Cover Genius, SVP Travel, Peter Smith at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2026

Transcript

Peter Smith:Trust is not built any longer at the point of transaction. Trust is built in the moment things go wrong. And so, you know, as an airline, customers put their faith in you that you'll take care of them from A to B. And so Ordinarily, that works fine, but actually, in those moments that really matter, when something breaks, something goes wrong, that's when real brand loyalty is built or lost. And so ensuring that you hold your customers' hands through those moments is what's going to make them come back to you in the future and keep them flying with you for years to come. We surveyed 1,300 travelers, and 73% of them told us That the most critical thing for them when it comes to traveling and when it comes to payouts is automatic payouts when things go wrong. Really interestingly, 70% of travelers told us that they would actually switch airlines for that. So quietly, customers are saying, take care of me when things go wrong and we'll switch our business to you. Wow. And so Cover Genius ensures that we can Use the right technology to pay out claims in the moment that matters. Quick example is a customer's had a 4-hour delay. Before they even reach the baggage belt, their phone buzzes and it's the airline. We spotted your disruption and here's $150 in your wallet. The story that the customer tells thereon after is a very different one. They forget the delay. They just remember how you took care of them in that moment. Testing is not about conversion. Testing is about understanding what customers really want and then delivering upon that in that critical moment. And so by working with the right technology partner, we enable testing in real time. There's no 6-month roadmap to get there. Testing in real time to really ensure that we deliver very relevant products with zero friction to give customers exactly what they need in their time of need. Personalization is about delivering relevance to customers. And so one example is younger travelers, younger generations, they're used to personalization. They expect it in their everyday lives. Think of Netflix, for example. They're very used to being delivered personalized tailored offers, whereas older generations, they really get a little bit like, hey, what are you using my data for? How do you know that about me? And so ensuring that you personalize offers in a contextual way that matters to the different generations. So it's more about understanding your customers and being able to use those parameters, what you understand about that customer, To deliver very relevant products that are closely associated with the trip or experience they're booking. I'd say really deeply understand your customers. Use your loyalty program not to just reward past behavior, but to shape future buying behavior. And most importantly, turn up in the moments that matter most to your customers. Wow.

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