Nicholas Key, chief executive of 15below, explains how AI can help low cost and regional airlines create efficiencies and more connected passenger journeys

Air travel presents one of the most complex communication environments of any industry.

Passengers navigate multiple touchpoints – booking platforms, airline apps, airport announcements, baggage claim notices – often with little consistency in messaging or guidance.

This fragmentation creates confusion, frustration, and operational inefficiencies that particularly impact low-cost carriers (LCCs) and regional airlines operating with lean resources.

This is where we think – actually, we know – that artificial intelligence can have a real impact. New developments in AI are offering airlines ways to maintain passenger relationships throughout the travel experience.

Strategic consolidations within the industry, such as the recent partnership between 15below and Airport AI, are creating integrated communications solutions that bridge gaps between service providers.

Creating a more connected passenger journey

Communications between airports and airlines is one of the widest gaps and are long overdue for improvement.

Passengers often find themselves caught between different information systems, unsure whether to rely on airline notifications, airport announcements, or third-party travel applications.

This confusion intensifies during disruptions, when accurate information becomes essential.

Air travel lacks a single, trusted source for consistent customer communication across every channel and touchpoint.

Traditional communication methods rely on one-way broadcasting, like mass emails or public departure boards and announcements, none of which are designed to address individual passenger circumstances.

We see AI-powered communication systems solving this challenge by creating unified platforms that draw information from multiple sources and distilling it into a consistent message delivered through a conversational interface.

These systems can integrate real-time data from airlines and airports as well as third-party sources like weather and ancillary services to provide passengers with comprehensive updates that reflect their specific journey requirements.

For example, a passenger can start asking questions from the airline or airport website a few days before the flight to get information about their flight status or parking services at their departure terminal.

From this interaction, the passenger can then opt-in to receive real-time operational updates on WhatsApp or through SMS, which would naturally include flight updates but also additional planning information such as transportation help, expected waiting times, and more.

Accelerating automation

From the airline’s perspective, it’s important to note that those updates can be disseminated without a manual process.

Large language models have dramatically increased the variety of interactions that can be automated, enabling LCCs to communicate more efficiently without sacrificing quality.

Unlike traditional chatbots that rely on rigid decision trees and scripted responses, modern AI systems can understand context, interpret complex queries, and provide nuanced answers that feel natural.

With greater automation capabilities, passenger communication becomes a strategic tool to improve customer service, reduce friction, and strengthen the relationship between airlines and passengers at every stage of their journey.

This is particularly important when passengers are in airports, where airlines typically lose visibility of their customers, and passengers often don’t know whose responsibility they fall under.

When gaps in passenger understanding arise, airlines that step in proactively to take responsibility for their customers’ experience fare better than those that remain passive.

We know from experience that airlines ultimately bear the consequences if passengers don’t have the information they need or if something goes wrong, such as missing a connecting flight due to unclear or missing information.

Modern AI systems can monitor passenger journeys in real-time, identifying potential issues before they become problems and automatically providing relevant information or assistance.

This proactive approach helps prevent minor inconveniences from escalating into major customer service issues.

Reducing strain on support staff

By preventing that escalation, conversational AI improves customer service while reducing the strain on airline staff – a key advantage for regional airlines and LCCs operating with thin margins.

Traditional customer service approaches require airlines to maintain large ground staff teams, at great cost, to handle routine enquiries, flight updates, and basic problem resolution.

A self-service model for support enables passengers to get the answers they need quickly.

In fact, according to Airport AI’s data (and its current +88.9 Net Promoter Score), passenger satisfaction with AI interactions often exceeds that of human support, especially for quick, routine questions, like gate information, boarding times, or baggage inquiries, where passengers want fast, accurate answers.

This reduces labour and operational costs and frees up teams to concentrate on complex issues that genuinely require human intervention, such as handling major disruptions, managing special assistance requirements, or resolving unique passenger circumstances.

The resultant redistribution of workload also improves job satisfaction for customer service teams, who can focus on meaningful problem-solving rather than answering repetitive questions.

The result is better service for passengers and more engaging work for employees.

Personalised experiences through two-way communication

AI-powered communications do more than reduce customer service enquiries.

Two-way, real-time communication tailored to individual booking details, travel history, preferences, and current circumstances can also create positive passenger experiences.

These systems can capture real-time insights through live conversations, replacing assumptions with actual passenger input.

This capability enables airlines to better understand passenger needs and respond in ways that are genuinely personalised, making every message relevant to the recipient’s immediate situation.

For example, passengers with tight connections can receive proactive updates about gate locations and walking times, while those with longer layovers might receive information about airport amenities.

Families travelling with children could get different guidance than business travellers, and passengers with mobility requirements can receive tailored assistance information.

This level of personalisation also extends to communication preferences and timing.

We know that some passengers prefer immediate updates via SMS, others want detailed emails they can reference later, while others might prefer to add an AI assistant to a WhatsApp group for a conversational support experience.

AI systems can learn these preferences and adapt accordingly.

More efficient, effective passenger communications through AI

With the right technology partner, LCCs can create more connected passenger journeys, develop cost-saving efficiencies, and achieve greater personalisation in passenger interactions, all with a fraction of the resources necessary to implement these strategies in-house.

The key lies in selecting AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing airline systems while providing flexibility to adapt to changing passenger expectations and requirements.

Airlines need partners who understand both the technical complexities of aviation operations and the nuanced demands of customer communication.

Success requires ongoing attention to data quality, system integration, and continuous improvement based on passenger feedback and performance.

We believe that airlines that invest in these capabilities will meet, and exceed, passenger expectations while maintaining the all-important efficiency that is central to the LCC operating model.

In our opinion, that’s a win-win.

About the author

 With nearly 30 years in travel technology, Nicholas Key co-founded 15below to revolutionise passenger communications. Before 15below, Nick gained invaluable industry insights working with major travel brands such as SITA, American Express Travel, Ryanair, and British Airways.

 Today, 15below partners with over 70 of the world’s leading travel brands, improving how they communicate with more than 1 billion passengers every year.

As a frequent traveller who has experienced his fair share of disruption, Nick’s passion is driven by a personal mission to provide solutions that make travel smoother and more efficient, both for passengers and the airlines he supports.