by Ever had to spend a night in an airport due to a delayed flight? Or stood in queue at a Ryanair desk for an hour, simply to be told they can’t actually help you at all? Frustrating, isn’t it?! You’re certainly not alone. In fact, the 2013 white paper, ‘Passengers-first: re-thinking irregular operations’ showed that 33% of passengers are frustrated with insufficient real-time information.
The good news is that technology solutions company, Amadeus, has created a solution! The company’s latest mobile product, Amadeus Personal Disruption Companion, was announced earlier this month at the PhoCusWright’s Travel Innovation Summit where it came runner up in the Established Companies awards. This solution means that customers no longer have to stand in queue to speak to an airline agent, or make a call at the airport (where they’re inevitably put on hold and charged ridiculously roaming charges… I’m not bitter, honest!). Instead, travelers can instantly access a range of alternative travel options on their mobile device with personalized recommendations available at the tap of a touch screen. These recommendations are based on factors such as the travelers purchase history, preferences, location and language etc.
TAM Airlines has been the first to take the plunge, with roll out expected in early 2015 on a white label basis, All airlines that partner with Amadeus and have access to the Amadeus Personal Disruption Companion will have a number of advantages including being able to offer personalized merchandizing offers before, during and after their re-booked trip. Airlines will also be able to crisis manage the whole disruption process; enabling them to instantly tackle any issues such as new boarding passes, luggage transfers etc. Daniel Limena, E-Commerce Projects & Operations Manager, TAM Airlines spoke recently about the benefits partnership, saying ‘We expect this innovation to lower costs associated with disruption, provide a faster and more reliable response to our customers and ultimately, when things are really challenging, deliver a brand experience we can be truly proud of.’
Julia Sattel, SVP, Airline IT, Amadeus IT Group, also commented and said ‘We believe that the market opportunity for the industry to deliver more effective disruption management is huge.’ Sattel then further stated that ‘Indeed, U.S airlines alone lost $7.2 billion as a result of disruption in 2012 whilst IATA research suggests that airlines who move faster from crisis to recovery could save $455 million every year just in re-booking costs. When things go wrong passengers want to see automated and intelligent re-accommodation options and offers that are personalized and bespoke to their unique needs.’
Here’s hoping this leads to stress-free travel in 2015!