Personal services to premium travelers through technology!

The use of technology has come as a boon for various airlines worldwide. Airlines are making best efforts to increase their profitability and keep the loyalty of premium customers intact. They are now aggressively making the best use of IT and wearable technologies to keep pace with the growing competition.

Take the example of Virgin Atlantic Airways. The airline has decided to lead the bandwagon and has even started experimenting on how to keep its customers traveling on first class and business class flights completely satisfied and happier, simultaneously providing exclusivity conforming to their travel status.

Virgin Atlantic Airways has provided its Heathrow lounge staff Google Glass headsets and Sony smart watches. These wearable technologies are being used by the staff under a 6-week experiment that started in February 2014. The airline is trying to gather as much data it can regarding the particular premium customer so that even more personal service is provided to them, than ever before.

Airlines like Qantas Airways are already providing the best services to its business travelers. The airline is also making extensive use of Information Technology, albeit differently. The airline is trying to extract data emanating from conversations being made by the travelers within the airport lounges with the help of social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram. By monitoring the conversations in real time the airline has been able to know the preferences of the passengers instantly and accordingly providing them assistance without even making them aware about it. Such personal service has only left the passengers surprised and happier than before.

U.S. carriers are also not lagging behind on this front and are trying to remain relevant and into competition. Leading U.S. carrier American Airlines has started experimenting using Bluetooth-enabled beacons at 5 major airports in the country, including New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The passengers will have to download the airline’s mobile app for this. With the help of this system, the airline is capable of tracking and sending messages directly to the passengers’ devices. This technology would be particularly helpful for the first-time passengers who might be struggling to find the appropriate gate or help the passengers who are still to clear their security. This mobile app can also be used for seat upgrades or take advantage of other offers after their arrival in the boarding area.