The way airlines do business is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with more mobile apps being developed to cover passenger interaction as well as core aspects of carrier operations.
A new IT Trends survey by SITA shows 93 per cent of airlines have mobile services for passengers as a top investment priority over the next three years, with 58 per cent investing in major programs.
The survey reports airlines are focusing IT investment in the key areas of improving passenger service, reducing the cost of doing business plus revenue generation. Passenger service is the top priority - and mobile services for passengers tops the list with 58 per cent of airlines planning major programs in the next three years. An additional 35 per cent are investing in research and development.
In the area of sales and distribution, mobile has taken hold, with more than half of airlines already selling tickets via mobile devices and by 2015, 89 per cent of airlines plan to do so.
But the real transformation is not just in the area of sales, this year’s survey shows that airlines are using mobile apps right across the business. By 2015, almost nine out of 10 airlines plan to have the following core services available via mobile: Flight search, check-in, boarding pass, ticket purchase, flight status notification, ancillary services, with customer complaint handling and missing baggage management following closely behind.
Half of airlines have already implemented mobile services for flight search and check-in, with close to half also providing boarding passes, ticket purchase and flight status notifications.
Launching the 2012 Airline IT Trends Survey, Francesco Violante, chief executive of SITA said: “This year’s survey shows how airlines are committed to mobile across the whole business. Mobile apps are being used to improve the passenger experience, reduce operating costs and generate revenue. This is the second year that mobile services for passengers tops the list of investment programs and it is the adoption of mobile apps across sales, customer services and passenger processing that truly shows that airlines are committed to transformation.”
Nine out of 10 airlines are investing in social media over the next three years. Some 57 per cent of airlines believe social media can play a significant role in promoting sales, with 39 per cent stressing its value in customer service. Four out of 10 already promote flights, and almost 90 per cent plan to do so by 2015. Both social media and mobile open the door for a more personalised service, and 78 per cent of airlines in this year’s survey already have, or plan to, personalise sales offerings via their direct channels.
The way airlines do business is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with more mobile apps being developed to cover passenger interaction as well as core aspects of carrier operations.
A new IT Trends survey by SITA shows 93 per cent of airlines have mobile services for passengers as a top investment priority over the next three years, with 58 per cent investing in major programs.
The survey reports airlines are focusing IT investment in the key areas of improving passenger service, reducing the cost of doing business plus revenue generation. Passenger service is the top priority - and mobile services for passengers tops the list with 58 per cent of airlines planning major programs in the next three years. An additional 35 per cent are investing in research and development.
In the area of sales and distribution, mobile has taken hold, with more than half of airlines already selling tickets via mobile devices and by 2015, 89 per cent of airlines plan to do so.
But the real transformation is not just in the area of sales, this year’s survey shows that airlines are using mobile apps right across the business. By 2015, almost nine out of 10 airlines plan to have the following core services available via mobile: Flight search, check-in, boarding pass, ticket purchase, flight status notification, ancillary services, with customer complaint handling and missing baggage management following closely behind.
Half of airlines have already implemented mobile services for flight search and check-in, with close to half also providing boarding passes, ticket purchase and flight status notifications.
Launching the 2012 Airline IT Trends Survey, Francesco Violante, chief executive of SITA said: “This year’s survey shows how airlines are committed to mobile across the whole business. Mobile apps are being used to improve the passenger experience, reduce operating costs and generate revenue. This is the second year that mobile services for passengers tops the list of investment programs and it is the adoption of mobile apps across sales, customer services and passenger processing that truly shows that airlines are committed to transformation.”
Nine out of 10 airlines are investing in social media over the next three years. Some 57 per cent of airlines believe social media can play a significant role in promoting sales, with 39 per cent stressing its value in customer service. Four out of 10 already promote flights, and almost 90 per cent plan to do so by 2015. Both social media and mobile open the door for a more personalised service, and 78 per cent of airlines in this year’s survey already have, or plan to, personalise sales offerings via their direct channels.