Integration of HRS Crew & Passengers Solutions Delivers Right-on-Time Lodging Options, Ground Transfers, and Instant Financial Reimbursement to Disrupted Passengers
Norwegian, the growing European low-cost carrier, has a well-earned reputation for creativity over its 20 year history. Over the past decade, Norwegian has won an impressive 55 awards for innovation, products and new services as it operates a growing short-haul network in Nordic nations and select European destinations.
This longstanding commitment to service innovation through new technologies is most recently demonstrated via the airline’s implementation of HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions. In a summer of loudly-reported airline delays across global aviation, Norwegian is taking aggressive action to elevate the experience of its disrupted passengers. HRS automation, featuring personalized lodging options and paid-for transfer scenarios presented to disrupted travelers on their mobile devices, was deployed at Norwegian’s Oslo hub in May. The results illustrate new heights in digitized efficiency, service savings, and newfound loyalty gains among passengers.
Norwegian Thrives in a Summer of Air Traveler Discontent
The airline weathered the depths of the pandemic and is an active participant in the industry recovery. July passenger figures marked the largest number of customers to fly Norwegian since the pandemic began. Norwegian’s focus on timeliness and customer service also stands out in this period. Despite industry-wide challenges impacting departure and arrival times, nearly 93 percent of Norwegian’s flights in July arrived on time or less than an hour late.
That last figure also captures the reality that more than seven percent of Norwegian’s flights in July were disrupted in a way that required enhanced service levels for impacted passengers. The airline chose the innovation route to address this challenge. Norwegian’s implementation of HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions for flights arriving at/departing from its Oslo hub – a mere eight weeks after signing the contract – sets a new standard for fast deployment of a new service that immediately drove remarkable results.
Turning a Challenging Passenger Service Recurrence into an Enhanced Customer Service Experience
Covered in depth by this newly-published cased study, Norwegian’s newly deployed solution was tested on its first day. An excerpt:
A flight flying into Oslo was significantly delayed due to technical issues in the northern part of Norway, with a new arrival time of 1AM local time. One hundred passengers who were rebooked to the next day because of missed connections were instantly informed (on their mobile devices) about the self-service solution available at their destination as soon as the delay was known. A significant 75 percent of passengers were able to select their overnight stay prior to the actual departure. Once landed in Oslo each passenger could easily arrange the transfer to the hotel through the same HRS self-service solution, as well as get an overview of available complimentary refreshments.
A full three months after deployment, Norwegian shared the following metrics to capture the success of the rollout of HRS Crew and Passenger Solutions:
- HRS delivered fully digital coverage to an impressive 92 percent of disrupted passengers;
- As passengers used digital services, Oslo-based ground staff focused on other duties;
- NPS scores, a universal customer satisfaction measure on a 1-10 scale, rose to 8+; and
- Weighing time savings and efficiency gains, Norwegian recorded savings of 80 percent.
Not surprisingly, Norwegian is now in the process of deploying HRS Crew and Passengers Solutions across its passenger network.
“While we take pride in our high degree of punctuality, we seek to minimize the effects on customers when our flights are disrupted,” said Knut Olav Høeg, Executive Vice President of IT and Business Services for Norwegian. “This solution means we can offer instant help and service to customers everywhere, as well as in destinations where we do not have any local presence.”
“A recent survey showed that nearly 80 percent of travelers have experienced some problem with their trip, with 27 percent citing customer service issues,” said Luca De Angelis, President of HRS Crew & Passenger Solutions. “These figures are unsustainable. The interest in our solution since our launch in March demonstrates that airlines understand the importance of tackling service issues via digitization and personalized automation. We’re excited to work with a trailblazer like Norwegian and look forward to collaborating with them as they deploy our solution across their network.”