Kevin Kleist

BCD’s #AerospaceAndDefense vertical has evolved in recent years. Our SVP Americas Amy Dalton spoke to Business Travel News about some of the vertical's specific needs and how BCD is adapting technology to meet them: https://ow.ly/Tyyg50U95GH

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Southwest Airlines continues to dominate the skies with a strong presence in key states. According to a recent analysis, the top Southwest states include Texas, California, and Florida. This ranking reflects Southwest's strategic focus on connecting major hubs and high-traffic destinations, ensuring extensive coverage and convenience for travelers!! Read the full article here: Revealed: Southwest Airlines’ Top 10 States For Flights https://lnkd.in/eVndeCvs

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Earlier this week, Accelya launched FLX ONE! FLX ONE is Accelya’s new platform, built to give airlines control and flexibility over their retailing. Bringing Offer, Order, Settle, and Delivery (OOSD) into a modular platform, airlines can manage the transformation at their own pace. FLX ONE transforms airline retailing by replacing outdated legacy systems with modern, modular components designed for a new digital transformation era. Find out how FLX ONE is designed to grow with you, offering value at every step while keeping you in control of your strategy. 👉https://ow.ly/ej1C30sHEvV #Accelya #FLXONE #AirlineRetailing #IATAWPS

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If We Focus On Creating a Great Customer Experience, Profit and Competition Will Take Care Of Themselves. One of the most thought-provoking discussions at T2RL was the conversation on the future of aviation between Vasu Raja, former CCO of American Airlines, and Richard Clarke, CEO T2RL. There are some points and questions from this dialogue as I interpret them, though they may come across as a bit inconsistent. Vasu Raja: "How are we going to generate enough revenue to cover growing costs? The fundamental business model needs changes, otherwise we risk creating a disaster." __ Vasu Raja: "Airlines, unlike tech companies, only change about 5% of top management every 20 years, whereas tech shifts 20% every 5 years. This long institutional memory could be holding us back." __ Vasu Raja: "We also have to remember: What are we missing for our customer? For travellers, we can’t spoil the experience of travel with the experience of transportation." __ Richard Clarke: " OTAs, are they friends or enemies?" __ Vasu Raja: "OTE have facilitated tonnes of things, and also break rules. Should OTAs and TMCs propose to airlines to sell the most profitable products?" __ Richard Clarke: "Is the airline industry still an interesting place to work?" (good question, by the way!) __ Vasu Raja: "If we focus on creating a great customer experience, profit and competition will take care of themselves. Retailing, after all, gives you the freedom to build products tailored to your customers. And if you’re good at retailing, you’ll see the sales grow." __ Vasu Raja: "Everyone in the value chain can make more money". #T2RL #Aviation #FutureOfTravel

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It is always great to get some of thoughts down ‘on paper’ and I recently wrote a byline for Travolution on why it's a no longer about the lowest price and how content is key for airlines. Given that flights are not all generic, and experience can vary widely, airlines need to consider merging their pricing and content strategies into one that considers the entire offer.   I delve deeper into the topic and would love to hear your thoughts on this and if you agree. https://bit.ly/4ipc0rj

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Introducing ATPCO's Distribute the Offer leadership team - looking after airline product content data collection, distribution to data subscribers, and new distribution solutions (including #NDC). All of this in the context of ATPCO's industry utility model as we all move, #bettertogether, toward modern airline retailing through airline offers and orders. We spent time yesterday talking through strategy, 2024 outcomes (3, 6, 9 month) for each of the three areas, best-in-class team habits, championing cultural pillars at the heart of ATPCO, and leveraging the best of Artificial Intelligence. Most importantly, we talked about what we need, and how we can support each other, to be better at what we do, achieve the success outcomes we've committed to, and help each other out. Anne Kolodziej (Collection), Aruna Punya (Distribution), Cheikh FALL (New Distribution Solutions) - thanks for having my back; you're a super team of leaders to work with. Between the 4 of us, we have over 100 years of airline industry experience in technology, revenue accounting, performance data, distribution, pricing, taxation, strategy, customer service, and more; it's gratifying to work with people who use that tenure and knowledge to have a universally open and 'gritty' mindset, and embrace innovation together, to make the industry better. Let's make it a great 2024. #airlinedistribution #genAI #startwithwhy #startwithpeople #findyourwhy #distributetheoffer Jacquelyn Ingros, MS OD

