Mobile driving evolution of airline business
Many airlines are going mobile to accommodate the growing trend of tech-savvy consumers and are expanding their mobile marketing strategy to retain customer loyalty.
Companies such as Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have all integrated mobile. The airlines have used mobile applications and paperless boarding passes to not only sell tickets and give travelers an expedited check-in process, but to also make sure they have all the tools they need while on the go.
“Our customers have shown us that they want to take more control of their travel experience,” said Jared Miller, senior director of customer self-service at Continental Airlines, Houston. “Self check-in, which began at Continental in 1995, now accounts for over 95 percent of all domestic customer check-ins.
“With the growth of smartphone usage and mobile Web adoption, customers are now able to self-serve many aspects of their Continental travel experience, freeing up their time and getting access to real-time information,” he said.
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Boeing Jumps on Biofuel Bandwagon
Airplanes are some of the most gas-guzzling players in our transportation industry, which makes them a good place to start implementing renewable biofuels. Boeing has recently announced plans to do just that, phasing in 30% biofuel blends within the next 3 to 5 years, depending on when the fuels obtains enough industry commercialization.
What is unclear about this plan, however, is exactly where that fuel will come from. It seems that the major development here is that Boeing (as well as competitor Airbus) has sampled the products coming out of biofuel startups and declared it fit for use on an airplane. It is one thing to develop such a fuel in a lab, but quite another to scale it up enough to make a serious impact on the airline industry.
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2009 Airline IT Trends Survey: Technology developments
Passengers using their mobile phones to check-in may be fairly thin on the ground today, but airlines are forecasting that people using this service will increase fivefold in the next three years and are gearing up to rapidly accelerate the availability of a whole range of mobile facilities, including check-in, to help their customers self-process their journey.
The growth and popularity of web and mobile services look set to overshadow kiosks as a check-in channel – indeed airlines in some regions that have yet to implement kiosks may simply leapfrog this evolutionary stage. However there is plenty of life left in the kiosk as a self-service channel, with an increasing number of airlines looking to evolve it further to provide other self-processing tools.
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Thou Shalt Not Set the Parking Brake Prior to Landing
I have to admit I always wondered what would happen if you landed with the parking brake on. I guess now I know. You’ve got to give the guy some credit for keeping the aircraft under control. I wonder if this is covered under Embraer’s warranty.
Booking Online Or Using A Traveling Agent
Should you use a travel agent, or book it yourself? At one point in time, a travel agent was the only option when you wanted to book a vacation, but today, more travelers are heading online and making their own arrangements.
The major advantage of online booking has to be the savings. Booking your own arrangements saves you the cost of the travel agent?s fee. On top of that, Internet hotel sites offer some great reductions on room prices, and any search engine will land you a great deal travel expenses. However, remember that cheap is as cheap does, which simply means, be careful. When booking your room, check into the customer reviews before you commit. Moreover, double-check the location of your hotel. Be equally as cautious with flight arrangements. Because you?re paying less, you could well be flying into an airport that a long way from the city center, which adds both time and expense.
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