The airplane industry is a billion dollar business. Yet, it also costs billions of dollars to maintain and expand a single airline business. Airlines also have to be careful about remaining stagnant in the industry. Constant updates, improvements to technology, and remodels are needed to secure customers. The following techniques are great ways to improve the both customer satisfaction and sales.
Offer online services
Offering online services not only improves customer satisfaction, but also can cut down on employee costs. In previous times, employees had to handle every aspect of the travel process. An employee had to check the customer in, check their bags, guide them to the waiting lobby, board them, and then serve them during the flight. Once the flight arrived to its destination, the employee then had to guide them to the baggage claim. With billions of travelers daily, this resulted in a need for many employees during a single shift. Online services allow customers to complete many of those tasks on their own, thus also cutting down on employee costs.
Provide travelers with advanced amenities
Customers want to feel like they have received a lot for their cost. Hotels, for example, provide guests with easy checkup, included room service, and the use of all on site amenities. In most cases, the more amenities that are offered to the guest, the more satisfied they are with their stay. The same idea goes for travel. Provide your guests with advanced amenities and they are much more likely to be satisfied with their experience. You can improve your guest amenities by offering free WiFi, advanced airplane display systems, and inflight entertainment systems. With 41% of airline passengers watching movies, this is a great way to connect with your customers.
Create a loyalty program
Direct spending on leisure travel by domestic and international travelers totaled $644.9 billion in 2014. People use airline travel and they use is frequently. Creating a loyalty program is a great way to show your appreciation for returning customers. It also encourages customers to continue choosing your airline, because of the benefits and perks. Marketing for new customers is expensive. You will find that the costs associated with creating a loyalty program is actually more affordable than marketing toward a new customer base. Loyalty programs should provide customers with flying perks, including airplane display movies, free in flight snacks, and even discounted flight costs.
Offer mobile friendly features
The majority of travelers have and use a mobile device frequently. Offering mobile friendly features can help you to connect with your customer and give them more value for the cost. Mobile friendly features include charging stations throughout the airport, the ability to connect to the airplane display from the plane, and even in seat USB power manufacturers. Keeping a mobile device charged is one of the biggest challenges for travelers. Give them a solution to this problem and they will show loyalty. It can also be helpful to make the mobile device check in process easier. According to TripAdvisor?s 2013 Air Travel Survey, 37% consider an iPad or tablet a carry on essential, up 5% from 2012.
Make necessary repairs and renovations
The single repair of an airplane can cost millions of dollars. However, keeping up with airplane repairs and maintenance can also keep customers loyal to the brand. Customers want to feel safe during their air travels and regular maintenance is important in achieving a feeling of safety. It is also important to maintain smaller technological components of the plane, such as the aircraft display system and the IFE repair station. The upkeep of these user friendly areas provides an overall impression to the customers.
Retaining and creating brand loyalty with one customer is much more cost efficient than marketing toward another customer. Brand loyalty is important when it comes to airline industries. You can develop strong brand appreciation among your customers by offering online services, providing travelers with advanced amenities, creating a loyalty program, and making necessary repairs and renovations to airplane displays and other technological features to obtain a safe impression of the airline.