NB: This is a viewpoint by Patricia Simillon, head of airline operation strategy at Amadeus.
Flight disruption, such as when there is a significant external weather event which affects multiple carriers - think Hurricane Sandy in the US at the end of last year - is a perennial problem for airlines and travellers.
On average, most industry estimates suggest that some 5% of passengers experience disruption annually, which can significantly impact their experience of the airline brand.
In a survey of travellers conducted by JD Power, 42% of respondents identified the management of disruption as the single most important aspect of travel for improvement. Improving disruption management should be a strategic priority for airlines – to make the passenger experience better and to reduce costs for the airlines.
Background
Firstly, there are technical challenges to effective disruption management that airlines must overcome.
Greater integration across systems, and between partners, is vital; likewise, it’s essential to reduce manual processing and forge an online relationship with the customer that puts power and information in their hands.
Technology solutions exist today that address these challenges – although for airlines with complex businesses and a number of priorities, implementation of these can take some time. The benefit of doing so is a marked improvement in the airline’s crucial online relationship with its customers.
It’s not just the technical challenges that must be solved however: there are particular aspects of the traveller experience that airlines need to take a new approach to.
There are three key strategic areas, in particular, where action on the part of the airline can reduce the impact of disruption on the customer, and in fact strengthen customer loyalty:
- improved communication to the customer
- greater self-service
- compensation options that can be tailored to the traveller’s needs.
Improvements in these three areas are being rapidly driven by the online approach that airlines are adopting.
Fixing it
Now, if an airline knows a flight is delayed, they can send an email or text message to the traveller to keep them updated – so the traveller knows they have a little more time to get to the airport, and aren’t spending the extra minutes watching the clock in the departure lounge, their frustration steadily mounting at the inconvenience and "waste of time".
Or, if the disruption occurs with much greater notice, the airline can contact the traveller earlier in advance to let them know that the time or date of their flight has changed – preventing any last-minute surprises.
By sharing more information through the numerous communications channels now available, the airline can build trust and rapport with its customers, even when it is breaking unwelcome news.
Similarly, developments in technology are enabling greater self-service options for the traveller when it comes to re-accommodation, pushing the power of decision-making into the hands of the traveller themselves: for example, a text message or email informing the traveller of a delay could also ask them if they want to wait for their flight, or change to another flight or another date.
An online approach ensures that, whether the customer wishes to do this at a kiosk, on the web or via their mobile, they are provided with consistent information and re-accommodation options.
The compensation options offered to disrupted travellers also give airlines a chance to show that they care about and understand the traveller’s particular needs, and that they are sincere in their desire to improve the customer experience as best they can.
Ensuring that compensation options are flexible is paramount. Indeed, an airline could offer a business traveller the option of a seat upgrade on their current, delayed flight, or free frequent flyer miles to use at a later date. As with self-service re-accommodation, offering the customer a choice gives them a sense of control at a time when they may feel frustrated or powerless.
New approaches
If an airline can empower its customers through greater self-service, improved communication and flexible compensation options, the airline not only addresses the direct problem of the disruption and re-accommodation itself, but is also given an opportunity to improve the customer’s experience of disruption.
This allows the airline to give customers – who probably have had frustrating experiences of disruption in the past – a better service than they might have expected.
With the right approach to disruption management, airlines can address an issue that has historically been an Achilles’ heel in the customer experience.
A customer can’t blame an airline for a snowstorm that is beyond their control – but they can blame the airline for failing to inform them that their flight would be cancelled due to that snowstorm.
It’s a complicated area but even a small step such as this can be very effective.
NB: This is a viewpoint by Patricia Simillon, head of airline operation strategy at Amadeus.
NB2:Flight cancelled image via Shutterstock.