To stay afloat in this highly competitive travelscape, more airlines are forking out the dough to enhance the passenger experience in hopes of offering them more bang for their buck in light of surging airfares.

Etihad keeps travellers in the know

Etihad, which is migrating its guest communications platform from Sabre to Amadeus Altéa, has teamed up with 15below – which specialises in hyper-personalised, automated passenger communications - to implement four new digital solutions.

These will further advance the Etihad’s ability to keep its passengers in the loop with timely, relevant notifications throughout their journey.

Etihad passengers to be better connected with 15below’s digital solutions. Photo Credit: Etihad

New features will include 15below’s three most popular solutions: Disruption Communications, Queue Manager and Flight Status Notifications.

Etihad sends notifications to passengers via email, SMS and app, placing everything in a single view, also allowing the airline’s operational teams to manage guest communications effectively.

Nicholas Key, CEO at 15below said, “A lack of relevant information has always been a huge contributor to the stress that many associate with travel, so at a time when the rules are constantly changing, effective communication is key to passenger wellness.

“The work that we have done with Etihad gives the passenger much greater control, promoting a smooth, risk-free travel experience where currently there is more to think about than ever before.”

What’s neo with Malaysia Airlines?

Good news for those flying Malaysia Airlines. The carrier’s fleet renewal programme will gather momentum with the acquisition of 20 wide-body A330-900 neo aircrafts.

Wondering what makes the neo different? It’s the new generation version of the popular A330 widebody, incorporating the latest engines, a new wing and a range of aerodynamic innovations.

Malaysia Aviation Group said that the A330 neos would replace Malaysia Airlines’ A330 ceo aircraft, and would operate on routes to Asia, Oceania and the Middle East. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

And there’s more: The aircraft offers 25% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2-emissions.

The carrier will operate the A330neo (neo stands for new engine option) on its network covering Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East.

Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international said, "Malaysia Airlines is one of the great Asian carriers. This decision is a clear endorsement of the A330 neo as the most efficient option in this size category for premium operations experience."

Not to be outdone, Emirates splashes US$2 billion on fleet retrofit

Emirates resisted premium economy for a while but as rivals started to fill their aircraft with higher fare-paying passengers seated further up the aircraft, it was only a matter of time before Emirates followed the trend.

As is the case with Emirates, the Middle East carrier is planning to do things bigger and better than the rest, with a massive retrofit of its fleet.

Emirates has kickstarted a US$2 billion project for the complete interior refurbishments of 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircrafts. Photo Credit: Emirates

Emirates will upgrade the entire interior cabins of 120 Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft in what will be the largest known fleet retrofit project, part of Emirates’ US$2 billion dollar investment to elevate customer experience.

This will see nearly 4,000 new Premium Economy seats installed, 728 First Class suites refurbished, and more than 5,000 Business Class seats upgraded to a new style and design. And all this by April 2025.

Emirates’ new Premium Economy cabin class, is currently available to customers travelling on A380 routes to London, Paris and Sydney

A gas guzzler goes green

Hard to believe that the once-maligned Airbus A380 could soon be the aviation's poster child for the environmental lobby.

Berated for its inefficient gas-guzzling four engines, the super jumbo is now lined up to test hydrogen fuel, which Airbus, together with engine-maker CFM International, want to introduce on a new passenger aircraft by 2035.

A modified A380 will maintain its four conventional turbines, while a fifth engine adapted for hydrogen use will be mounted on the rear fuselage. Emissions will be monitored separately from those of the turbines powering the aircraft, Airbus said in a statement.