Airlines Take Flight with Digital Solutions for Seamless In-Flight Purchases

The demand for contactless payment options has surged since the pandemic, and airlines are responding by increasing digital options for in-flight purchases. This shift in consumer behaviour presents a great opportunity for airlines to improve their ancillary revenue streams.

Electronic point-of-sale (ePOS) systems are playing a vital role in streamlining transactions and catering to the needs of modern travelers. The POS software market is expected to grow by 10% by 2031, according to SkyQuest. ePOS empowers cabin crew to provide passengers with a frictionless buying experience, boosting sales and passenger satisfaction.

Airlines can use android or iOS devices to offer various payment options to passengers. They can also integrate loyalty programs, giving passengers more flexibility when spending. While connectivity onboard is not always available, Omnevo's ePOS solution ensures a seamless experience. Our system can take payments in real-time when connectivity is available and seamlessly switch to an offline mode when it is not. This ensures a near 99% transactional success rate for our ePOS customers.

ePOS systems go far beyond just processing payments. They act as a vital link between the cabin crew, passengers, and the airline's back-office systems. This connection unlocks a range of benefits:

• Always Up-to-Date Inventory and Promotions: ePOS integrates seamlessly with the Omnevo back-office system, ensuring that cabin crew devices always display the latest onboard inventory levels and promotional offers. This streamlines service and allows for upselling of attractive combos and deals.
• Pre-Order Perfection: Passengers can pre-order food and beverages through the airline's app, which then syncs with the ePOS system. This ensures accurate pre-order fulfillment and reduces onboard preparation time for cabin crew.
• Flight Change Flexibility: When flight details change, such as flight numbers or tail assignments, the ePOS system automatically reflects these updates. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments and ensures accurate inventory tracking.
   

ePOS systems also unlock a treasure trove of data on passenger purchasing habits and preferences. This data can be securely collected and anonymized to provide airlines with valuable insights into passenger behaviour.

Airlines can leverage this data to personalize the on-board experience by:

• Recommending relevant food and beverage options based on past purchases and travel patterns. For example, if a passenger frequently purchases vegetarian meals on flights, the airline can recommend similar options on future journeys.
• Tailoring duty-free offerings to passenger demographics and preferences. ePOS data can help airlines understand which duty-free categories are most popular with different passenger groups. This allows them to stock products that are more likely to appeal to their passengers.
• Providing targeted in-flight entertainment suggestions. By understanding passenger preferences, airlines can recommend movies, TV shows, and music that they are more likely to enjoy.

By adopting the latest ePOS systems, airlines can improve their ancillary revenue streams, enhance the passenger experience, meet the growing demand for contactless payments, gain valuable insights into passenger behavior to personalize the on-board experience, and achieve greater operational efficiency through real-time inventory management and pre-order integration.

If you are an airline looking to digitalize your in-flight retail operations and unlock the power of data-driven personalization, feel free to reach out for a demo.