Travellers booking on airlines in SkyTeam, the global airline alliance, are set to experience improved services via the customer-based initiative the Alliance is putting in place.
While delivering more benefits for its membership throughout SkyTeam’s global network, the body said with more than 30 million passengers transferring among the members annually, closer cooperation between airlines and airports has been developed under the SkyTransfer initiative.
“With our global network almost complete, our priority is now shifting to creating a seamless travel experience for our customers, SkyTeam’s key driver so far has been on gaining global presence, and now provides a network with access to the most relevant traffic flows worldwide. But the next stage of cooperation is about developing customer products and services that bring seamlessness to a new level,” Michael Wisbrun, SkyTeam’s managing director said.
He said focus will be on improving customer transfers from one member to another by developing new efficiencies, as well as transfer and service recovery standards, starting with SkyTeam’s largest hubs.
These include Amsterdam, Atlanta, Rome, Paris CDG, Mexico City, Seoul, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It is estimated that this will lead to an average cost savings of about 15 million Euros annually on transfer related costs.
Some of the airlines whose passengers stand to benefit from this new development are Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Middle East Airlines amongst others.
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SkyTeam offers its 552 million annual customers over 15,000 daily flights to 1,000 destinations in 187 countries.
It launched its flagship customer-focused initiative, SkyPriority recently with a series of premium airport services for Elite Plus, First and Business Class customers.
“SkyPriority has now been implemented throughout 75 percent of SkyTeam’s global network and will be available at each of SkyTeam’s 1,000 global destinations by the end of 2013. In addition, the programme is being extended to include, amongst others, more dedicated security lanes, and dedicated SkyPriority call centres to provide essential support to high value customers. Other additions include dedicated SkyPriority baggage desks at arrival halls”, he added.
With its global network almost complete, SkyTeam said it is working to fast-track initiatives that augment benefits offered to members. These include SkyPort, which is focused on increasing co-location of airport facilities to ease the customer experience while reducing costs.
“We will also open three more co-branded lounges with Istanbul being opened this month; Sydney before the end of 2013 and Beijing in early 2014. The new lounges will reduce combined costs by approximately 10 percent at these airports.
“To get the most out of travelling with SkyTeam, travel products have been developed and upgraded to meet customer needs. Booking facilities will be added to the online Round-the-World planning application before year’s end.
“The recently enhanced Global Meetings product offers more convenience and more attractive pricing, through a new online booking tool for a minimum of 50 delegates featuring a wide range of fare discounts off published fares.
“Every initiative SkyTeam develops has benefits both for its members and most importantly for the customers, it’s not about simply being the biggest in scale, we must evolve and facilitate in the development and implementation of such customer focused initiatives.
