The recent CAPA Airline Leader Summit event provided the perfect forum for airline and technology partners to discuss the current distribution landscape and steps needed to meet customers’ growing expectations. Here are some learnings that the Accelya team took away from the event.
It was widely acknowledged that the past two years have been a wake-up call to the aviation industry. Now, two years on, customer behavior has changed how they shop, book flights, and the flexibility they expect, adding to the challenges airlines must meet head-on. As a result, airlines need to move from a cautious operational mindset to one that is more open and focused on retailing.
Accelya’s global head of sales and account management, Bryan Porter, pointed out that airlines need to embrace change at their own pace due to different business models, strategies, and appetite for investment. Airlines will also need to consider solutions that take a hybrid approach to this journey as carriers rarely operate in commercial isolation.
Bryan flagged some of the work Accelya did during the pandemic around NDC, revenue management, and merchandising, assisting airlines in emerging stronger. By the end of 2021, Accelya saw a 73% increase in the number of tickets sold through NDC channels compared to pre-pandemic times.
With several airlines now engaged in ONE Order and a broader appetite for cooperation, there’s an opportunity to move the needle on airline retailing. While aviation has always been a cautious industry, many accept that the cautiousness can remain while change happens alongside it.
Find out more about the CAPA event in Accelya’s latest insights.
Source: Accelya