Travellers increasingly expect end-to-end personalisation at every step of their journey. As technology evolves, customers expect their travel experience to adapt and evolve in a way that is intuitive, contextual and seamless. Indeed, personalisation features in FTE’s ‘12 technology and CX trends that can enhance airline and airport operations in 2025’. As airlines strive to create memorable and seamless journeys, personalising the passenger experience has become a key focus. From high-tech solutions to premium services, in part 1 of our focus on personalisation we explore how 5 airlines – Lufthansa, Delta, Riyadh Air, Cathay Pacific and JetBlue – are focusing on taking personalisation to the next level.
Lufthansa Allegris: individualising the flight experience with a tailored product offer
Lufthansa took personalisation to a new level with the launch of Allegris – its new long-haul travel experience. At its heart, Allegris is about individualising travel and doing so in a way that is simple for customers. The individuality comes in passengers’ ability to create their own travel experience according to their personal needs, with choices in seats, meals and other elements of the journey. Indeed, the Lufthansa Allegris offer features seven kinds of seat. Dr Björn Becker, Head of Program Future Intercont Experience, Lufthansa Group, explains to Future Travel Experience that the airline believes “premium is about tailoring your product offer to the needs of your customers and delivering the opportunity to customise their trip based on their personal preferences.”
With the maturity of the cabin product, especially in premium classes, the differentiation possibilities on the hardware side are becoming more and more limited and expensive – more weight, larger footprints, reduced earning capacity, etc. “New differentiation elements are required, that will not replace but add to cabin hardware and service,” says Becker. “Personalisation of travel is one of those elements, following the megatrend of individualisation that is evident in many industries. The cabin product as part of the onboard experience is one of the most important elements of the airline customer journey. Therefore, it should consecutively be part of the personalisation.”
Indeed, Lufthansa Group has done this with both Lufthansa Allegris and Swiss Senses – offering choice for customers in the cabin, supplemented by further choices, for example regarding meals or lounge access.
“The first feedback and insights into customer satisfaction show that the concept works,” Becker shares. “The take-up rates, also for chargeable ASR (advance seat reservation) for special seat experiences in Business Class, are picking up. Differences are evident regarding seat types. Also, in personal feedback, many guests reflect on the new choices positively, so they can individualise their flight experience based on situational –day or night flight – or preferential needs.”
Delta Concierge: using GenAI to create personalised experiences
One of the most vivid examples of how technology is evolving to meet traveller expectations to come out of CES 2025 was Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s keynote in the Las Vegas Sphere. This included the announcement of Delta Concierge, which is built into the Fly Delta app and uses Generative AI to create personalised experiences.
Delta Air Lines is thinking differently about how it blends digital and physical experiences. “Our vision for Delta Concierge is that it will serve as an AI-powered personal assistant that combines the context of who our customers are and how they like to travel, with the deep knowledge and insights we’ve built,” Bastian explains.
Using data and AI, Delta is driving its ability to build loyalty among customers, changing the way the airline connects with them during and outside their day of travel. Customers can engage Delta Concierge using natural language text or voice input. In real-time, the tool will eventually anticipate customers’ needs, provide contextualised guidance, and take actions on travellers’ behalf.
Beginning this year, Delta Concierge will notify customers about upcoming passport expiration and visa requirements. In the years ahead, the technology will offer destination-specific notifications like updates on weather conditions to help with packing and preparedness. Wayfinding at airports will also become easier, with Delta Concierge providing proactive notifications for directions to bag drop, Delta Sky Clubs and the gate.
In future releases, Delta Concierge will enable customers to automatically connect to Delta Sync Wi-Fi and Delta Sync seatback, the airline’s personalised inflight entertainment experience. All of these enhancements are designed to give customers time back, offering premium, elevated and personalised ways to spend the journey how they want to. “Delta is bringing together innovative technologies and partnerships to create a connected travel experience from start to finish,” Bastian adds. “This creates more choice for customers to get to their destination in a way that works best for them.”
Digitally-native Riyadh Air’s focus on AI-powered hyper-personalisation
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new digitally-native airline which is scheduled to launch services in 2025, aims to change the way people interact with airlines through personalised experiences designed to make travelling much easier.
In a compelling keynote at FTE Global last year, Anton Vidgen, Vice President, Guest Experience, previewed how Riyadh Air plans to rewrite the rules of travel, placing a strong emphasis on digital innovation. He described a vision to provide intuitive travel “enhanced by cutting-edge AI, allowing us to curate a unique experience for every guest.”
Vidgen also outlined the goal to create the world’s best travel app in collaboration with partners, with which Riyadh Air is paving the way to providing an exceptional passenger experience from booking to arrival. Its seamless digital offering will enable numerous travellers to book their whole trip in one place, combining multiple itineraries under one order and adding optional extras with the airline being able to respond to any context and any customer.
Artificial Intelligence will offer personalised options that are tailored to the needs of individuals, for example, should a traveller be running late, they could opt for a last-minute fast-track. Passengers will also be able to book hotels, lounges, taxis, or even concerts or football tickets at the same time as booking flights, ensuring everything needed for a full travel itinerary is completed instantaneously and solely on the Riyadh Air shopping cart.
