Asia’s airlines need to make an improved mobile booking experience an integral part of their loyalty strategy for frequent flyers, says ticket subscriptions technology provider TravelPass.
Speaking today at Aviation Festival Asia in Singapore, chief executive officer Svein Therkelsen said: “Asia Pacific is home to some of the most progressive airlines when it comes to mobile booking. New ideas in social media marketing from the region, such as WeChat booking, are inspiring other airlines around the world. However, most Asian airlines have yet to follow the logical extension of their online strategies by reengineering the booking process for frequent flyers, so as to improve their experience and loyalty.
“The heightened online user expectations of Generations Y and Z mean ease of booking is now at least as important to airline passengers as redeemable points. Customers are loyal to suppliers who make transactions effortless, as Amazon has shown the world over. The opportunity for Asian airlines is now to change the behaviour of frequent passengers from being ‘buyers’ to ‘bookers’ – to make the repeat booking process so streamlined as to give customers no reason ever to consider an alternative.”
TravelPass, a pioneer in the field of subscription-based fare models for frequent flyers, will be talking at the event about its work with carriers such as Scandinavian Airlines, Silver Airways, Braathens Regional Airways and Cape Air to reduce the number of steps in the online booking experience by up to 40%.
“Mobile commerce is growing exponentially and yet few airlines have gained plaudits for the functional ease of their apps,” Therkelsen continued. “Studies into loyalty by companies such as Facebook have shown there is a huge opportunity to deepen and strengthen customer relationships by ensuring the service an airline offers provides a memorable experience. By offering a product that simplifies the travel booking process to a few clicks, TravelPass makes repeat travel easy and airlines who offer this service will see these passengers return time and again.”