Marisa Garcia

Vueling has pushed the technology envelope in the airline industry, benefiting not only its European customers but airline passengers around the world. That it's not done innovating yet is a very exciting thing for tomorrow's passenger experience.

We write often about the importance of branding in aviation, the critical need to move away from selling air-service as a commodity or a utility, but we’ve never heard anyone put it as eloquently or as practically as Mr. Dedekoylu has, nor seen any airline 'get it' quite like this bold low-cost carrier has.

Not many airlines have the luxury of designing an entire airport around their brand, but there is a lot airlines can do to design a seamless ground experience for their passengers nonetheless.

These personalization elements are nice to have, but what startups in the area have so far failed to do is make them essential to consumers. Can airlines succeed where they have failed?

Jacobs' enthusiasm for digital is that of the recently converted. Considering the very basic functionality of Ryanair's website and apps in the past, and hearing hints of what is in store for the upcoming launch, it will be a significant leap forward for the airline.

Since the creation of American Airlines’ frequent flyer program, what was meant to be a simple scheme to encourage repeat business has evolved into a shadow currency funding a large business sector that reaches across to all travel products and to banking institutions. It’s difficult to imagine all of that crashing overnight, or that it would be allowed to crash at all. If Jacobs happens to be right, then it’s bound to crash eventually, but there should be time to see the bright lights coming from the opposite direction.

The thousands of screens on aircraft, either built-in or brought onboard, offer advertisers and brand partners many ways to reach consumers. With connectivity and advanced IFE systems gathering user data, the skies offer limitless possibilities for targeted campaigns and direct sales.

United’s tracks moving forward could run along the lines of the Amtrak model; not aspiring to compete with global airlines on design, passenger comfort, and perks. If the kinks are taken out of the system, staff unity is achieved, fares are competitive, and United becomes more efficient, U.S. passengers might not mind.

As these unbundled programs take hold in the industry, affecting how reservation systems structure fare data, it will be very difficult to bundle them up again. We expect this trend to continue and become the new normal around the world.

More passengers will be flying twenty years from now than ever in aviation's history, with projections more than doubling today's passenger numbers. Upscaling the aviation industry to meet this unprecedented demand will require new and more efficient processes, and greater investments in technology.