British Airways is trialling two new service initiatives ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The "onboard travel advisor" follows the successful rollout of more than 2,000 iPads for senior cabin crew (see online news November 9, 2011) and will see staff on selected long-haul flights equipped with the tablet computers.
The iPads will be loaded with travel apps allowing crew members to offer on-demand information on hotels, restaurants and attractions for the airline’s various destinations. Onboard travel advisors are currently offering information on nine routes including: New York, Johannesburg, Mumbai and Sao Paulo.
The carrier is also trialling a "golden ticket" scheme, giving 3,000 of its top UK customers, namely gold and premier cardholders, the chance to commend individual cabin crew members by handing over a golden ticket during the flight. BA has posted the golden tickets, with an explanatory letter, to the selected customers already.
Frank van der Post, British Airways’ managing director, brands and customer experience, said: “Our cabin crew are travel and service experts, and these new initiatives give us the perfect opportunity to share and recognise their unique talents with our customers.”
Both trials are currently underway and BA will decide whether to roll both services out on further flights this autumn.
For more information visit britishairways.com
Report by Scott Carey
