In this edition:
Travel takes off
Air travel is back. Here’s what airline execs need to know to help boost travel industry recovery and navigate the latest influx of fliers.
Share of global companies reporting they allow nonessential business travel, %
Domestic
International
+13
percentage points
86
+26
percentage points
74
73
48
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Bouncing back
Travelers are increasingly returning to the skies. For example, nonessential domestic travel for companies has risen by double digits.
Dive deeper
Article – Global Business Travel Association
Global business travel recovery sees double-digit surge since February
Bring back capacity by reactivating pilots and cabin crews, preparing grounded planes for service, and rehiring and training service staff.
Devote resources to digital analytics to help identify emerging trends, and look for ways to collaborate across the travel industry.
Anticipate changes in demand and optimize pricing according to the shifting habits and behaviors of airline passengers.
Invest in digital operations— including new technologies that help address postpandemic- travel pain points.
Capacity
Customer journey
Commercial approaches
Critical moments
Fasten your seatbelts
To regain their footing after staffing shortages and flight cancellations, airlines can focus on four key areas.
Responding to the great acceleration requires companies to experiment with and invest in new digital technologies.
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Article
A travel boom is looming. But is the industry ready?
Average ROIC of airlines, by degree of network privilege,¹ 2019, %
7.3
5.5
3.4
0
25
50
75
100
Degree of network privilege, %
1
Routes where carrier has more than 50% of achieved passenger share.
Pockets of privilege
Lessons from high-performing airlines can help. For example, leading carriers capitalize on network privilege—offering a greater number of flights with unique origins and destinations.
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Article
The six secrets of profitable airlines
Attitudes toward flying for younger airline customers, % of respondents
Conflicted about flying (‘flygskam’)
Willing to pay for carbon-neutral flights
32
48
Age 18–24
Average
28
39
From FOMO to ‘flygskam’
As travel picks up, so do concerns about sustainability. Younger customers are especially conscious about airline emissions—32 percent report experiencing “flygskam”: shame of flying.
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Survey
Opportunities for industry leaders as new travelers take to the skies
Rekindle the magic
Customer experience remains a challenge too, and loyalty is up for grabs. The current upswing presents an opportunity for companies to promote a travel industry recovery while also improving their CX game.
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Report
Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel
Now that you’ve read the Five …
Take a fifty-minute deeper dive
Article – Global Business Travel Association
Global business travel recovery sees double-digit surge since February
Article
A travel boom is looming. But is the industry ready?
Article
The six secrets of profitable airlines
Survey
Opportunities for industry leaders as new travelers take to the skies
Report
Rebooting customer experience to bring back the magic of travel