AIRTIME: Luxury Travel - Elevated Expectations
AIRTIME: Luxury Travel - Elevated Expectations
Over the preceding few years, a combination of factors has created a new landscape in luxury travel. The post-pandemic travel boom, the global growth of wellness trends, and competition for passenger loyalty have helped shape the new expectations of luxury travellers.
Luxury travel is not just about sleeping flat or dining on real chinaware. It is fundamentally about passengers having their expectations met. Expectations vary between individuals of course – those of a first time Business Class traveller would be set lower than a seasoned front-end flyer on a First Class upgrade ticket. Despite this variance, there are several key principles that can be understood, and more importantly, designed for.
Ease My Journey
Luxury travel is about removing friction points. Queue-jumping, priority boarding, security fast-tracks – these may seem like small benefits – but when assessing the emotional impact of friction points on travellers, particularly frequent travellers, they are critical elements in crafting a seamless travel experience.
Leading carriers also consider the micro friction points that travellers experience. A great example of this exists in Cathay Pacific’s recent ‘Aria’ Business Class cabin upgrade, whereby each seat’s IFE has a bathroom indicator to let you know when the facilities are vacant. Let’s face it, no one likes queuing for the bathroom!
Keep Me Well
Passenger wellness is paramount. The impending growth of ultra long-haul travel, being pioneered by Qantas in their groundbreaking Project Sunrise, means that prioritising passenger wellness in-flight will only grow in pertinence.
Luxury travellers, and particularly frequent travellers, expect to complete their journey without it impacting their lifestyle for days after. For airlines, that means facilitating deep rest, hydration and dining at the right times. Wellness enhancers such as active skincare and supplements also have their place.
Lounge experiences, particularly in transit stopovers, are also key opportunities to address wellness in the travel experience. Consider the mental and physical benefits of those relaxing environments, shower and refresh facilities, and of course high-quality, healthy dining options.
Recognise My Individuality
Service is a well-used but seldom defined term. Our emotional connection to service is defined by how much we feel valued by those who are looking after us. And so, for service to be really effective, it does need to be somewhat personalised. Crew need to understand each passenger’s preferences regarding contact frequency, interaction length, and tone. Reading unspoken cues is critical - experienced crew can predict what a person may wish for next, perhaps before they have even thought of it themselves.
Understand What I Value
Luxury travellers are a discerning demographic. Onboard product design and curation is an important factor in crafting an experience that will resonate. Gifting items of genuine quality is a must. Desirable fragrance and skincare products from reputable brands and useful, reusable accessories can create impactful moments for passengers.
Building the right brand partnerships across an onboard product suite is essential, to ensure that high net-worth passengers feel aligned with their carrier, that their appreciation of quality is a shared value.
Authentic, meaningful stories can also resonate. Products and partnerships with a focus on sustainable initiatives or social impact can appeal to luxury travellers, who are increasingly mindful of our shared responsibilities in the world.
Surprise Me!
Who doesn’t appreciate a good surprise? Luxury travellers have high expectations of every aspect of their journey. And so, the only way to really exceed expectations with this demographic is to deliver something they do not expect. That surprise may be an unexpected twist on a dessert service, an additional gift for their loved ones, or a complimentary spa treatment in transit.
Surprises can take many forms, but their power lies in being truly unexpected. Therefore, these elements should also change with some frequency; otherwise, they become another expected aspect in each journey. This is an area where airlines can really seek to innovate, and if done right, they can separate themselves from the competition.
Addressing these five thought-pillars can guide airlines in crafting unique, valued experiences for luxury travellers.