celebrating 50 issues future gazing
they will offer more and more so that soon they may well offer some kind of hotel options within the lounge – a private room or even a bed.”
ROGER WILLIAMS, RAIL GOURMET “Onboard catering on trains is set for a challenging future as governments and train companies seek extra value-for-money from
all aspects of their railway operations. However, I believe that the companies that
have the vision and determination to deliver a great on-board customer service will win in the ever increasingly competitive travel markets. But it is a cyclical effect. Time and again we have
seen rail and airline companies reduce customer catering services on-board, only to realise their mistakes and back track, re-introducing the real things that make customers feel good about their journey experience. Many operators see catering provision as
a chore and a loss leader but I see it as an investment in your customer’s comfort and therefore a key way to raise your customers’ perception of the service you offer and set you apart from your competitors. Remember, perception is everything when it comes to repeat business!”
SALLY GETHIN ON IFE “The industry will evolve gradually towards greater connectivity, and the ‘pipe’ as it used to be known (i.e. bandwidth) will be deployed
towards streaming content to PEDS. An increasing presence of passengers’ own devices onboard could threaten the availability of inseat IFE screens. But large global airlines are unlikely to remove inseat IFE de facto, if for no other reason than the benefits of new High Definition screens and the quality of the graphics in an inseat screen especially in the premium cabin. The future of IFE hinges to some extent on
the success of the PEDS market. If PEDS become king, IFE in terms of kit onboard could be relegated to a lesser role. Having said that, an airline will still need to deliver brand onboard – and a server of some kind will be needed to deliver specialised content to the PEDS onboard. This helps to safeguard the role of the content service provider.
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www.onboardhospitality.com
Connectivity is likely to be an enabler but not
a terminator, of the IFE onboard system. Screens and screen sizes are likely to be a hybrid of both inseat and the passenger’s own. We could see greater choice of device available, with solutions for those who do not bring tablets or smartphones onboard, as well as those who do. There could be other unforeseen technologies
to emerge that would galvanise the market in a new direction. Certainly any trend on the ground has its chance one day in the air, as we have seen already with the emergence of wi-fi onboard. IFE will become a workhouse for the passenger, rather than a form of diversion and distraction from everyday chores on the ground. There is still the blackout period however of
taxiing, ascent and descent when there is no IFE and PEDS are not allowed to be switched on. Perhaps that is the last frontier that could be reached in ten years’ time.”
KEITH YATES, YATES AND PARTNER I predict within ten years: • High Speed Trains will be operating as airlines • Some state-owned airlines (think
UAE, PRC) will be powerhouses – high service standards, large global networks, and big fleets • LCC s will fragment as they try to differentiate against each other • We will employ a lot more people in the industry
• There will be strong outbound traffic from China and India and perhaps also Brasil and Russia, pushing the limits of capacity and destination resorts • Growth of tourism in China and India will help make Asia the fastest expanding market for international airlines in both Europe and the U.S. • North East Asia in particular will experience the highest growth. • High Speed Trains in PRC will compete with airlines for domestic travel. This will cause the Chinese mega carriers to shift their focus to international travel. They will upgrade their product and service levels to compete globally. • The business travel segment will grow substantially. Business travellers will continue to demand high service levels and more innovation in service delivery. There will be a broad range of providers from business jets to full service carriers with expensive front cabins. • LCCs will not replace the full service carriers; rather they will grow on the back of strong leisure business in Asia. LCCs will seek to differentiate from each other as we see a plethora enter markets. Expect to see more hybrid LCC formats – coffee/tea/wine in the back, and, maybe from some, cuisine and beverage in the first few rows of the aircraft, while service will be more like a regular municipal bus service from others. * Organisations will be more fun to work in.
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