Insight & Innovation Director, Richard Wake, has been with En Route for just over 10 years, during which, he’s witnessed a slew of changes in how passengers expect to be treated, and in the tools that helps provide the insight into what they want.
He spoke to PAX International recently about this, discussing our recent report, ‘The Embracing Challenges and Harnessing Trends in Airline Onboard Hospitality’ which was released ahead of WTCE earlier this year. The report – which gleaned insight from ten industry stakeholders – defined current trends in sustainability, technology and what passengers are really looking for inflight.
Here are the key takeaways from what he had to say:
1. Personalisation is a major theme: Born as a sub-trend of a wider trend where individualism and expression are becoming commonplace amongst consumers, it emerged from the COVID pandemic where products and experiences are more widely available and closely aligned with consumer needs.
Where we see it: Delta’s ‘create-your-own’ ice cream sundae bar where passengers can personalise their desserts to suit their specific tastes.
2. Digital tools are more important than ever: Data capture benefits both passengers and the airlines that serve them. The airlines glean crucial information about consumer trends and preferences; the passengers receive a more tailored service that suits their exact needs. It helps you to find the ‘why’ for the ‘what’?
Where we see it: En Route itself has invested significantly in our in-house research and insight, and engaged with a number of digital platforms which informs us on industry insight, consumer demographics, design, tech and consumer trends. These tools are applied to every project we work on to ensure what we propose to our customers is targeted more effectively at their passengers to help drive value.
3. Achieving growth is a collaborative effort: To understand the real challenges that airlines are facing, we need to join together and become an extension of your customers’ business in order to understand the real ‘need behind need’.
Where we see it: We don’t simply provide a passenger solution or logistics exercise in silo – we actively partner with customers to broadly understand their objectives through the whole cycle – product, packaging, service delivery and supply chain.
4. Nothing stands still: Passenger insight is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation. What’s popular across one category with one demographic can vary wildly across another, and it’s always fluid – cultural shifts, health concerns or life events, for example, can affect a person’s choices within a very short window, which is why it’s crucial that we stay focused on research and insight.
Where we see it: WGSN reports* that by 2025, Gen Z will be spending more time and money on preventive health, with nearly 50% globally reported to be taking steps to age healthily from the age of 20. “Their definition of wellness is different from the generations before, prioritising mental and emotional health, fitness and nutrition above medical check-ups and insurance.” We’re witnessing younger consumers start to take a much bigger interest in their own personal health and wellbeing, in a completely different way than has been seen before. For example, they’re the demographic most likely to reach for fruity bakery or confectionary snacks due to their perceived health connotations.
Knowing what each demographic is motivated by helps up create the items that serve them, and in turn helps airlines to deliver an elevated onboard experience. Talk to us at [email protected] to find out more.
Sources:
* Key Trend 2025: Gen Z Health & Wellness – WGSN
