21st Century Airlines: Connecting the Dots

by Nawal K. Taneja

Overview

In 21st Century Airlines: Connecting the Dots, Nawal Taneja addresses the challenges and opportunities facing the airline industry as it tries to innovate and create products and services that are radically different by ‘connecting the dots’ at four key levels: recognizing the implications of global events, improving cross-functional collaboration within the organization, working more closely with the travel chain, and providing much higher engagements with connectors within the social networks.

The book synthesizes insights gained from the experience of non-traditional businesses, such as Uber, that have no physical assets and that focus on scalability through platforms, as well as traditional businesses, such as Mercedes-Benz, that are transitioning from operators of physical assets to adapt to the on-demand and sharing economies. These insights show pragmatically that digitizing airline businesses would require digital mind-sets, digital technologies, digital strategies, and digital workplaces to explore new frontiers in value for both customers and airlines. Moreover, forward-thinking airlines need to consider working with bimodal organizational structures, in which one group optimizes current business models (network, fleet, and schedule planning, as well as revenue management) while a second group explores innovative ways to add digital features to physical products to provide a consistent experience throughout the journey.

The book is written for all senior-level practitioners of airlines and related businesses worldwide, as well as senior-level government policymakers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032179001
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/30/2021
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Nawal Taneja, whose experience in the aviation industry spans almost five decades, has worked for and advised major airlines and related businesses worldwide. His experience also includes the presidency of a small airline that provided schedule and charter service with jet aircraft and the presidency of a research organization that provided consulting services to the air transportation community throughout the world. On the government side, he has advised worldwide Departments of Civil Aviation, Finance, Economics, and Tourism in matters relating to the role of government-owned airlines and their management. Within the academic community, he has served on the faculties of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (as an Associate Professor) and at Ohio State University (Professor and later as Chair of both the Department of Aviation and the Department of Aerospace Engineering).

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Acknowledgements

Forewords

Introduction

1. Responding to Changing Customer Expectations

Super-Connected Travelers

Corporate Travelers

Globalization of Consumers

Implications for, and Responses of, Airlines

Full-Service Airlines

Developments within the Low-Cost Sector

Takeaways

2. Platform-Based and Networked Businesses: New Forms of Collaboration

The Macroeconomic Shift: Industrial Era to Digital Era

Platforms

Network Effects

Technologies

Data

Internet of Things

Cloud Computing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR)

Human Resources

Implications for Airlines

Takeaways

3. Innovating and Evolving Airline Network Planning

Current and Evolving Systems

Conventional Planning Module Limitations

New Modules and Integrative Planning

Examples of Comprehensive, Dynamic, and Integrated Planning

What is Next?

Takeaways

4. Re-thinking Revenue Management

Historical Perspective

Existing System and Process Challenges

Step-Changing Options: Opportunities and Challenges

Customer Segmentation and Personalization

Pricing and Fare Management

Customer Experience

Takeaways

5. Re-designing Services for Next-Generation Customer Experience

Multi-industry insights

Mercedes-Benz

Uber

USAA

Westpac

Re-defining value and designing for it

Mapping the experience

Managing loyalty and brand

Critical Success factors

Building a platform

Managing service and experience during disruptions

Takeaways

6. Re-thinking the Airline Business for the Digital Era

Platforms

Digital Mindset

Digital Technologies

Digital Strategies

Digital Workplace

New Forms of Transportation

Takeaways

7. Thought Leadership Pieces
1. Loyalty at the Forefront of the Transformation Curve by Evert de Boer, General Manager Global Business Development, Travel, Aimia
2. High-Level Check List for developing a Data Strategy by Gary Doernhoefer, Vice President & General Counsel, Journera
3. Radical Digitization of Businesses by Stefan Jenzowsky, SVP, Siemens Convergence Creators
4. The Flexible Flyer: Turning the Airlines Operating Model Downside UP by Dietmar Kirchner, Senior Aviation Advisor, Frankfurt/Germany
5. Meeting the Expectations of Todays’s Connected Customers and Empowered Passengers: On-Demand, Real-Time, End-to-End by Raymond Kollau, Founder AirlineTrends
6. Competition and Digitization by Dianchun Li, Chief Commercial Officer, Hong Kong Airlines
7. How much a threat from Long Haul Low Cost by Keith McMullan and James Halstead, Managing Partners, Aviation Strategy Ltd
8. Connecting the Dots at the Airports: The Potential of Transformation with Artificial Intelligence by Jim Peters, Chief Technology Officer, SITA
9. The Future of Secondary Airports by Parm Sidhu, Airport General Manager, Abbotsford International Airport
10. The changes & challenges affecting sales and distribution in the airline world by Trevor Spinks, Head of Sales and Distribution, Tiger-Scoot
11. Shifting Mind-Sets from Asset Management to Customer Value while Building a New Speed into the Business by Chris Stevens, Managing Partner, Digital Partners and Robin Barlass, Director of Strategy and Support Services, Metro Trains
12. The Evolving Paradigm of Interactive Selling based on Consumer Preferences by Ben Vinod, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist, Sabre
13. Leadership Challenges in a Disruptive Era by Monika Wiederhold, Managing Director, Amadeus Germany

Index