For Passengers and Beyond

Aviation and Big Data: Together, there’s no stopping them
Aviation is a big business. And like all big businesses, it collects and stores a massive amount of data. Picture an airport, a number of flights flying in and out, from a varied number of airlines, carrying thousands of passengers every day – and that’s just one airport! Consider the number of airports up and running around the world with passengers flying from all over, transiting through multiple countries. This leads to the airports sharing their information amongst themselves.
Then there are the stores within every airport too - F&B establishments, retail stores, lounges and frequent flyers clubs. All of these will have access to passenger information every time a passenger visits and makes a purchase. This folks, is a lot of data for a simple analytics tool - this is a job for Big Data. Crunching large quantities of data accumulated over years and years of operations is what Big Data was built to do.
Accelerate Operational Advancement
See how Airports and Airlines can harness the potential of Big Data by using it efficiently to boost operations. Cut down on repetitive annoyances that you may be facing while running an airport and relieve yourselves from certain strains to improve performance. 

 

 

Perfect Flight Plans
Big Data can compile decades of weather forecasts and compare it to real-time climate and weather conditions to predict the best, most suitable flight schedule for your airplane. Like basic analytics, it can predict storms beforehand, but with Big Data it will further analyze storm patterns from previous years to define the magnitude and aftermath of the storm. Using this intelligence, you can shift your flight schedules and alert your passengers in advance.
Controlled Maintenance
A flight being cancelled due to failure of an integral part of the plane leads to multiple issues like repair costs, unhappy customers and extra maintenance charges. But with Big Data on the scene, it would predict the failure of the machinery well in advance. This way, staff can schedule necessary maintenance checks and can even order parts in advance for any foreseeable repairs or replacements. Flights will no longer be delayed at the eleventh hour, thus saving you precious time and resources.
Co-ordinate Staff
Big Data can predict when passengers will begin to arrive based on their flight history. Staff can use these analytics to determine when counters should be open and decide on the number of staff that should be present. Placing your staff in the right place at the right time can lead to shorter queues. It can also ensure that the flight is prepped on time. Retail staff can view passengers’ purchase history and recommend better deals or adjust pricing to ensure a sale or guarantee another visit from their buyers.

 

 

True Competition
Gain analytics from the get go, when customers book their flight tickets you can find out details on how much time they spent deciding on a particular ticket, even find out how long their cursor hovered over the options you offered. Learn why they chose one flight ticket over another and offer better options from the data collected. You can even edit ticket pricing in Real-time and beat your competitor’s offers.
Redefine Customer Experience
On the other hand, use Big Data to improve the experience of your customers. Ensure that you can reach them at all times and show them that you are always available to put their needs first to eliminate any grievances they may have faced during their time with your services.
Provide Luggage Tracking
Having their baggage lost is one of the greatest issue faced by your passengers. Ease their minds by giving them the ability to track their baggage. RFID technology lets Big Data access the data stored within the chip so that passengers can track their baggage in real-time. For example, Delta Airlines provided their passengers with an app so their baggage could be tracked through their own mobile devices.[1]

 

 

Offer Personalized Deals
Some airports provide their passengers with wayfinding apps. Very handy when visiting a foreign airport for the first time, simplify navigation while collecting valuable data. You can link passengers’ preferences and purchase history with Real-time information about their flight details to offer them preferable deals in F&B or retail stores within the airport. Get creative while you’re at it, use Augmented Reality and make your offers ‘pop’ through the app. 
Manage Brand Image
These days customers no longer state their grievances to customer relations, they go straight to social media where they will call you out on any minor inconvenience they may have faced during their time with your airline. Big Data will find these posts instantly, giving you the opportunity to rectify any negative comments. With Big Data, you can effectively use social media in Real-time and show your customers that you are always listening to their voices. 
Offer Unexpected Delights
Your aim as an airline company is to simply treat your passengers well so they choose to fly with you again. While Big Data can be used to personalize deals and find the right price for you customers, it can also be used to go the extra mile. Use every detail you collect through Big Data to delight your customers. You have access to their profiles, including allergies and ticket details, perhaps use it to offer preferred seats and snacks or offer pillows or coffee to customers who had a long layover.

 

 

Connect to Hospitality
In times of delays or cancellations, passengers usually take to their phones to use it to reserve rooms at the closest hotels. Among these passengers could be brand loyal customers who have certain hotel brands in mind - somewhere they always prefer to stay but may not be aware of a nearby property. Big Data can find that link and connect airports to hotels.
Hotels can use the data collected by the airports to aim their marketing campaigns to entice these brand loyal customers, perhaps through Brand apps, if these are loyal customers they will most likely already have the app. Airports on the other hand can use guest information from the hotels to learn what F&B or retail stores they frequent and perhaps use that data to open up an outlet within their gates.
You can explore all new options and hidden potentials when you tap into the true capabilities of data. Information can serve as your greatest strength, and with Big Data you can do wonders in any field you choose. All it takes is a little creative thinking.

References

  1. ^ Drummond, M. (n.d). 4 Ways Airlines Can Use Big Data To Make Customers Love Them.

 


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