American, Delta, easyJet, Emirates, and IATA Provide Examples of How to Save the Airline Industry

May 19, 2021

Innovation can create the consistency sought by consumers and the revenue needed by airlines.

Dublin, Ireland & Shorewood, Wisconsin, Tuesday, 18 May 2021:  CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany continue the “Transformation 2021” series of reports with a second installment to guide the airline and travel industries to the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.  Transformation 2021:  Consistency and Innovation Will Save the Airline Industry is sponsored by global B2B travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today.  The IdeaWorksCompany 16-page analysis describes the many methods deployed by airlines to boost traffic and revenue during the recovery.

Key findings from the report:

  • Delta’s Discover Map entices bookings by combining air fare and reward price deals with cross-border Covid-19 policies.
  • EasyJet holidays has taken a branded approach to provide consumers protection from Covid-19 issues, a refund guarantee, and no-fee booking changes.
  • Emirates inclusion of free trip insurance during a period of great uncertainty for cross-border travel is a smart thing to do.
  • IATA’s Travel Pass represents the best long term solution.  Country-based travel restrictions are here to stay; these won’t go away when this pandemic ends.
  • Global mistrust looms as the largest threat to the travel recovery; never in recent history have countries so readily closed their borders.
  • Airlines which reclaim a “sense of control” for travelers – which has been taken by the pandemic – will enjoy the largest boost of revenue and traffic.
Covid-19 has had a far-reaching, unprecedented effect on the travel industry and, while we are well-positioned to emerge strongly as vaccination rollouts continue across the world, it is obvious that customers will continue to demand new, innovative features in order to maximise their travel experience and minimise hassle. At CarTrawler, we have a laser focus on the customer’s needs and have seen first-hand the benefits enjoyed by airlines which have worked with us to go the extra mile for their customer base and have future-proofed their business as a result.

Aileen McCormack, Chief Commercial Officer at CarTrawler.

The report also includes examples of ancillary revenue innovation by Austrian, Lufthansa, and SWISS, along with a table summarizing the methodology and features for the primary two types of health passports.

Click here to download the full report