Overcoming integration challenges and driving direct bookings
While data can be extremely useful delivering better passenger experiences and increased revenue, collating passenger data and organising it properly will offer operational efficiencies too.
Hyper-personalised communications can be automated, even during times of disruption giving passengers all the information they need.
This allows customer support teams to focus only on the more complex cases that require the human touch without the need to expand the team.
Overcoming integration challenges
Integrating data from diverse sources can present several challenges that you will need to consider.
Data silos:
Siloed data stored in separate systems or departments can be more difficult to integrate, leading to unreliable insights and inconsistent communication. Travel brands should implement data integration strategies to break down silos and centralise data management processes.
Outdated data:
Contact databases like CRMs can quickly become outdated if not maintained. Using live data directly from your reservation system ensures real-time accuracy, preventing issues such as sending irrelevant communications due to recent changes like cancellations or disruptions.
Incompatible formats:
Data integration challenges often arise from disparate systems storing data in incompatible formats. While there's no one-size-fits-all solution, airlines can mitigate these challenges by partnering with specialists who can tailor bespoke integration solutions.
Selecting vendors with expertise in handling diverse data formats and custom integration needs is crucial for ensuring smooth data integration for hyper personalisation.
Privacy concerns:
Privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA impose strict requirements on the collection, storage, and use of passenger data.
Airlines must prioritise data security and compliance to protect passenger privacy and maintain trust. Implementing thorough data governance frameworks and encryption protocols can help reduce privacy risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
Driving direct bookings and revenue
Travel brands need to go beyond just price to incentivise direct bookings and a data-led personalisation strategy can help with this.
Research shows that 90% of customers are open to disclosing their behavioural data in exchange for extra perks that make purchasing cheaper or simpler.
By applying data-driven insights from passenger preferences and travel habits, airlines can create a more compelling value proposition for booking directly on their website or app.
This can be achieved by offering exclusive benefits for direct bookings, such as free seat selection, priority boarding, or bonus loyalty points. Additionally, personalised promotions and discounts tailored to individual needs (such as family vacation discounts on checked baggage and business traveller upgrades) can incentivise direct bookings.
Travel brands can make other small changes to improve the customer experience by streamlining the booking process for example. Pre-populating forms with past passenger information and offering a user-friendly interface can help persuade passengers to book directly and can easily be facilitated by data stored in your CRM.
One of the most significant advantages of direct bookings lies in improved contact-ability and communication during disruptions. When passengers book indirectly through third-parties, airlines often lack access to their current contact information. This can significantly hinder communication efforts during delays, cancellations, or other unexpected situations.
By encouraging direct bookings, travel brands can ensure they have accurate and up-to-date passenger contact details readily available. This allows for immediate and effective communication during disruptions, keeping passengers informed and minimising stress.
more revenue is generated by companies that excel at personalisation compared to those that are less proficient at using it.
Source: Mckinsey
of people said that receiving personalised communications was a key factor in prompting their consideration of a brand.
Source: Mckinsey
of people said receiving personalised communications made them more likely to repurchase.
Source: Mckinsey
Maintaining passenger profiles
Passenger profiles will vary over time with factors such as family status, dietary preferences, or contact details changing. Recognising these shifts and adjusting your messaging accordingly is essential.
Implementing regular data refresh cycles is critical for maintaining accurate profiles. This ensures that airlines can consistently deliver relevant and personalised communications that are appropriate for passengers in the long term.
Proactive measures, such as prompting passengers to confirm their contact details during booking and check in or utilising chatbots for data updates during customer interactions are effective in maintaining data integrity.
By using these approaches, travel brands can continue to leverage data-driven personalisation delivering revenue growth, loyalty, and an edge over the competition.
