Malaysia Airlines bolsters travel experience with 3 digital initiatives

Malaysia Airlines (MAB) has revealed three new digital initiatives in a bid to enhance its passenger travel experience. This includes MHguardian, MHfeedback and a Facebook messenger bot called MHchat, which allows users to book flights and process payments through Facebook Messenger.Through the chatbot, the airline looks to “empower” all Malaysia Airlines’ passengers to make bookings, payment and retrieve their flight itinerary. Through the integration of AI, the bot also looks to deliver an experience similar to a real customer service agent.MHguardian is a mobile application allows parents or guardians to track unaccompanied minors throughout their travel with MAB. The app will also be extended to support unaccompanied elderly passengers and passengers who require special assistance. The app was a winning idea of a Malaysia Airlines’ 2017 Hackathon and is targeted to launch by the third quarter of 2018.Meanwhile, MHfeedback will allow customers to immediately share their feedback anonymously on their experience with Malaysia Airlines. This includes rating the airline’s service or uploading photos of areas that require improvement. The classified feedback will then be analysed for sentiment through artificial intelligence (AI) cognitive services and immediately served to the responsible service unit.In a statement, MAB chief commercial officer, Arved von zur Muehlen said that the airline had been prioritising its digital investment for the past 12 months. On top of the new initiatives, MAB has also improved its website with a ‘manage booking’ tool to allow for easier changes and refunds, dynamic currency conversion and a new Enrich members’ portal.It also added a range of value-added service on the website for customers such as car rentals, hotel bookings as well as Takaful insurance. It has also made its inflight shopping offering, Temptations, available for order online.“Our digital solutions underline our efforts to deliver the best of Malaysian Hospitality as displayed in our latest brand campaign. Besides offering warm and genuine service, we want our passengers to plan their travel in the most seamless and convenient way,” von zur Muehlen explained.He added that MAB studies show a continuous trend of mobile-first in aviation, which sees more than half of Malaysians preferring to plan, research and book their trips via mobile. This reflects that passengers are more self-sufficient and that they want more control over their travels.Most recently, MAB launched a new brand campaign titled “Malaysian Hospitality Begins With Us”. This is in a bid to reinstate and demonstrate that MAB is the national icon and represents Malaysian hospitality on behalf of the nation to all its guests and customers. The new campaign will be executed across TV, print, outdoor and social media platforms, and will also be expanded beyond Malaysia.Read also:Malaysia Airlines to develop medium-term strategy and boost partnershipsWhat does Malaysia Airlines (as a brand) really stand for?Disrupt rather than be disrupted: What Malaysia Airlines needs from its new CEOMalaysia Airlines marketer: ‘One mistake can wipe out all your previous efforts’Malaysia Airlines may return to black next year, banks on marketingMalaysia Airlines names U Mobile’s Schrene Goh as head of marketing