One of the challenges the airline industry faces during this intense change has been

to provide consistent service while still adapting quickly to evolving social media
tools, cyber security threats, and passenger expectations. Traditional methods such
as surveys were often too slow or ineffective in adapting to these changes. Today's
global economy demands increased efficiency, agility, and transparency from airlines,
or they will struggle to stay competitive with their rivals on a vastly different playing
field in a hyper-digital world.

The airline industry is going through a period of disruptive innovation. Traditional

ways of collecting and processing data are now replaced with new technologies that
can collect, process, and analyze data instantly, allowing companies to learn faster
and respond to change more quickly.

Innovation in the airline industry has taken place in several different forms
throughout the history of commercial aviation, starting from the early 1900s. The
commercial air transportation industry is a hub of competition. Every airline is
fighting to satisfy its customers and make more money. To flourish in this constantly
varying market, airlines must overcome the problems associated with customer
dissatisfaction. The most crucial factor for increasing customer satisfaction is
innovation and creating marketing strategies tailored specifically to individuals'
needs. Airlines need to recognize that there's no longer one way to run an airline.
Creating processes proportional to customer expectations as they change over time
will be necessary.

The airline industry sees dramatic changes in customer demands and services every
year. Each airline is constantly researching new ways to market its products/services
and better serve the needs of its customers. There are multiple strategies that airlines
can implement to satisfy customers more effectively. The key to creating customer
satisfaction is not just how the product/service is delivered to the customer but also
how it's delivered with style and class that will make loyal customers over time. By
creating a creative process that will allow more than one interaction with customers,
airlines can enhance their marketing strategy and make promotions seem more
appealing to passengers. This can be done by utilizing promotional strategies such as
emailers, cell phones, websites, etc.

Airlines have created various marketing and promotional tools that allow the public
to interact with the company. Via this interaction, consumers can be continuously
reminded of their presence and what they offer. Airlines can ensure their consumers
are pleased by creating different outreach strategies used at their discretion. The
current situation is that customers do not receive promotional material or updates
until they check-in for their flight, which creates a sense of urgency. This is why
airlines should use cell phones, email updates, etc., to make infallible customers
completely satisfied before leaving for their destination. By doing so, consumers can
understand the company more intimately and therefore be more satisfied with their
service.

By creating a marketing strategy that involves cell phones, airlines can keep
customers updated with promotions while they are on the road. This can be done by
offering discounts when a customer is not checking into their flight, such as during
the lunch hour or other times during the day that could affect their work schedule.
Airlines can also establish new cellular phone networks that allow travelers to contact
them while traveling to receive updates via text messages. This strategy is an
innovative form of communication that encourages interaction between both parties
and will enable passengers to feel useful and valuable in today's society.

This industry has always been innovative, giving passengers the best experience
possible so that they continue to fly with that company. But it has become even
more competitive in recent years, with all of the companies striving to make their
flight experience better, faster, and smoother. One trend that is sparking innovation
is the self-check-in. The airlines want to make check-in as easy as possible for their
customers and as convenient for them as possible, so self-check ins machines have
been introduced at many airports around the world.

Another trend in the industry is the customer mobile app. The idea behind these
apps is that you can check-in, pay for your flight and even get your boarding pass all
from your smartphone or tablet. You can also see all of the information about your
flight, including airports, gate numbers, and numbers of boarding passes being held.
It is much easier to get this information on a screen rather than on paper, meaning
that everything will be much easier for the passenger at hand.

A third important innovation that has been introduced is mobile boarding passes.
Passengers usually have to wait in long lines when they are ready to board their
flight, but thanks to mobile boarding pass you can simply scan your mobile boarding
pass and get right on the plane. This works best for international flights because you
need to go through customs before getting on the plane anyway. Airlines also want
people to be able to buy tickets from anywhere at any time, and so a trend has
emerged where passengers can book flights in advance wherever they are.

The innovations that affect the airline industry are endless, and there is always
something new being introduced by a company trying to give its passengers a better
experience than the competition.

The airline industry is one of the most important businesses and marketing
industries. We know that all airlines are competing for passenger market share.
Airlines provide a key function that is to bring people from points A to B, however,
this key function has been getting more and more complicated as there are too
many airlines in the market now. As a result, low-cost carriers, like Ryanair, Southwest
Airlines, or Spirit Airlines have grown so rapidly that they threaten the viability of
traditional airline companies. Low-cost carriers are like the foodie of business. If a
company wins in the low-cost carrier, it would be strong enough to take the market
share of any other competitor. In addition, airlines face new competition from
alternative modes of transport, particularly low-cost airlines. In fact, the low-cost
carriers are now a massive threat to traditional airlines. Low-cost airlines offer lower
fares and better on-time records than traditional airlines, but they are not as reliable
or safe as traditional airlines. Therefore, marketing innovation is crucial in this
competitive environment. Why? The traditional airline has many captive passengers,
who have high loyalty with them and their loyalty can't be traded for cheaper fares.
Moreover, the profit from frequent flyer programs is the key to survival for airline
companies.

Innovation is a process of new idea development in which existing ideas, products,

and processes are used to create something better. It is not to be confused with the
invention, which is the process of coming up with a brand new idea without
modifying any existing idea. In a business context, innovation refers to operational
changes as well as the creation of new products or services, which approximately
deliver value for customers. In addition, innovation is also about adapting business
models or creating a completely new one in order to meet market change and
increase competitiveness.
Airlines are tapping into the power of social media to take marketing innovation in
the air to new heights. As it turns out, today's traveler wants more opportunities for
customer engagement offline and online. Airline marketers are responding with
intricate social media strategies that include strategically timed promotions, live-
tweeting, aggregated customer reviews, branded photos on Instagram feeds,
interactive check-in features on mobile sites or apps that let travelers choose seats or
reserve upgrades before arriving at the airport. For instance, American Airlines offers
a free checked bag for business class customers who download their Advantage app
and use it while checking in for their flight.

But the most significant change may be how airlines are using data to map customer
preferences and pinpoint opportunities for marketing innovation, rather than just
relying on traditional media buying. For example, Cathay Pacific is tapping into vast
amounts of data on passengers flying between Asia (competitors like AirAsia) and
Australia (like Qantas).
Another airline that has embraced big data is Alaska Airlines. In 2014 it invested in a
big data analytics platform, called Amadeus, to support its frequent flyer program
and know customers better. Here's how CEO Brad Tilden described the airline's new
strategy in an interview with Business Insider: "Our intent is to continuously improve
the customers' experience by providing them more value. And we're going to do that
by using more data and technology."

According to Tilden, one of the biggest changes is the ability to understand and tie
together customers' travel patterns across time and geography. He said if a customer
flies between two cities on a fairly regular basis, Alaska will be able to start offering
value-added services like upgrades or free parking at the airport. "We have a whole
new level of understanding the customer, what they like and don't like, their
propensity for loyalty — we can now take data models and apply them to member
behavior very quickly," he said. "It's exactly what our customers are asking for."

Overall, large, global airlines in North America and Europe have been moving to
"data-driven marketing" with more sophisticated analytics and online tools that help
identify new opportunities for customer engagement. From a practical perspective,
airlines are harnessing data to provide personalized experiences by anticipating what
their customers want ahead of time — for example, adding a free checked bag to the
boarding pass for frequent business class flyers or upgrading travelers who
download an app to premium seats at check-in.

Airline marketing innovation is happening in real-time and it takes a lot of resources

and technical expertise.