With the pandemic removing some of the control consumers had on their lives, airlines are looking for ways to give it back to them.
While there is pent-up demand, travelers understandably have concerns getting on planes amid the ever-changing restrictions.
A report from IdeaWorks says that airlines that can provide predictability and consistency will reap rewards.
The CarTrawler-sponsored report says travelers are confronting frustrations never encountered before such as lack of coordination around testing and vaccination.
The Consistency and Innovation Will Save the Airline Industry report broadly divides airline actions into three groups.
There are carriers and technology partners that are aiming to build trust by providing consistent travel information.
Examples include American Airlines and its Sherpa travel restrictions tool which provides the latest information on travel restrictions, what testing is required and other documentation before the passenger makes the booking.
Delta is providing similar information with its Discovery Map which gives travelers information on restrictions relevant to their destination, highlights special deals and shows pricing based on airfare, miles or vacation packages.
Other airlines are offering flexible insurance policies, such as easyJet with Protection Promise and Emirates with its multi-risk policy that is free and automatically added to bookings, to give travelers the confidence boost they need.
The third group of airlines in the report is providing carriers with additional services both related to and away from the core business to help travelers in these challenging times.
Qantas has a partnership with pet services company Mad Paws, which it has also invested in, where travelers can earn miles for booking pet sitting, grooming and other services.
It’s not as far-fetched as some might when you consider how many people got pets during the pandemic as well as that 66% of Qantas customers are said to be pet owners.
The IdeaWorks report concludes that consistency and providing a positive experience will bring back travelers who are desperate for a change of four walls.