Sabre : How airlines unify data to build a sustainable competitive advantage

According to recent Sabre and Forbes Insights' research, customer experience is the number one brand promise for airlines and the leading indicator of how well an airline recovers from disruptions. But how do you balance the seemingly competing requirements of operational efficiency, pressure for profit growth and ensuring that your customers are highly satisfied, especially during times of disrupted operations?

This strategic challenge is at the heart of 'Bridging the Gap between Airline Operations and the Passenger,' the first in a series of briefing papers being released by Sabre and Forbes Insights.

A deep dive into the analysis of the executive survey first released as an Executive Summary in 2016, this first briefing paper shows how global airline executives are meeting this challenge head-on by connecting data across the airline to create real-time situational awareness for operational leaders.

Airlines are a data-rich industry. But this data is often hidden in departmental silos. The opportunity that many airlines are now understanding is to unify that data to support real-time, comprehensive decision-making that balances operational performance, profitability and customer experience.

Traditionally, the inability to connect data between departments has inhibited alignment across the airline, with decision makers working from different data sets. This misalignment becomes even more critical to an airline's success during disrupted operations. With new tools available to unify data, airlines are open to a new path where operational decisions can be aligned in ways that support profitability and customer satisfaction.

As Dr. Jassim Haji, director of information technology for Gulf Air puts it:

'Gulf Air's operational strategy depends on actionable data,' and '…acting fast and quick on data helps to avoid potential disruptions, turns negative passenger experiences into positive ones, and keeps us ahead of our competition.'

Download the first in the series of briefing papers, 'Bridging the Gap between Airline Operations and the Passenger,' here.