Feature: Buy on Board
we anticipate taking advantage of growth opportunities and offering more options for our customers worldwide.
Chairing the debate was Bill Abraham, vp of sales operations, eGate Solutions.
OBH: What do you see as the advantages to an airline of providing Buy-On-Board? BA: I believe there is a huge up side to revenues beyond traditional F&B sales. We have airline partners that are taking advantage of technology and providing their customers with the ability to purchase fresh meals through our pre-order site, as well as duty free items, virtual products and other retail items that are delivered onboard the aircraft. We have other business partners that are providing gateside ordering for blankets, pillows and rental items. When the airlines move to real- time connectivity on the aircraft this will drive additional revenue opportunities onboard. One way will be to accept frequent flyer miles as another form of payment on-board, with a system to verify mile availability in real time. These are just a few ways of providing a better customer experience and generating new revenue streams.
OBH: What are the potential financial opportunities of providing BOB? BA: Buy on board has now become a profit centre versus a cost centre, and enhances the customer experience. BOB devices can now provide other tools such as real-time manifest with buying trends geared to the frequent flyer onboard the aircraft.
OBH: What are the challenges of providing BOB on a flight? BA: Understanding the data that was captured inflight; then analysing and utilising this information to better predict customer behaviour. Another challenge to a successful BOB programme is to get the flight attendants to buy into the programme. Any time you put a system in place it must be a win/win situation for the flight crews and the airline business. It is imperative that the crews are properly trained; the system must provide crew tools to make them more efficient at their jobs.
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www.onboardhospitality.com
Virgin takes BOB to new level
For years airlines have encouraged onboard shopping. Passengers are used to browsing for perfume and alcohol, inflight meals and snacks, inflatable pillows, watches and toys. But in a new Buy On Board initiative, Virgin Atlantic is selling works of art to passengers. In February, First passengers travelling between New York and London had the chance to buy paintings by British artist Ben Eine during flights and at the clubhouses at London’s Heathrow and New York’s JFK and Newark International airports. At least one
OBH: Do pre-ordered meals help or hinder the process? How do they affect the revenue? BA: At the end of the day it is about enhancing the customer experience. Pre-order allows an airline to provide the customer with higher quality meals and helps to avoid boarding excess product. I see the world of duty free changing when an airline no longer needs to load a cart onboard the aircraft. With real-time connectivity the items are ordered, paid for inflight and delivered when the passenger arrives at their final destination at gateside.
OBH: Is BOB a growth area with the potential to contribute to the success of an airline? AB: Absolutely, an airline offering the best service contributes to the overall experience. Airlines must keep reinventing the onboard experience to their valuable customers. •
piece, entitled ‘East’, was sold successfully! Eine started out as a street graffiti artist in London. “An aeroplane cabin isn’t the first place people think of when they choose an exhibition space, but I’m all for doing things differently,” Eine says.
Eine created ten works of art specifically for Virgin Atlantic, priced from $4,000 to $24,000. Though they were sold like duty- free, they were not actually duty-free, because they exceeded the maximum allowable amount.
Adam Bauer, AirMeals
It is with great sadness and regret that we announce the death of Adam Bauer, president of AirMeals, LLC. Adam passed away on November 12 at his home in Sacramento, California, surrounded by his family.
Adam, and a few friends, founded AirMeals in 2008. The evolution of the idea, born over a dinner and a game of cards, grew quickly to become an industry award-winning ancillary revenue solution. It was the perfect confluence for Adam, of technology, entrepreneurship and haute cuisine. Adam was always interested in developing new relationships and sharing his ideas and finds from his global travels. This combined with his sense of adventure made Adam a natural for the airline hospitality iIndustry. In just a few short years, Adam’s fervour and keen eye for innovation has driven AirMeals to be an industry leader and the pre-buy technology platform of choice for major airlines. Adam will be dearly missed but it is with his determination that the AirMeals team will drive forward with his vision and passion.
www.air-meals.com
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