More than four million apps are available to download for Android and iOS platforms. They facilitate everything from messaging and journey planning to logging calories and fitness routines. And increasingly, apps are arriving to transform life when we fly.
“Apps have become central to the onboard experience because they offer a seamless way to personalise and enhance the passenger journey,” explains Andrew Masson, Senior Vice President, Product and Portfolio Management at Panasonic Avionics.
“Personalisation is pivotal to modern in-flight entertainment (IFE) solutions as passengers want their in-cabin experience to mirror their digital journey on the ground.
“Airlines are now responding to this demand by integrating apps into their inflight ecosystem, whether it’s services like digital menus, seatback screen pairing or even contactless ordering.”
Panasonic Avionics is helping airlines meet demand by designing systems that make apps an integral part of the journey, rather than merely an add-on.
Delta Air Lines is already integrating apps into everyday flying. Loyal passengers can log into their SkyMiles membership on seat-back screens to access to fast, free Wi-Fi. They also have a more personalised seatback experience. Notably, the Delta Sync feature picks up entertainment where it was left off on previous flights.
Meanwhile, United Airlines has the world’s most downloaded airline mobile app. Installed more than 110 million times, it clocks nearly 100 million sessions a month.
“We’re investing in industry-leading technology that makes the customer experience better while remaining focussed on the human connection and people running our business that we know are integral to a meaningful customer experience,” says a spokesperson for the airline.
Redefining connected
As Kevin Birchmore, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Bluebox, points out, apps can play an significant role in improving customer satisfaction. For example, integrating a digital experience platform onboard resulted in an 18-point Net Promoter Score (NPS) increase for one US regional fleet.
“Airlines are rethinking what ‘connected’ really means,” adds Birchmore. “Increasingly, the answer is ‘apps’. Whether powered by full broadband connectivity or delivered via onboard digital platforms like Bluebox’s Blueview software, inflight apps are reshaping service delivery, enhancing the passenger experience and creating real commercial uplift.”
The Bluebox EVP explains that browser-based apps require no downloads and that means no friction. Passengers simply connect with their own devices and instantly access the likes of entertainment, shopping, meal ordering and destination content.
“It’s a model that meets modern expectations for digital autonomy,” he observes.
At-seat browsing enables passengers to look at menus and purchase at their own pace. That in itself can be a factor in boosting ancillary revenue.
“But the benefits extend beyond passengers,” explains Birchmore. “For crew, onboard apps can offer real-time access to inventory, passenger preferences and system health via a dedicated crew interface. Even in offline scenarios, these tools provide a smarter, more agile way to serve – improving operational efficiency and service consistency.”
Forward planning
Retail inMotion’s Colin McKenna recognises that a large number of younger cabin crew members have entered the workforce following the pandemic.
“Their expectation and experience is based on consumer applications with great UI/UX [user interfaces/user experiences], such as TikTok and Revolut. Entering the workforce and using enterprise-level applications that don’t meet this expectation is now no longer accepted, and vendors/airlines need to adapt accordingly,” outlines McKenna
Explaining that some airlines have got rid of crew rooms, he adds that apps now provide interactions between those staff members and the airline. Additionally, apps are helping drive paperless operations, providing easy access to data that can be a key driver in decision-making.
Artifical Intelligence
It looks probable that airlines will make greater use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the years ahead. AirFi has already deployed LEO Wingman, a chatbot supplying recommendations that can help passengers to book tours, experiences and services based on budget, group size and also their preferences.
Manish Kapoor, Director of Delivery at AirFi, explains: “It’s a web-based AI-powered travel assistant developed with love and out of fun to entertain, gamify and deliver valuable engagement channels between airline and passenger.”
Panasonic Avionics’ Masson predicts: “With an increasing computing power and storage capacity available onboard, we’re entering a new era for digital cabin solutions. This technological foundation enables far more than just entertainment – it opens the door to a fully responsive, intelligent onboard experience.”
That raises issues relating to the future shape of passenger and crew interactions and, inevitably, concerns about what happens to the data collected on flights. Those are likely to become points of discussion at a point in the not-too-distant future.