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Over my three decades of experience, I’ve seen many low-cost carriers (LCCs) flourish and continually evolve. Their strategies for growth can vary, but they remain centered on ways to expand their network and deliver value to customers on their own or with their chosen partners.  Today, at Navitaire, an Amadeus company we have many LCC and hybrid airline customers that have added and continue to increase the number of interline and codeshare services they offer.  They have found that interline partnerships can bring a lot of benefits for travelers, as well as airlines.   For passengers, interlines mean they can book ‘through itineraries’ to more destinations on two or more airlines with less hassle than booking each one separately. They can often check-in through to their destination and don’t need to transfer their bags.   Beyond the opportunity to extend their network via partners, interline deals give LCCs more ways to help them grow, as identified in our Travel Technology Investment Trends research.  For example, 54% of LCCs see access to higher value fares as the leading benefit from such arrangements, and 50% said it would offer opportunities to drive more bookings overall. Other perks included a chance to sell additional ancillary services such as express boarding or extra leg room.   Some 36% of LCC respondents said that they are already partnering or interlining with traditional full-service carriers (FSCs) today. We at Navitaire, an Amadeus company expect this number to increase as the next generation of airline technology makes these connections between business models easier than ever.   Find out more in our full report, here: https://lnkd.in/gX5W8eEp   #AmadeusTechTrends2024 #ModernRetailing #ThoughtLeadership #Aviation #Navitaire 

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The call is urgent and the need is now to transform redundant and physically straining processes using robotics and Ai, But… 👩‍🚀 are we there yet? 🧗🏼‍♀️Are industries, R&D labs, universities and various other collaborators meeting at the right apex? 🙌🏼 How can we facilitate it? Read up in this exclusive interview the various perspectives of integrating robotics and Ai in aviation and I invite you to think along.

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ITM Conference Keynote Interview with Doreen Burse United Airlines I’ll be interviewing Doreen on Thursday at the ITM | Institute of Travel Management Conference. I’m planning to cover all the elements of a strong airline category strategy: Cost, Quality, Customer, Sustainability & Innovation. Is there anything you’d add? Or any specific questions you’d like asked? I can’t promise to get them all in but will certainly try … #itm2024 #businesstravel #createbetter

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ICYMI: We introduced Fly Delta 6.0 earlier this week, our most comprehensive app update since 2019! Just in time for your weekend travel ✈ For our Delta Air Lines customers, there's no better travel companion than the Fly Delta app. We know that on average, 85% of our #SkyMiles members rely on the app when traveling. Now, our team has worked hard to bring customers an upgraded version of our award-winning app that is packed with improvements. The update includes several new ways to help customers save time, explore new destinations and manage travel – ensuring the Delta difference is never too far from customers, no matter where they are on their journey: 📱 Refreshed navigation experience, including an updated My Trips tab that brings relevant, upcoming trip information into a standalone view. 📱 Highly personalized Explore home page. 📱 Always available boarding pass that keeps boarding information just a tap away. 📱 All-new Help Center view brings simplicity to when the unexpected happens. And starting in early summer, customers will be able to login to Delta Sync Wi-Fi directly through the Fly Delta app. As with everything we do, our goal is to make your travel journey as seamless as possible. Stay tuned for more updates coming in 2024! Let me know how you like the update in the comments below 👇. Your #feedback matters to us - we’ll continue to listen diligently and improve.

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I recently had the pleasure of joining Chris Johnston and Alex Genov on the Trust Builders podcast. We discussed the role of trust in business strategy as well as in Customer & Employee experience design and practice. A few key takeaways: > Trust starts from the inside-out and top-down. > Trust has components of compassion (do you care?) and competence (are you reliable and committed to excellence?) > Trust is banked over time and can be broken quickly > A great Customer Experience is built on a great Employee Experience I hope you enjoy listening and can apply (share) some of the discussion points to your own environment. All the best! Bill #trustbuilders #trust #customerexperience #employeeexperience #service #reputation Chris Johnston Alex Genov #customers #customerinsights #people #employees #qualtrics Laura Swift #customerjourney #voiceofcustomer

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Enjoyed reading Ganesh Jayaram's article in the WSJ this morning on his strategies for implementing AI effectively. We see lots of disconnect today with organizations implementing AI just to check a box, as opposed to developing a strategy tied to core business priorities to ensure that AI drives real value. Worth a read on how leaders like Ganesh succeed through partnering with their business peers:

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Getting the Media's Attention As someone who is building a business, can you appreciate how hard it is to get the attention of the people you want to reach? Over the years, technology has proven to be a double-edged sword in making it easier to reach the targeted masses, but also creating noise that is almost deafening for that same audience. We can trumpet our own technological triumphs, but the real magic happens when the industry analysts and media publications recognize our work, technology advancements and industry break-throughs. This past week, we announced new technology, in partnership with SAP Concur, that the HRS Stay, Work & Pay platform is #THEFIRST hotel-focused technology provider to have its broad range of features certified in the new Concur Travel’s Hotel Connector. This is REALLY BIG NEWS if your company is using Concur's booking technology! Why & What's Now Different with the new Concur powered by HRS? 1) Travelers have the widest range of business travel-ready hotels worldwide from multiple sources through an UPDATED POINT OF SALES DISPLAY with more structured and filterable content, inclusion of loyalty program numbers and data and noteworthy amenities including EV charging, property location safety, and HRS Group’s groundbreaking and ISO-certified Green Stay Initiative. 2) AI-powered technology now gives corporate hotel program leaders unmatched real-time tracking and transparency across every element of a hotel booking, exposing savings and performance trends. 3) An elegant frictionless traveler expense experience is now powered by a world-class proprietary payment platform that also provides finance teams with digitally enhanced invoices that are 100 percent compliant and enriched with Level-3 data to maximize itemization & VAT reclaim potential. The highly-read Phocuswright PhocusWire reported on it this week in a round-up of technology following the GBTA | Global Business Travel Association Convention. Hospitality Technology International (Pty) Ltd also recognized this work as well in reporting that, "SAP Concur customers can now access an unrivaled combination of AI-infused functionalities that continually optimize performance and expedite the booking experience for travelers and travel managers, delivering the ideal set of hotel options at the top of every shopping list." If your company uses Concur, the version offered by your TMC doesn't contain these capabilities if they aren't powered by HRS Stay, Work & Pay. That's why more and more TMCs are reaching out and working with us to ensure that this technology is enabled in their environments. If you'd like a demonstration of how this technology works in action, let us know.

