Can Make More Money

Low-cost airlines have the potential to excel in their markets and become the leading providers in their competitive areas. From the days of People Express Airlines, to the likes of Southwest and Virgin America, successful low cost carriers offer unprecedentedly low prices while maintaining an impressive rate of growth.

With tickets often priced at a third of the cost of competing airlines, low-cost carriers sure manage to attract crowds – but what are successful low-cost carriers doing differently than their unsuccessful low-cost carrier counterparts? What strategies are the CEO’s of these airlines using to generate revenue from their passengers?

10 ways that low-cost airlines can increase their revenue

(even while offering passengers those ridiculously low air fares):

1. Fleet Utilization and Uniformity:

For larger low-cost carriers that offer dozens of flights every hour, revenue can be maximized through fleet utilization and uniformity. Having the same type of airplane in a fleet helps larger low-cost airlines save time and money on training pilots, flight attendants, and technicians. Standardizing practices across the fleet also increases operational efficiency and contributes to optimum performance. These airlines are able to have airplanes flying the majority of the time, with minimal breaks in the schedule for maintenance and other routine checks.

2. Custom Cabin Configuration:

Another tactic low-cost airlines can use to keep costs down is to custom order cabin fittings and accessories to reduce the total weight of the airplane. After all, less weight equals less fuel burned (which equals big savings!)

Some examples of low-cost airline cabin configurations include: removing window shades or installing lightweight seats with no extra frills like TV screens, charging ports, or bulky armrests.

3. Reduced Turnaround Times:

The most successful low-cost airlines are all about maximum efficiency! One of the biggest time and money saving techniques low-cost airlines can deploy is adjusting their internal processes to reduce turnaround time. Turnaround time is the time needed to get all of the passengers off, load and service the airplane for its next flight, and board a new set of passengers for the upcoming journey. Low-cost airlines can deploy several staff members at the same time to drastically reduce turnaround times to around thirty minutes for each flight. This means more time in the air and consequently more profits!

4. Flight Attendants:

Low-cost airlines can save money by scouting out young talent to become their flight attendants. Appointing young and enthusiastic individuals who are at the beginning of their careers, is a great way for airlines to leverage an excellent team (with all the necessary training and superb customer service) without having to fork out top salaries. It is a win-win situation as it provides young flight attendants with the opportunity to log many hours and gain valuable experience working with a fast-paced airline; helping them build their resumes as soon as they have graduated!

5. Direct Sales:

Another important competitive advantage low-cost airlines should leverage is the use of direct sales channels. Low-cost airline passengers generally buy tickets directly from the airline, cutting off any middlemen and thereby reducing overall costs. Thanks to the internet and automation in passenger reservation technology, purchasing a ticket has become a paperless practice, which saves money and counts as an important environmentally conscious business approach.

6. Excellent Customer Service:

Low-cost airlines should take pride in their quick and witty customer service. Some low-effort, high-return customer service activities that low-cost airlines could offer include: giving kids the opportunity to meet the pilot after their flight, sending out coupons for free flights after delays, running social media campaigns for free-tickets (to fill seats that might otherwise be left empty), and attentively responding to passenger needs through Facebook and Twitter.

7. Choosing Smaller Airports:

One of the most important things low-cost airlines can do to keep costs down is to choose smaller airports to fly into (or out of). Every airport charges an airline many fees including: service fees, loading fees, unloading fees, parking fees, and fuel costs (to name a few). Smaller airports generally charge less, and if they are in the same proximity to the major city or destination, it makes a lot of sense for low-cost airlines to choose them.

8. Ancillary Revenue:

Ancillary revenue generation is an important asset for low-cost airlines that can help them improve their profits in the long term. An example of ancillary revenue generation that requires minimum investment is the use of boarding groups instead of assigned seating. There is no doubt that travelers, especially business travelers, would prefer to board the airplane before the rest of the passengers get on. Southwest did a successful run with priority boarding groups called “Business Select” which allowed corporate travelers to get ahead of the remaining passengers. This service can be included against an extra cost in the ticket and help generate revenue from an existing yet unexplored source of income.

9. Let Passengers Print Their Own Ticket:

Low-cost airlines can reduce their expenses by advising passengers to print their itineraries at home, saving the airline the wage of an additional employee to preform the task as well as the cost of the necessary supplies.

10. Innovative Revenue Generation:

Low-cost airlines can get quite creative in order to generate extra revenue. Snacks and drinks can be offered to passengers for a fee, and passengers have to pay extra for checked luggage. Some low-cost carriers use the space on the overhead bins to place carefully targeted ads in order to generate revenue. In some cases, the entire airplane is “sponsored” by a company and painted in a unique livery.

Offering low-cost flights can have a high payback for airlines around the world. With some strategization, airline executives can increase their airline's revenue and become the airline of choice for passengers in their geographical market!

A Glimpse into the Latin American Aviation Industry

Latin America: An Emerging Market for Airline Businesses

Although the Latin American air travel industry hasn’t experienced rapid growth in the past, the current process of rebranding LATAM is likely to significantly change that in the coming years!

