Exploring Japan Airlines' Operational Success Story with a Data-driven Approach

Japan Airlines has outdone all of us international airlines! Bounce just named Japan Airlines as the best airline in the world, with staff service playing a crucial role in the attaining the top spot! With a net profit of US$161 million, (that’s a 42% revenue growth from Q1 2022!), we turned to them to wonder just how they did it!

In this exclusive interview with Digital Travel APAC 2023, we spoke with Richard Engelmann, Regional Vice President – Asia, Oceania and India at Japan Airlines. With more than 20 years in the industry (way before tech was evolved in the industry!), he’s responsible for driving revenue and business in the world of digitalisation, where technology such as online booking and self-service check-in kiosks are now the new norm.

In this extremely interesting and fast-paced evolution of the industry, Richard dives right into the ins and outs of customer-centric aviation technology, where mobile-commerce has taken over and revolutionised the online booking experience. By removing the manual face-to-face conversations to perform seat upgrades, meal options, and self-managed check-ins, he’s giving the customers their options on their devices, right at their fingertips.

“In the next 6 to 12 months, it’s about working with partners to utilise their technology and developments to get a much better understanding of data analytics, route, network development, travel, locate seasons, and customer choices.”

He also goes further into,

• The word for 2023, contactless. From bots to remote customer service, has technological development changed the world for the better?
• Data never dies – The increased usage and exchange of data is why partnership and analysis are keys for JAL, with insights on peak season demands and booking patterns.
• Cultural submergence – Having respect in a multicultural environment is important, with a recorded 87% of international passengers choosing to continue travelling with Japan Airlines through the service and respect received!
• The last step to extend your marketing budget – optimise your spend and ROI to revenue ratio with lower-funnel marketing.
• A trusted travel advisor by your side – how AI can help you understand not just customer behaviour, but efficient routes and culture appreciation and understanding.

Understanding our customers' needs leads the path towards our success, and the true magic comes when we harness that understanding to drive positive change. Want to know more? Watch the full interview now!