A new premium customers service initiative?

[Dickson]

This was reported in today's Straits Times :

"SIA will also invest US$325 million (S$405 million) to upgrade 19 existing B777-300ER planes with its latest cabin products, such as seats offering economy passengers more leg room, which were introduced in September last year, Mr Goh said. Works will be completed by September 2016.

Other service initiatives include upgrading of airport lounges as well as a new programme to be launched later this year which will allow SIA to offer its premium customers a higher level of service.

Details are scarce but The Straits Times understands the intention is to record and track customers' preferences and travel patterns so the airline can be more proactive in meeting their needs."

Hmmm .. wonder what it could be?

On a separate note, I can't help but feel that SIA's initiatives are rather haphazard. On the one hand, its spending US$325m to upgrade the cabins, "including economy passengers more leg room, which were introduced in September last year". On the other hand, its introducing a Premium Economy product.

[scooby5]

I always get nervous when an airline says it's making 'enhancements' or improvements to its service. Nine times from ten it has the opposite effect.

[bent]

it's probably tracking and storing of pax preferences in their database so they can anticipate pax needs.

[KC*]

I always get nervous when an airline says it's making 'enhancements' or improvements to its service. Nine times from ten it has the opposite effect.

I agree.

Now that they have announced the new EY seats, I worry that KF points needed for redemption tickets may be "enhanced" upwards for J (and maybe F) to create a new slot in between.

[kaysquare]

I agree.

Now that they have announced the new EY seats, I worry that KF points needed for redemption tickets may be "enhanced" upwards for J (and maybe F) to create a new slot in between.

So true. My guess is that they probably will. Meanwhile, it will be exciting to reveal what kind of service and seats Y+ will have.

time to standby those miles for trips!

[SilverChris]

time to standby those miles for trips!

Or burn them for F/J before the rates get "enhanced"

[SQueeze]

Or burn them for F/J before the rates get "enhanced"

Will definitely happen.
The last revision was quite awhile ago.

Looks like will have to make plans to vacation more this year and next in no less than F / R

[Lstieger]

I always get nervous when an airline says it's making 'enhancements' or improvements to its service. Nine times from ten it has the opposite effect.

I totally agree with you...I am very curious on how this new program will function

[Dickson]

it's probably tracking and storing of pax preferences in their database so they can anticipate pax needs.

The thing I cannot understand is this -- being able to track and store pax preferences is something so basic, that it hardly qualifies as an "enhancement" nowadays. I mean, Amazon.com can track my searches and purchases and proactively give me recommendations.

How new can such a technology be? I'm more puzzled that it has taken SIA so long to do something like this. I can imagine for eg, that it is fairly easy to track PPS passengers (after all, they're your frequent fliers) seat preferences. Why can't this preference be stored and automatically offered to the pax, when he makes a fresh booking? Even little details like how the pax likes his meals, coffee/tea can be details that are noted down and then subsequently keyed into the database -- not unlike how hotels keep track of the preferences of their most loyal customers - which room, what kind of special arrangement, etc.

The problem is that anything to do with keeping track of preferences requires a solid website as a pre-requisite. Already, the current website is slow, prone to breakdowns ... and you still want to overlay something ambitious on top of it? Goodness !!!

[Lstieger]

The thing I cannot understand is this -- being able to track and store pax preferences is something so basic, that it hardly qualifies as an "enhancement" nowadays. I mean, Amazon.com can track my searches and purchases and proactively give me recommendations.

How new can such a technology be? I'm more puzzled that it has taken SIA so long to do something like this. I can imagine for eg, that it is fairly easy to track PPS passengers (after all, they're your frequent fliers) seat preferences. Why can't this preference be stored and automatically offered to the pax, when he makes a fresh booking? Even little details like how the pax likes his meals, coffee/tea can be details that are noted down and then subsequently keyed into the database -- not unlike how hotels keep track of the preferences of their most loyal customers - which room, what kind of special arrangement, etc.

The problem is that anything to do with keeping track of preferences requires a solid website as a pre-requisite. Already, the current website is slow, prone to breakdowns ... and you still want to overlay something ambitious on top of it? Goodness !!!

I do agree with you and I guess they (yet) just don't have the proper server infrastructure for storing all those preferences. Maybe this new pax preferences will also track our activities such as giving special fare discount for destinations or countries we are traveling frequently (e.g. 5 times flight to Tokyo within a year will get a slight discount). I also agree with you regarding the current website. I especially struggle to make bookings using the Silkair one (never ending loading loop before payment process).

[cscs1956]

They do have the infrastructures. Just that no application(s) is ready.
Cannot expect much if a company do not own they "own" IT facilities.

[scooby5]

Maybe this new pax preferences will also track our activities such as giving special fare discount for destinations or countries we are traveling frequently (e.g. 5 times flight to Tokyo within a year will get a slight discount).

If you are flying to Tokyo 5-times a year anyway, what incentive is there for SQ to give a discount?

Discounts are to entice you to buy something you wouldn't normally consider. If, for example, you fly to Tokyo 5-times a year in Y then there is an argument to suggest SQ offer a J ticket at a discount. Maybe a $1000 mark-up instead of the usual ~$2,800 difference?

I know it's all 'thinking aloud' and pointless but in any case SQ need to be doing something. I booked a Garuda ticket to Jakarta at S$303 instead of SQ's S$700 because that's too big a difference for loyalty.