Something Brewing: Industry Expert Anne De Hauw Launches Company to Personalize the Passenger Experience
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APEX Insight: Airlines must apply technology and innovation to aid a transition from one-for-all in-flight service, to a more tailored experience that makes flyers feel recognized and valued, according to industry expert Anne De Hauw.
Anne De Hauw launched IN Air Travel Experience, a consultancy for the aviation industry, on April 1. Her mission is to bring pleasure back to air travel, in a modern context, by offering passengers the products and services that they value most, in an affordable and sustainable way.
APEX Media spoke with De Hauw, who previously worked as Gategroup’s VP of Innovation and Customer Experience and sat on Servair’s board of directors, to learn how she defines modern air travel, and where she sees opportunities for airlines to refine their products and services.
A key ingredient, according to De Hauw, is to put together a cross-functional team that is tasked with passenger experience innovation. “We look at the customer journey -everything that has a touchpoint – from booking to the airport to inflight to post flight,” she says.
When organizing workshops, De Hauw focuses on bringing people out of their shells, encouraging them to share their ideas and enter into a broader dialogue of the deliverables for improvement. “I think it’s about … engaging the people who have to do the job … including the crew. In this market, the crew makes or breaks the experience. It’s important to make sure that they all feel part of the change.”
De Hauw believes airlines can do a lot to reduce waste and appeal to the growing number of millennial professionals flying on their aircraft.
De Hauw identifies meal service as an aspect of air travel that can be improved. She believes airlines can do a lot to reduce waste and appeal to the growing number of millennial professionals flying on their aircraft.
“In general, and especially in the economy cabin, you want … better quality, simple, more nutritious foods. You want business-class quality in economy-class dining,” she explained. “Millennials prefer not to eat, than to eat bad food – that is a new challenge for airlines. They need to tailor to these expectations, moving away from foods that are not healthy, not good or too complicated.”
Healthy meals made from locally sourced ingredients are becoming a trend on in-flight menus: Europe’s largest low-cost carrier, Ryanair, announced healthy options added to its in-flight menu this March. A healthy-foods strategy can also cut costs by avoiding food waste, according to De Hauw – food preservation will advance service and improve operations. Refrigerated trolleys, for example, can accommodate fresher dishes and extend the life of meals beyond a single flight.
Another area for improvement is information sharing. De Hauw relates to this need personally, as a frequent flyer. “If the flight is delayed, or the gate has changed, I like to be informed rather than discovering it myself,” she says. “On board, airlines can do a better job of informing passengers of what will happen in flight – when food is coming, when drink services are coming.”
“We need more personalized solutions in terms of coffee, tea, the basics. We’ve been working on a project in that area.”
Greater information sharing could be accomplished via passenger devices or the in-flight entertainment system, she says. The point is to put the passenger at ease and feel cared for. “Airlines need to really understand who the passenger is – customization and personalization are going to grow in importance. The passenger needs to feel valued. They need to feel like a guest,” she says
What makes De Hauw feel more like a welcome guest on board? “The coffee,” she says. “When I travel, I drink more coffee. We need more personalized solutions in terms of coffee, tea, the basics. We’ve been working on a project in that area.”