Accenture asked senior airline executives about passenger experience; 64 percent said they felt they were failing to properly implant customer experience enhancements. The Accenture study interviewed executives from a third of the world’s largest airlines, measured by volume. The biggest challenges to creating this ideal customer experience were identified as the inabilities to deliver consistent passenger touch points and properly implement digital technology.

“Despite the advances that digital technologies have already enabled, the airline industry is still missing out on opportunities to better interact with its customers. Airlines should take a cue from consumer-related business leaders such as Amazon and Uber, whose simple and direct manner of engaging and communicating with their customers allows them to offer unique, personalized experiences in real time. That is the best way for carriers to meet the growing customer demands of a connected travel experience,” said Jonathan Keane, managing director and head, Accenture Aviation.

The ability to personalize air travel with real-time data is the primary goal for many airlines, according to 96 percent of the executives polled, and 80 percent said they plan to implement real-time personalization within the next three years. While 65 percent are open to collaborating with third parties to realize these goals, 70 percent prefer customers still choose airline direct platforms over third-party distribution options.

All airlines included in the study want to increase self-service through mobile applications and websites, and two-thirds additionally hope to expand brand-customer dialogue through social media. To make this happen, airlines believe they’ll need to better take advantage of their centralized position in the end-to-end travel experience, leveraging their position as what they feel is the most important part of the travel chain.

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