Consumers are at the heart of digital transformation and the pandemic has only accelerated the shift to digital retailing and e-commerce, backed by sophisticated IT platforms. And we have seen how effective the non-travel online retailers, like Amazon, have been – and they’ve grown their wallet share substantially.
These new players have gathered more data and learned more about us over the past two years than ever before and the worry is, for a heavily indebted and struggling airline industry – can it keep up and regain its fair share of the ‘economic wallet’ and unlock new revenue streams, as well as meeting shifting customer needs.
Airlines are at a disadvantage in that their starting point are often ageing tech systems of IT platforms, software and hardware. Added to this, an ever-more demanding customer, who wants greater ticketing flexibility, instant refunds, better service, disruption recovery that’s fast and effective and a seamless online and journey experience. The digital experience expectation also extends into the role of the airline’s loyalty programme, as well as its alliances and partnerships.
New selling strategies are also going to be key for the region. From branded fares to subscription services, airlines are shifting the ways they sell tickets.
- How is the distribution chain adapting to changing strategies?
- What are other trends in selling that are emerging that will work well specifically in Asia?
Moderator: Skyscanner, VP Commercial, Hugh Aitken
Panel:
- AWS, Head of EMEA Travel Industry, Nikiforos Chatzopoulos
- Sabre, Head of Sales, Asia Pacific, John Chapman
- Flyr Labs, VP of Growth, Matt Brown