Changes can already be seen everywhere in the Latin American airline industry; in the airports, by the size and quantity of planes in the sky and by the carriers competing in the region.

The Latin American airline industry has made significant improvements in the last decade and Latin America is proving itself as one of the most attractive markets in the world for aviation businesses. This is in no small part thanks to a couple of joint ventures and a growing number of airline agreements and memberships. In fact, the merger between Chile’s LAN Airlines and Brazil’s TAM Airlines in August, 2010, has actually helped carry these two South American airlines into the spotlight. Many Latin American carriers are now looking to work together with global airline leaders and are seeking greater connectivity and financial investment.

Air Traffic Growth in Latin America

According to a recent study, Latin America is the most urbanized region on the globe, and this is the number one reason for the current growth of air traffic in Latin America. As the number of air passengers increases, naturally, the demand for convenient transportation from one city to another within Latin America has also increased. In fact, the domestic airlines in Latin America have already started to grow rapidly and are expected to continue this growth and make even more of a profit in the coming years.

The Rebranding Process

The rebranding process of the LATAM Airlines Group started in the year 2015, and will be completed by 2019. Some of the notable changes in LATAM include improved passenger experiences, fleet management, development of cabin interiors etc. According to 2016 statistics, LATAM is now considered amond the largest airline groups in terms of network connections, with 319 aircrafts offering air transport services to 133 destinations in 23 countries.               Another statistic shows that the average fleet age in Latin America is lower than the fleet age of many other notable airline companies. As of 2016, the average fleet age in Latin America is only ten years, and most of the fleets will be replaced over the next two decades.

Latin America is a very attractive destination and will surely continue to thrive. According to a recent report by the FAA, the Latin American aviation industry is expected to experience growth of 4.5% per year until 2034. The continuing growth in Latin American is undoubtedly conveying a message to the world about what this region can offer to enhance the entire airline industry.

4 Airline Technology Trends That Will Rule in 2017

We have to admit it: the world has changed a lot! In 2017 we are living in a technologically advanced society like none that has ever existed before. Now, you can complete tasks in a fraction of the time it used to take; like ordering your dinner via a food app or booking an appointment with your doctor right from your iPhone. The presence of technology can be felt everywhere, and its influence is continuing to grow each day.

The airline industry is experiencing this transformation first hand! Modern airlines are adopting the digital revolution in an effort to win over customers. This translates into a better travel experience for air passengers across the globe, but what will airlines roll out in the near future? Let’s take a look at the most influential airline technology trends that will have significant impacts in 2017.

Internet of Things (IoT)

According to Gartner, there will be 25 billion connected devices by 2020. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the concept of connecting all physical objects via a network. This concept is already helping the aviation industry as modern airlines are using IoT to offer the best customer service possible and to make their flights more efficient, safe, and enjoyable for the passengers.

So, it’s no surprise that IoT will generate many benefits for airlines in 2017. There are a number of examples of this concept’s success already. A great example being VietJet implementing the first airport check-in kiosks in Vietnam, simplifying the lives of their airline passengers.

Automation in the Aviation Industry

Automation has allowed airlines across the globe the chance to optimize their services. For air passengers, automation means a faster, more convenient travel experience with minimized tedious manual processes.

There are many areas of the aviation industry that can be streamlined with automation. However, the most important of them include: passenger reservation, ticket processing, cargo management, and in-flight services.

Automation is already occupying a large space in the airline industry and it will only be increased in 2017. For instance, ameliaRES Airline Passenger Reservation system has enabled Vieques Air Link (VAL), to make everything ticketless and passengers only need their confirmation or any type of ID at the time of check-in. Within 45 days of the ameliaRES implementation, 20% of VAL’s reservations were made through the web.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Virtual Reality (VR) is another important technology that is going to make travelling more fun in 2017. This can be considered as another important avenue for airlines to collect data on customers. It also gives airlines a competitive edge when crafting offers.

Australian airline Qantas has already taken a lead on this concept. Qantas has recently started to offer e-devices to their passengers on the flights and passengers can be entirely busy in enjoying games, movies, and more – all from 40,000 feet up in the air. The success of Virtual Reality with Qantas means other airlines are certain to follow the same in 2017.

Big Data

With Big Data technology, modern airlines can accomplish loads of activities. With Big Data, tasks such as sending tailor made offers to customers in real-time becomes easier (just by keeping track of details such as the customer’s purchase history, travel itineraries, search tendencies etc.). Big Data can also help airlines to detect the most efficient flight path that is less time consuming, safe, and saves on fuel! American carrier United Airlines is a great example of an airline that has already successfully implemented Big Data for individual customers.

It’s really amazing that technology has taken the lead for everything in the sky. It’s not crazy to think that technology is going to control every aspects of commercial space transportation in the coming years.

Stay tuned, since the airline industry is only going to get better in 2017 as technology continues to rapidly improve and advance!

If you liked this blog, you might be interested in reading: Big Data and The Travel Industry The Top 10 Aviation Technology Innovations in 2016  or Top Airline Trends to Expect in the Future