Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Summer Travel Simplified: American Airlines Rolls Out New Tech Solutions for Customers Summer Travel Simplified: American Airlines Rolls Out New Tech Solutions for Customers
Friday, May 24, 2024
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As American Airlines prepares to welcome over 72 million customers this summer, technology and the company’s Information Technology (IT) team are playing a crucial role in enhancing the customer experience and supporting operational resilience.
“Over the past few years, American has focused on driving an enterprise-wide tech-first mindset to build industry-leading digital products — for our team members and customers,” said Ganesh Jayaram, Chief Digital and Information Officer for American Airlines. “Not only is this new mindset driving innovation, but it’s also ensuring experiences are more resilient and efficient.”
The airline’s tech-first approach empowers teams to devise innovative solutions to various challenges using technology. The IT organization has evolved its methods of building, maintaining, and securing American’s technology tools. By adopting industry-leading methodologies, the IT team has streamlined processes to minimize disruptions, accelerate recovery during irregular operations, and introduce new features to its mobile app and aa.com — all aimed at simplifying customers’ travel experiences.
“It all starts with accountability — every team member and IT partner is focused on measuring results, consistently improving and delivering not just this summer, but all year,” said Jayaram.
Here’s a glimpse at three ways technology will make a difference this summer:
- Smart Gating: Using machine learning to reduce taxi times and ramp congestion
Introduced in 2021 and currently operating at five of American’s hubs, Smart Gating technology leverages real-time flight information and other data points to automatically assign arriving aircraft to the nearest available gate with the shortest taxi time. This minimizes situations where aircraft must wait for a gate, reducing the time customers spend on the tarmac and helping them reach their destinations more quickly. This technology has reduced taxi times across the system by 17 hours per day, saving an estimated 1.4 million gallons of jet fuel annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 13,000 metric tons each year. - HEAT: Maintaining operations during severe weather
The Hub Efficiency Analytics Tool (HEAT) helps American recover swiftly from severe weather disruptions, ensuring that customers and crew members reach their destinations. Since its launch, HEAT has prevented over 1,000 cancellations. HEAT was particularly effective during recent storm events at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Miami International Airport (MIA), significantly reducing the number of cancellations compared to similar events without HEAT. - Enhanced Online Travel Management: Simplifying the customer experience
American’s revamped digital experience across desktop and mobile devices allows customers to book and manage their travel more efficiently. Approximately 95% of itinerary changes can now be made online, eliminating the need to call for support. Changes such as trip dates, departure and arrival cities, fare types, and forms of payment, as well as the ability to cancel a Basic Economy ticket for partial credit, are now easier to handle thanks to a more intuitive digital interface. Planning future trips is also more straightforward. Customers who cancel a trip receive immediate credits, which are easier to locate in their profile for future travel.
