World Aviation Festival
Moderator insights: Steve Hui on loyalty trends & is the most valuable customer shifting?
Overview
In a recent discussion, Jess from the World Aviation Festival interviewed Steve Hui, who was set to moderate loyalty sessions at the Aviation Festival Asia 2024 in Singapore. Steve discussed emerging trends in airline loyalty, highlighting the significant role of digital transformation, AI, and machine learning in creating personalised experiences for customers. He noted that airlines were beginning to offer individual loyalty options, allowing customers to choose benefits that suited their preferences rather than receiving a standard package based on their status.
Steve emphasised the importance of data quality for airlines, explaining that many were still working to improve their data before fully utilising it for loyalty programmes. He shared insights into the sessions he would be moderating, which would cover various topics, including the adaptation of loyalty concepts from supermarkets and restaurants to airlines, such as micro discounts and the gradual introduction of benefits for different loyalty tiers.
Additionally, he mentioned the growing interest in paid membership programmes, where customers could purchase bundles of benefits. Steve also highlighted a shift in focus towards understanding who the most valuable customers are, suggesting that non-flying customers who earn points through partnerships might be just as important as frequent flyers. Jess expressed her excitement for the upcoming sessions, encouraging listeners to attend for more insights.
Quotes
"A lot of it's about digital transformation, about having digital apps and then using obviously the recent trends of AI and machine learning to create personalisation." - 00:00:26
"It's about individual loyalty, creating options for people to choose." - 00:00:48
"Airlines need to make sure that the data is of good quality." - 00:01:19
"Unless it's all been matched and cleaned and good quality, then you can't fully use it yet." - 00:01:30
"After COVID, there's a lot of infrequent passengers now." - 00:02:23
"We're getting learnings from all different areas." - 00:02:34
"You might get a taste of what some of the benefits of gold status." - 00:02:55
"There's also paid membership programs where you're buying a bundle of benefits for monthly or annual membership." - 00:03:17
"What is a valuable customer for the airline?" - 00:04:02
"It could be someone who does not actually fly, but earns a lot of points and then uses them once in a while." - 00:04:23
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction
00:00:26 - Emerging Loyalty Trends: Digital Transformation and Personalization
00:01:19 - The Role of AI in Loyalty Programs
00:02:12 - Insights on Next-Gen Loyalty Features
00:03:41 - Customer-Centric Approaches in Loyalty Programs
00:04:27 - Targeting Non-Flying Customers in Loyalty Schemes
00:04:47 - Conclusion and Event Anticipation
