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IBM > Case Studies > A North American airline finds new ways to keep customer satisfaction high
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A North American airline finds new ways to keep customer satisfaction high

Technology Category
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
Applicable Industries
  • Aerospace
Applicable Functions
  • Sales & Marketing
The Challenge
The North American airline wanted to extend its thoughtful customer service, especially during flight cancellations or delays, by sending customers personalized, rules-generated email or text messages. The company's main focus has been to provide an exceptional guest experience, whether interacting with them in person on the front lines or using technology to enhance their travels. The company goes the extra mile to promote a stress-free experience. One way it does that is with a notification system that reaches guests via a preferred channel such as email, voicemail or text. It would offer a flight reminder three days ahead of departure, an opportunity to check-in online 24 hours in advance and prompt notification of any changes, including flight cancellations or delays, gate changes or insight into the entertainment or amenities available on the aircraft.
About The Customer
Promising a high level of service at a low cost, this North American airline launched its service in 1996 with just three planes. Now, it fills more than 100 planes, carrying 50,000 guests a day on more than 450 flights to 85 destinations throughout North America, Central America and the Caribbean. One of the airline’s main focuses has been to provide an exceptional guest experience, whether interacting with them in person on the front lines or using technology to enhance their travels. The company goes the extra mile to promote a stress-free experience.
The Solution
The key to the notification system is that IBM WebSphere software enables seamless interactions between many different information resources. As an example, a gate change triggers a message stored on IBM® WebSphere® MQ, our messaging backbone. The message is run through the rules engine in IBM Operational Decision Manager, and IBM Integration Bus (WebSphere Message Broker) provides an orchestration layer between multiple systems, including identity databases. IBM Tivoli® Directory Integrator looks up the preferences of each guest, and IBM WebSphere DataPower® helps secure, centralize and optimize access to internal and external web, mobile and API workloads to make the system work. Notifications are generated fast. An event might trigger between 10 and 390 rules, depending on whether a flight has multiple legs. When rules need to be changed, the system is flexible.
Operational Impact
  • With millions of messages sent, the travel experience is improved.
  • The system helps the airline grow—serving guests 24 hours a day—yet retain the personal touch that guests love.
  • The team plans to expand the service to include personalized links and offers, such as discounts tailored to a guest’s preferences if a flight must be cancelled.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Passenger traffic is up 7.8 percent compared to the prior year.
  • 60 percent of passengers click for more information and just 0.5 percent have opted out.

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