Blog: Claudia Imhoff

« Pitney Bowes Buys Up the Rest of Firstlogic | Main | Are Your Good Customers Really That Good? »

Airlines Go High-Tech in 2007

Soon, you may be able to do all your emails and Instant Messages at 35,000 feet. Almost half of the world’s airlines plan to offer in-flight communications such as these by 2007 according to a report from the Airline IT Trends Survey published by SITA.

Now for the bad (IMHO) news – more than a third of the airlines also said they will allow passengers to use their mobile phones on planes as well. Oh nooooooo! I can’t imagine anything worse that being strapped in an uncomfortable airline seat with some loud mouth yakking into his or her cell phone for the entire trip! I get upset enough when this happens on the ground. But at least there, I can walk away from the situation. No can do in an airplane. So much for my peaceful sanctuary in the air...

Other new toys for the airlines? Many airports will offer general purpose kiosks from which you will be able to print your boarding pass regardless of the airline. Also more customers will be able to print their boarding passes before leaving for the airport. This feature will require the airlines to introduce bar codes on tickets (as opposed to the magnetic strips used today) which may also allow passengers to present their boarding passes at the gate on a mobile phone or PDA! Now that is pretty cool.

Unfortunately since many airlines are cash strapped just now, the distribution of the newer technologies will not be even. Those with the new capabilities will have an integration issue as well in that they will always have to interface with airlines that are still paper-based. We are lucky here in North America in that the local airlines already have a pretty good jump on the rest of the world’s airlines. Currently 63% of all tickets in North America are sold though online channels, with 24% in Europe, and only 10% in Asia.

These findings are based on responses from senior IT executives at the world’s top 200 airlines – which account for two-thirds of the world’s airline revenues. The reasons for these new communications services are to hook new customers and to create better loyalty in current customers, especially during this time when the airlines are struggling.

Nothing like always being in touch... NOT! I welcome your thoughts on these technological directions.

Your in BI success,

Claudia

Share: