Airlines innovate with lounges, branding, ancillary revenue, and partnerships as passengers return

 DUBLIN, IRELAND & SHOREWOOD, WISCONSIN – The desire to do something new, better, or unique, will almost always create disruption for competitors. Better yet, innovation can also be designed to please passengers and boost revenue. This is something the eight airlines featured in the latest report sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler already know. Airline Revenue Innovations: A Global Sample of the Coolest Products and Services describes how the carriers in the report are reinventing their services to be distinctive, more profitable, and industry-leading. The 16-page report issued today includes the following key examples:

• AirAsia and its parent Capital A want to go beyond a loose-knit affiliation of companies to become a customer-facing powerhouse and top online travel agent.
• Cathay Pacific is creating a premium travel lifestyle “Cathay” brand with shopping, dining, and health insurance elements, and a branded retail location in Hong Kong.
• Delta has a mileage and points partnership with Starbucks to reach 58 million members of Starbuck Rewards.
• Eurowings has automated the booking path process of allowing travelers to block an empty middle seat with any of its branded fares from Basic to Smart.
• United introduced the Club Fly grab-and-go concept at Denver Airport which offers non-alcoholic drinks, premium snacks and barista-made coffee beverages.

“Innovation is essential in any industry, but particularly in an industry such as aviation, operating in such a highly competitive and important space,” says Aileen McCormack, Chief Commercial Officer, CarTrawler. “Innovation is at the centre of everything we do and a key pillar of our overall business strategy. Supporting our partners with world-class tools and technology is the heart of our business and we’re delighted to see the wider aviation industry being such a leader in innovation.”

The report closes with “7 Steps on the Path to Innovation” which offers practical advice to airlines. This includes a reminder to test on a small scale to assess actual consumer responses and perfect service delivery; this also mitigates the size and expense of mistakes.

Tags: CarTrawler,  Aileen McCormack