Commercial aviation is more than 100 years old, making the act of flying seem “so last-century” to the growing legions of millennials populating our offices, airports and airplanes. The conditions are therefore perfect to disrupt our business the millennial way: through the inventive application of technology.
We have been recruiting technology experts and challenging them to reshape the travel experience. Virtual reality now lets travel agents test-fly our new cabins. Artificial intelligence and voice-recognition technology mean people can ask computers about fares, flights and even which baggage carrousel to use. Our Know Me app alerts airport agents to indi¬vidual premium customer preferences. And our next-generation inflight entertainment system incor-porates Wi-Fi.
Guiding these and other innovations is the goal of interacting with customers through their preferred channel – Web, mobile, voice assistant or in person – to provide flexibility and individualized service. For example, the Air Canada app has become the favoured mode of checking in, with a 40-percent increase in the past year, so we are deepening mobile options, and adding more voice and chat functions.
We are making major investments in our tech¬nological architecture, including partering with Amadeus, a global travel technology company, to install a new Passenger Service System. It is a massive undertaking that will run until 2019 and improve all aspects of our business, including reser¬vations, inventory, departure control, baggage and customer relations. We will interact with customers in new ways, too, personalizing offers and simplify¬ing the rebooking system.
None of this is to displace humans, but instead empower them. We are equipping our employees with new tools, such as a chatbot being developed by our Innovation and Technology team to give front¬line staff quick answers to questions about internal policies. The team is further exploring mixed real¬ity, which combines virtual and augmented realities. This will revolutionize how we work together and engage customers in the future.
None of this is to displace humans, but instead empower them. We are equipping our employees with new tools, such as a chatbot being developed by our Innovation and Technology team to give front¬line staff quick answers to questions about internal policies. The team is further exploring mixed real¬ity, which combines virtual and augmented realities. This will revolutionize how we work together and engage customers in the future.
Calin’s column appears every month in enRoute Magazine, Air Canada’s award-winning in-flight magazine found onboard all Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights. This edition is from the January 2018 issue.