“Riyadh Air’s digital offering evokes a time when the aviation sector was the pioneer – quite simply, this is what passengers have been waiting for when it comes to travel experiences being available in a one-stop shop,” says Tony Douglas, CEO, Riyadh Air. “Almost 99% of Saudi nationals use their mobile phones for browsing as they seek speed, efficiency and convenience, and Riyadh Air will meet their travel needs where everything can be booked in one place. We will be at the forefront of innovation when it comes to booking travel experiences.”
The Riyadh Air app will act as a true digital travel assistant, with a passenger’s own device becoming their remote to their onboard experience – be that for ordering, seating, lighting, or any other aspect of travel.
Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite: an intuitive, immersive, personalised CX
Cathay Pacific’s new Business Class Aria Suite has generated a lot of buzz in terms of personalisation. In the highly anticipated Aria Suite, Cathay has placed customer experience at the heart of the design and conception of its new Business Class.
Vivian Lo, GM Customer Experience & Design, Cathay Pacific, explains to Future Travel Experience that the aim, with every detail, has been to create a holistic and immersive experience where comfort, privacy and a sense of personal space are completely reimagined for customers. “With our 777-300ER retrofit programme, we have delivered an innovative ambient control function – seat and lighting – for the Aria Suite,” Lo shares. “With one touch, customers can get to a preferred combination of environments like a Tesla with activity modes, with the ability to customise and save for the flight as well. One of the highlights of the 77J interface and a brand-new feature – probably the first in commercial aviation to achieve – is the environment control function, which enables digital control of your own space in lighting and seat positions. With one touch, passengers can activate pre-set modes depending on what they want to do, e.g. watching a movie, dining, sleeping, and the lighting and seat positions will be optimised for them. Customers also have the option to customise and save their preferred settings.”
The result is an inflight journey that is intuitive and effortless. Among the myriad features are:
- Customised seating options: the Aria Suite features a fully adjustable seat with options to convert it into a fully flat bed. Passengers can adjust the seat to their preference, choosing the most comfortable position for lounging, dining, or sleeping. The suite is designed with privacy in mind, so passengers can also enjoy a sense of space and seclusion while flying.
- Personalised inflight entertainment: passengers can curate their own entertainment experience by selecting their preferred content. In addition to the standard entertainment options, travellers can also request tailored suggestions based on their preferences or past choices.
- Bespoke comfort: travellers can choose the level of comfort they need, such as adjusting the lighting to create the perfect ambiance for relaxation. The Aria Suite also comes with personalised toiletry kits, featuring premium skincare products tailored to individual preferences.
- Virtual concierge: customers can use an advanced inflight system to interact with the virtual concierge to ask questions, make requests, or get assistance on a variety of matters during the flight.
Overall, the Aria Suite aims to provide an environment where passengers can tailor nearly every aspect of their journey, from comfort and meals to entertainment and service. It’s designed to create a highly personalised and luxurious travel experience from take-off to landing.
Blueprint by JetBlue: providing travellers with more customisation across their journey
Blueprint by JetBlue – the airline’s personalised inflight experience platform – is designed to provide travellers with more customisation across their journey, beginning with new inflight entertainment features.
“JetBlue has always been an innovator as the first to have seatback screens and fast, free and unlimited WiFi on every aircraft,” says Jayne O’Brien, Head of Marketing and Customer Support, JetBlue. “By launching Blueprint by JetBlue, we are doubling down on our commitment to help customers create an inflight experience tailored to their needs and preferences, making their flight as comfortable as their own living rooms.”
Blueprint by JetBlue brings seatback touchscreen features designed to mimic what customers are used to experiencing with their favourite streaming platforms at home. Functions include:
- Watch party: watch the same film or TV show at the exact same time with up to five other customers on the flight. Play and pause can be controlled on all linked screens, regardless of where each viewer is seated.
- Content recommendations: receive personal recommendations for inflight entertainment based on previous viewing history.
- Pick up where you left off: whether connecting with a layover or flying next month, never miss the end of a film or television show – automatically pick up where you left off from flight to flight.
- Saved favourites: save film and TV show selections to watch on future flights so you can spend less time searching and more time watching.
- Saved settings: accessibility and system settings, such as volume, language, parental controls and close captions preferences can now be saved and carried over from flight to flight.
- Content partnerships: first-of-its-kind partnerships such as JetBlue’s exclusive streaming partner, Peacock, provide customers with access to exclusive entertainment and offers.
These personalisation features on JetBlue’s inflight entertainment system give customers a bespoke inflight experience, not only throughout their current journey, but extending into subsequent flights when customers opt-in to securely authenticate their profiles on AVANT seatback touchscreens.
Beyond inflight entertainment options, Blueprint expands on JetBlue’s existing products that give customers a more personalised experience. The airline says this is just the beginning for its inflight personalisation capabilities, which will continue to roll out under the Blueprint by JetBlue platform in the future.
Transforming air travel into a highly personalised journey
As the above examples illustrate, airlines are increasingly investing in transforming air travel into a highly personalised journey. As the industry continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovations that place the passenger at the centre of the experience, ensuring that travel is not only efficient but also deeply enjoyable. This not only elevates the travel experience but also helps airlines build long-term relationships with customers. Additionally, by leveraging data and technology to provide personalised experiences, airlines can streamline operations, optimise customer interactions, and differentiate themselves, ultimately driving growth.
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