Panelists examine next-gen digital cabin in session moderated by PAX Tech
(Left to right) Robynne Trueman, Business Editor, PAX Tech; Paul Verhagen, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, SAS; Patrick Brannelly, SVP IFE & Connectivity, Emirates; Fabien Pelous, SVP of Customer Experience, Air France; Mustafa Mucahitoglu, Vice President, Customer Experience, Turkish Airlines; Mehdi El Kouch, Head of Connected Aircraft Marketing, Airbus.
On the final day of APEX Global EXPO 2024, industry experts gathered on the Thought Leadership Stage at the Long Beach Convention Centre for “Shaping Tomorrow: Crafting the Next-Gen Digital Cabin for Enhanced Passenger Experiences,” a panel focused on the future technologies and customer-centric designs that will elevate the aircraft cabin. The panel was moderated by Robynne Trueman, Business Editor, PAX Tech.
Panelists and moderator on the Thought Leadership Stage at LBCC
The esteemed panelists included Paul Verhagen, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, SAS; Patrick Brannelly, SVP IFE & Connectivity, Emirates; Fabien Pelous, SVP of Customer Experience, Air France; Mustafa Mucahitoglu, Vice President, Customer Experience, Turkish Airlines; Mehdi El Kouch, Head of Connected Aircraft Marketing, Airbus.
Topics covered included the most impactful element of the digital cabin in terms of shaping the passenger experience, how can seatback systems and airline apps help drive ancillary revenue while simultaneously improving the passenger’s journey, how can airlines leverage AI to optimize the IFE and connectivity experiences they deliver to passengers and how the next-gen digital cabin can build a better relationship with the passenger, supporting brand loyalty.
Mucahitoglu discussed the relationship between experience and impact, emphasizing the importance of making an impact on the passenger.
“Experience is about impacting the passenger’s heart and mind,” he said, adding that data can be used to personalize the inflight experience and make a distinct impact, such as remembering passengers’ special days, such as birthdays or anniversaries.
Verhagen discussed the importance of doing a “deep dive” on data, explaining that while data might at first seem to indicate that travellers were upset about being delayed—a deep dive might reveals that it is not so much the delay causing people to be upset, but the way the airline reacts. “Having this information allows airlines to change the plan and put the data work,” he said.
On the topic of data centralization, Brannelly noted the importance of bringing data together to analyze it as one ecosystem.
“Hundreds of systems all connecting with each other that weren’t—centralized data is incredibly powerful,” he said. He also explained that while connectivity may be important to passengers, the quality of that connection can have a lasting impact on the relationship with the airline, with bad connectivity proven to drive disloyalty.
Pelous called connectivity a “game changer,” saying that passengers expect not only to stream the same content as at home, but to have a personalized experience the same way as at home—with recommendations based on their preferences. “It’s important to use personalization as a way to make things memorable,” he said.
When looking ahead to the next-gen digital cabin, El Kouch cited Airbus’ Cabin Vision 2035+, which focuses on reimagining the future travel experience by prioritizing sustainability and maintaining superior levels of comfort.
Leveraging digital processes and tools and a circular design philosophy are part of the company’s plan for achieving this vision.
(Left to Right) Paul Verhagen, Patrick Brannelly and Fabien Pelous
The key theme that emerged from the session was the importance of centralized data, with panelists emphasizing the need to gather all the data and analyze it in full to improve the passenger journey overall.
