It is time to start working on what coming back to travel will actually look like. The time for taking stock is passing, even though it might not feel like that for most of us around the world still feeling the very real pressures of travel bans, stay at home orders and furloughs. I make this statement not to be callous, not to downplay the savage nature of this deeply disruptive pandemic, but because there simply is no alternative.
In the past week I’ve spoken to several airlines and airports. For those that still can perform their function, they’ve never been busier. Nor have my team. 12 hour days in back to back meetings and online workshops, without even a commute to break things up, is starting to feel normal. We’re not equating value to the amount of time we spend behind our computers either. We’re doing this because for the first time, maybe ever, we are not trying to tie our shoelaces while sprinting. This isn’t to say we’re not desperate for things to return to a more normal state, we all are, we need it to, but we’re all collectively aware of 2 things.
When travel takes off again, the industry can’t (and won’t) be the same as it was before Covid19
The need to develop and deliver a safer, superior travel experience is increasingly pressing, with many regions returning to travel in the next few weeks
As I wrote about in the last blog, we have been leveraging our tools and technology to support Black Swan & Fethr’s partners through this crisis. Since writing that post, we have consulted several more, making use of our 900m passenger conversation database to design data led strategies that can help them restore passenger confidence post Covid19.
Through these engagements, we’ve seen 8 large clusters of passenger conversation surface more than any other. We’ve termed these the Battlegrounds, and with our partners over the next few weeks, we’ll be working out what each of these mean for them in turn As part of that process, we’d like to offer up some of this insight to the wider travel industry. We’ll do this by posting 8 additional blogs, with each one based on a Battleground that discusses some of the universal truths that transcend the brand and customer bases of the customers we’re consulting for. Hopefully some of the insights shared can de-risk a few of the many decisions you’re all making at the moment.
The Battlegrounds
1. Safety & Sanitation
2. Food & Beverage
3. Communication
4. Loyalty
5. Customer Service
6. Financial Concerns
7. Flight Disruptions
8. Return to Travel
David Griffiths,
- Head of Insight Fethr
- VP Content Black Swan
Thank you for reading, and for more information or to explore any of the above in any further detail please get in touch with Patrick Prefontaine at patrick.prefontaine@blackswan.com or by using the contact form below.