The Future of Flying

Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) continues with a virtual series in September and October 2020. The free webinars are hosted every Wednesday from 2 September to 7 October. Headlined by industry leaders who are driving the evolution of the passenger experience, the webinar series offers the latest insights, ideas and analysis.

The Autumn edition of the PEC Virtual Series will welcome experts from Qatar Airways, Qantas Airways, Etihad Airways, Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), PriestmanGoode, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and Airbus.

In September and October, six webinars will consider some of the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry in the post-pandemic world, exploring how airlines, manufacturers and suppliers can establish a road map for businesses evolution in the ‘new normal’.

September 2

FLYING FOR ALL: WHAT NEXT FOR THE ACCESSIBLE CABIN?

Initiatives to ensure that flying becomes more accessible for all passengers, as well as people with other disabilities such as visual and hearing impairments, were increasingly in the spotlight over the past 18 months. Moderated by Christopher Wood, Founder of Flying Disabled, this session will reveal how these initiatives have been impacted by the pandemic and what will shape the next round of accessibility innovations. The expert panel includes Geraldine Lundy, Director at Accessible Travel Consultancy, Hans-Gerhard Giesa, Senior Expert Human Factors Cabin & Cargo at Airbus, Matthew Coder, Inflight Experience Program Manager at Alaska Airlines, Gina Emrich, Consultant at Open Doors Organization, and Hank Scott, Chief Executive Officer at Molon Labe Seating.

September 9

THE ECONOMY OF THE NEXT 50 YEARS WILL BE RUN BY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Peter Shankman, Futurist at Epic Marketing Consultants, will be joined by Melissa Raudebaugh, General Manager – Inflight Service Fleet & Galley Planning, at Delta Air Lines, plus experts in key passenger experience segments, to discuss the way forward for the industry. The session, moderated by Blake Emery, President of Emery & Associates, will cover areas including the five rules of the customer economy, why “nice” matters, and how to stay “top-of-mind” in every passenger’s brain, from before they plan their trip until long after they return home.

16 September

DRIVING NEW REVENUE STREAMS FROM A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC JOURNEY

Michael Raasch, Head of Airline Solutions at AOE and Henry Coles, Head, Airline Distribution Standards at International Air Transport Association (IATA), will come together to question how meeting customers’ specific needs revolutionise the retail opportunities for airlines and their travel partners AND support business recovery. Issues covered include the role of technology and contactless experiences, new delivery mechanisms, and opportunities to innovate, such as buy before you board and buy on arrival.

23 September

DIRECTION OF TRAVEL: FLYING MORE SUSTAINABLY

Denise Delaney, Senior Director at SustainAbility, an ERM Group company will share insights on how other industries are addressing their contributions to global warming and integrating sustainability into their post-COVID business strategies, as well as opportunities for a “green” reset for travel. This session will also be an opportunity to learn about critical sustainability trends and understand how future passengers will view the challenges for air travel.

September 30

SUSTAINABLE ONBOARD SOLUTIONS – HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT THE RECOVERY

Moderated by Juliane Trummer, Vice President Strategy and Design at Mormedi, the session will explore initiatives to accelerate airline transition into more eco-friendly experiences that will reassure passengers and support business recovery. Anne de Hauw, Founder of IN Air Travel Experience and Jo Rowan, Associate Director, Strategy at PriestmanGoode will cover everything from rethinking the onboard service business model and the solutions that will deliver for airlines and their passengers to minimising waste on board to save space and costs.

October 7

THE OUTLOOK FOR AIRCRAFT INTERTIORS – LOOKING INTO 2021

Rob Morris, Global Head of Consultancy at Ascend by Cirium, Sebastian Petry, Director, Innovation at Panasonic Avionics Corporation and Gary Weissel, Managing Officer at Tronos Aviation Consulting will come together to debate the outlook for interiors specification programmes and reconfiguration projects. This session will cover the latest future fleet scenario from Cirium, the outlook for line-fit and retrofit of major interiors components from Tronos Aviation Consulting as well as trends in interior retrofits and line-fit products, plus insights from experts in key market segments.

For more information and to register free for any of the sessions, visit https://www.passengerexperienceconference.com/en-gb/conference-programme.html#/sessions