How Gamification Is Allowing Airlines to Up Their Game

Gamification - the application of game-like elements to everyday activities - has become an increasingly popular trend across various industries.

Popular examples include fitness trackers that reward users for completing certain goals, loyalty programs that award points to customers for purchases or engagement and enterprise solutions for employee engagement and training. And now, this trend is also taking off in the aviation industry. Airlines are leveraging gamification to engage with customers and provide better experiences. Gamification in aviation is also used to train pilots, cabin crews and other teams. 

To understand the true potential of gamification in aviation, let’s first look at how it benefits both airlines and their customers.

Gamification in aviation has shown to be a game-changer. Airlines have slowly but surely realized the true potential of leveraging this technology. Some of the benefits it offers are:

1. Driving Customer Engagement

One of the prominent uses of gamification in aviation is to enhance customer engagement. Airlines use gaming elements such as leaderboards, badges and trophies, progress bars, points and rewards and other challenges to engage with customers.

For instance, Delta Airlines launched its SkyMiles app, which awards users points for booking flights, checking in and completing activities such as watching short videos. These points can then be redeemed for rewards or upgrades on flights.

Moreover, taking advantage of human psychology, airlines are also introducing elements of competition among their customers. For example, United Airlines has a ‘MileagePlus Leaderboard’ that ranks customers based on their flight usage, allowing them to compare and compete with other travelers. This encourages people to fly more frequently in order to climb the leaderboard and thus spend more money on flights.

2. Improving Employee Performance and Motivation

Another use of gamification in aviation is to improve employee performance and motivate them to work harder. Similar to how customers are driven to action through competition, airlines have implemented gamified systems for their employees. This includes employee rewards and recognition programs in which staff can collect points or achievements for completing certain tasks.

Airlines can also use gamified systems to train their employees, such as pilots. Gamified training can make the process more engaging and enjoyable while providing valuable knowledge. Moreover, it also helps enhance safety measures and reduce the risk of human error, which can be a major factor in aviation accidents.

3. Enhancing the Overall Customer Experience

Enhancing the overall customer experience is a paramount objective for airlines, and gamification has emerged as a powerful tool to achieve this goal. By infusing game-like elements into various aspects of the customer journey, airlines can create a more immersive and enjoyable travel experience. 

One area where gamification is making a significant impact is in the booking and check-in processes. Furthermore, in-flight entertainment systems have also been revolutionized through gamification. Lastly, gamification in the airline industry goes beyond just entertainment. It can also be used to educate and inform passengers.

Wrapping Up

Gamification in aviation is becoming increasingly widespread, with airlines leveraging technology in various areas. As more air carriers adopt gamification technologies, the aviation industry will continue to evolve, and passengers can look forward to a more enriched travel experience. Gamification will undoubtedly help airlines up their game and propel them to new heights.