Revenue and loyalty through data-driven personalisation
When updating your communications strategy, travel brands need to consider proper integration with various data sources to create comprehensive passenger profiles.
Using data-driven personalisation provides an incredible opportunity for airlines and travel companies to set themselves apart from competition and grow long-term customer loyalty.
To do this effectively however, travel companies must properly integrate data from various sources to create comprehensive passenger profiles. Then, you can plan your communication strategy.
Strategies for integrated data utilisation
Imagine missing a connecting flight because your airline couldn't link your booking details with real-time flight updates. This problem arises when data isn't connected properly, making it hard for travel brands to offer the personalised experiences customers want.
Limitations of CRMs
While Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are useful for keeping track of past travel choices for example, they lack the capacity to hold all relevant passenger information and the ability to deliver the instant updates needed for a complete customer experience.
Using the right tools
The best solution involves using best-in-class, specialised systems for your needs. Communication teams can use CRM data to send basic personalised marketing messages, while operational teams can quickly access flight delay information for better customer service from a completely separate system for example.
To deliver an effective communication strategy, travel brands need to be able to share data between systems, ensuring everyone gets the right updates at the right time.
Expert integration
Working with integration experts will help you to manage custom connections between systems, ensuring a smooth-running, highly effective communication strategy, bespoke to the travel industry and all the challenges and nuances associated with a passenger journey. This is often the most challenging step in the process with only 6% of businesses properly consolidating data to build a single representation of the customer.
By focusing on integrating data and making sure systems work together, travel brands can improve the customer experience, build loyalty, and increase revenue in a competitive market.
Source: SuperOffice
Maximising revenue generation opportunities
From this point, it’s important to establish the objectives for your data-led communication strategy. Depending on these objectives and your current challenges, the use of data should be prioritised accordingly.
By prioritising effective, proactive communication with relevant information, travel brands can build customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, drive revenue growth. More than 45% of organisations are investing more into customer experience, up from just 36% in 2010.
Happy passengers become repeat customers and brand advocates, recommending your services to others. By focusing on delivering clear communication throughout a passenger's journey irrelevant of disruption or any other problem, travel brands can win over passengers and earn their trust.
One effective way to leverage data for revenue generation is by seamlessly integrating personalised offers within operational communications.
Edelweiss Air - sister company of Swiss International Air Lines and a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group - used passenger data to personalise pre-departure communications, including targeted upgrade options based on past seat selections. This approach not only increased revenue but also enhanced the passenger experience by offering relevant choices.
Travel brands can replicate this approach by placing relevant offers within existing communication channels. For example, check-in reminders could include car rental options based on a passenger's family size (leveraging booking data), or pre-flight briefings could feature amenity recommendations tailored to past onboard spending habits.
The key is to ensure these offers are relevant, non-intrusive, and well-timed. By including them in existing communication workflows, travel brands can increase trust and engagement with passengers as well as maximising revenue generation. Personalised product recommendations can increase click-through rates by up to 33% and around 90% of customers are willing to spend more with companies who personalise customer services.
Getting the context right
It’s also important to think about the context of your communication.
Avoid including promotional messages in disruption communications as passengers are already experiencing high levels of stress during these situations, and attempting to sell or promote at this time will not be well-received.
Instead, when notifying passengers about a flight delay, being proactive and clear should be the main objectives.
Instead of including adverts for ancillary services or upgrades, the message should offer practical guidance on rebooking options, estimated wait times, and any available amenities or accommodations.
Refreshment vouchers or meal vouchers can be issued to affected passengers, acknowledging the inconvenience and offering support.
By demonstrating empathy and prioritising their needs, travel brands can build trust and goodwill, even in challenging circumstances.
