Vy Duong
Marketing Innovation senior project manager
American Airlines
Vy has been actively involved in the aviation industry for nearly a decade, beginning her career managing supply chain improvement projects for cargo, evacuation and lighting systems for Collins Aerospace (formerly Goodrich Aerospace). For American Airlines, she has implemented over a dozen new advertising and revenue generating capabilities via its IFEC platform and at its premium airport lounges, and recently launched its partnership with Apple Music.
FAST FACTS
Location: DFW
Seatback or PED? Both
Favorite aircraft: 777-300
Passport stamp you wish you had: Majorca, Spain
The future of flight will be: Dynamic
You recently attended APEX TECH. What were your biggest takeaways from the event?
I was pleasantly surprised to see the variety of topics that were covered this year. It was refreshing to see an emphasis on marketing, customer experience and advertising technology. I had quite a few takeaways, but really loved hearing about Delta trading survey data with its airline partners to have better insights on Net Promoter Score, Japan Airlines’ dedication to biofuel research and how Air Canada is using Spafax IQ, a data analytics platform, to redirect its content programming strategy and predict future trends for content curation. I’ll be able to tie some of these into the projects I’m working on by pushing for more data and data sharing with our partners for more effective decision-making and thinking outside the box to develop innovative initiatives.
Which part of the passenger experience is most overlooked?
The post-flight experience. We should be reaching out to customers to keep them engaged and excited to book their next trip, ask them where they might like to travel and personalize offers specifically to where they want to go! This will help generate loyalty, improve retention and lead to the next purchase decision. Also, if something didn’t go right and if it was our mistake, we should own up to it and attempt to address and resolve the issue for the customer.
What’s the most pressing topic for the airline industry right now?
Sustainability, especially in the in-flight space. Decisions on future products should factor in fuel burn and waste, for example. This is the time for suppliers to start doing more to lessen the load for airlines.
Did you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?
Both. American Airlines recruited me shortly after college, but I also had offers from other companies at the time. I talked to my parents, but already knew what they wanted me to choose: My father was a fighter pilot in the air force during the Vietnam War and I grew up hearing all of his stories. He loved flying and traveling, so I wanted to provide him with even more opportunities to do it. Aviation is in my blood, so I chose American Airlines.
What are some technology trends you have your eye on?
Facial recognition and artificial intelligence. Wouldn’t it be cool to sit down for a long international flight and have the seatback monitor automatically ask if you’d like to finish the movie you were watching on the ground, and propose a list of other movies and TV shows you would like because it recognizes you?
If you could sit next to anyone on a flight, who would it be?
Morgan Freeman because he’s an amazing actor. I just finished watching Angel Has Fallen in flight and would love to hear about his experience making the movie. Plus, just listening to his voice would make the flight that much more memorable.
APEX in Profile: Vy Duong was originally published in the 10.2 April/May issue of APEX Experience magazine.