INTER V IEW
always keeping a finger on the pulse in terms of
development, comfort and the needs of our customers,”
she says. But elevated comfort is in part driven by
modern aircraft cabin design, right from the factory.
“Our new A350 promotes a feeling of well-being,
space and calm due to its low noise levels, high ceilings,
ambient lighting, high levels of humidity and refreshed
cabin air,” Ismail says. “BA is investing widely in more
fuel-efficient, quieter aircraft including B787s, B777-9s,
A320neos and A321neos.”
“We are also constantly looking at ways we can lead
the conversation when it comes to the future of flying in
the long term. For example, we recently commissioned
the BA 2119: Flight of the Future Report, the largest global
consumer travel study of its kind. 13,000 consumers were
surveyed across 10 countries, and consultations made
with leading sector experts and futurologists to offer
a picture of what flying will look like in 20, 40, 60 and
even 100 years into the future.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, BA finds that a great deal of
the future of flight will also rely on digital touchpoints.
“The report found that consumers want far greater
personalisation from their flying experience, and privacy
is still key in the UK market. Consumer demand for ultraconvenience
and personal autonomy also emerged as key
trends of the study, with passengers especially keen on
speeding up their whole travel experience,” Ismail says.
“British Airways has already made steps towards
delivering these demands, with more self-service kiosks
and bag drops, and biometric self-boarding gates. British
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
MARCH 2020 087
10. Connectivity. The majority of
BA’s eligible aircraft will be wifi-ready
by the end of 2020
11. BA.com. A redesigned Manage
My Booking experience will enable
customers to navigate to information
and services in a more intuitive way
12. Appy days. A slicker design
and additional functionality for
the BA app
13. Robots. BA is trialling
autonomous wayfaring robots at
London Heathrow to help customers
navigate through the airport
14. 3D printing.. The airline’s tech experts
will continue their trial of printing
non-essential aircraft
parts like tray tables,
to ensure flights depart
on time without seats
going out of service
15. Concorde. Premier
Card and Gold Guest List
Executive Club members
will be looked after by
new Concorde teams
when they travel
16. Customer service training. Thousands
of BA airport hosts worldwide will receive
additional service training
17.. Executive Club. Continuous
improvements to the loyalty scheme,
with new partners and deals
18. Flying Start. British Airways is
celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its
Flying Start charity, which has so far raised
more than £24 million for good causes in the
UK and overseas
19.. Internships. BA will become the first
UK airline to offer paid summer internships
to future aviators
20. Documentary. Customers will have
the chance to watch the 2019 documentary
RIGHT: BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS
CREATED THIS VISION FOR A FUTURE
AIRCRAFT CABIN AS PART OF ITS
‘BA 2119’ REPORT
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/BA.com