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      Takeaways From Passenger Experience Conference 2017

      April 3, 2017  | Written by APEX Admin
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      APEX Insight: APEX Media is on-site at the Passenger Experience Conference in Hamburg to cover the latest in cabin interiors, IFEC and hospitality. Here are today’s highlights.

       

      powellBlue Skies Talk: Designing for Innovation

      Dick Powell, co-founder and chairman of Seymourpowell, opened the Passenger Experience Conference with a clear message for the aviation industry: Be innovative. Unfortunately, the industry often fails to embrace change because of cost constraints. This is where designers come into play. “Designers bridge the gap between engineering and marketing,” Powell said. “It’s not that the industry itself can’t do this … They’re so busy getting last year’s product down the line they simply don’t have the time to think far enough ahead.”

       

      generating revenuePopularity of Experience Economy Pushes Travel Industry to Rethink Business Models

      Consumers are increasingly opting to indulge in far-out experiences in favor of investing in luxury items. To accommodate this shift, companies are harnessing recent technological advances to reframe the travel journey around experiences versus hard-product transactions. Design concepts from Seymourpowell push airlines to retail space rather than seats, and, partnering with iFleat, airberlin is bringing the restaurant experience into economy cabins using an app-powered catering service. Read more.

       

      clotaireObserving Passenger Comfort Needs

      Ideas – big and small – were the theme of today’s “Comfort and Well-Being” sessions. Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille, founder of Archetype Discoveries Worldwide, said passengers’ wants aren’t always revealed through questioning: Sometimes, they need to be observed. Hawaiian Airlines’ cabin design for its new A321neo fleet draws on such observations, with the removal of coat hooks, which were perceived as superfluous. “People are going on holiday; they’re going to Hawaii,” said Tim Manson, design director, JPA Design. Read more.

       

      connected journeyAdapting to the Connected Journey

      It might be easy to think of in-flight connectivity as a problem that’s being solved by hardware and technology, but the connected journey requires a deeper dive into passenger touchpoints, branding and integrated services – some that haven’t yet been considered or conceived. This timely program stream at the Passenger Experience Conference included sessions that looked at new sources of revenue, continuing technological and service-related advancements and fully connected experiences, all aimed at meeting passenger expectations. Read more.