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📢 Leadership Transition at Southwest Airlines Amid Activist Pressure ✈️ Big news in the aviation industry! After nearly 40 years of service, Southwest Airlines Chairman Gary Kelly has announced his retirement, effective next spring. This comes amidst growing pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management, which is pushing for significant changes in Southwest's management and board. Gary Kelly, who previously served as CEO for 18 years, will step down following Southwest’s annual meeting. While Southwest has reaffirmed its confidence in CEO Bob Jordan’s leadership, Elliott is advocating for deeper change, proposing to replace two-thirds of the board and calling for a strategic shift from the company’s traditional approach. Key takeaways: Elliott Investment now holds a significant stake, enough to call a special shareholder meeting. Southwest plans to introduce four new independent directors, possibly including candidates from Elliott. A new finance committee will oversee critical aspects of the airline's strategy, signaling a broader transformation in response to industry challenges. This transition marks a pivotal moment for Southwest, as it navigates post-pandemic turbulence and pressures from both within and outside. Eyes are on CEO Bob Jordan and the upcoming strategic announcements on Sept. 26. #LeadershipChange #Aviation #SouthwestAirlines #CorporateGovernance #Investors #Transformation #ThesocialTalks

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Some mainline carriers have announced plans to restart pilot classes in early 2025, signaling a potential rebound in pilot hiring. Regional affiliates have announced plans to resume hiring with the expectation of higher pilot attrition. https://lnkd.in/dSeYuEje .

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#CommercialAviation, which typically flies aircraft with over 100 seats, represents more than 80% of revenue seat miles flown and emissions generated in the aviation sector. However, we haven't seen much investment in breakthrough approaches for more the larger #aircraft that serve these operations. Investors have made big bets in breakthrough #aerospace technologies for smaller aircraft (e.g. #eVTOLS, #eSTOL and #hydrogen themes), which address less than 16% of aviation emissions and less than 10% of current aircraft. #SAF investments can help commercial #aviation move forward with #sustainability goals, but SAF is likely to cost 2-3X as much as JetA, which will create significant demand destruction and financing issues for airlines. #Boeing and #Airbus have explored breakthrough technologies for commercial aviation that would increase aircraft efficiency beyond what traditional tube and wing aircraft can achieve -- Boeing's X66 Truss Braced Wing concept for example. However, the only programs currently planned -- next generation tube and wing #aircraft -- will deliver gains that fall far short of the industry's needs to achieve its sustainability goals. The #BWB concepts in progress, of which JetZero is the most advanced, can help fill this gap in product development and sustainability for the most important part of the #airline business by cutting fuel consumption per RPM by 30-50%. SAF will continue to play an important role, which BWB concepts will accelerate by eliminating the trillions of dollars of incremental cost that would have put a primarily SAF based solution under immense pressure. In the end, the fuel savings tied to new equipment will help the industry achieve its sustainability goals while reducing costs and accelerating industry growth. That makes for a healthier industry going forward. Alaska Airlines has a strong history of pragmatic thought leadership in the aviation industry. With this investment they have led the industry towards an attractive future where a robust, profitable industry and sustainability have become mutually reinforcing goals that build on the industry's legacy as the world's most fuel efficient. large scale transportation system. Many investors focused in sustainability have not had the right combination of vision and pragmatism to take this type of step. Congrats to Alaska Airlines and JetZero on moving us in the right direction. Matthew Ridley Jonathon Counsell Pasha Saleh Diana Birkett Rakow Tom O'Leary Shane Tackett Sergey Kulyagin Jerry Griffin Chris Kelly Singley Brian Flynn David Spurlock Traci H. Azim Barodawala Jeff Schox Jeff Johnson Daniel Moczydlower,MSc,PMP Stefan Sandoval Yepes Holger Blankenstein Jose Suarez Andrew Broderick Dionisio Pérez Jácome F. Peter Fiene Myles Goeller Derek Gerow Stan Pace Jim Harris

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Sabre's corporate travel air booking volume grew between 3 percent and 4 percent year over year in the third quarter, helping to drive a 5 percent growth in distribution revenue for the quarter, the company said in its earnings report. Total distribution revenue for the quarter was $551 million, up $26 million compared with the third quarter of 2023, which Sabre said was due to an increase in bookings as well as a 1 percent year-over-year increase in the average booking fee.

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