What’s Next for Airline Ancillaries? Trends, Tech, and Personalization

Airline ancillary revenue has transformed from a supplementary income stream to a critical revenue pillar, reaching an unprecedented $148.4 billion worldwide in 2024. As airlines continue to recover from pandemic disruptions, ancillary services have become essential to profitability strategies, contributing 14.9% to global airline revenue. For revenue managers seeking to optimize these streams, understanding emerging trends, technological innovations, and personalization opportunities is crucial to staying competitive in an increasingly sophisticated marketplace. How is the ancillary revenue landscape evolving in 2025? The ancillary revenue ecosystem is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by…

What are the best strategies to monetize in-flight services and seat upgrades?

Overview The airline industry is experiencing a resurgence in passenger demand, with 2024 seeing a 10.4% increase in global air traffic compared to 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 3.8% (IATA, 2025). This growth presents a lucrative opportunity for airlines to maximize revenue through in-flight services and seat upgrades. With the right strategies, airlines can enhance passenger experience while boosting ancillary revenue streams. Below, we explore the most effective ways to monetize these services. “We will spend $400 million upgrading seats and in-flight entertainment that’s as old as the first iPhone.”…

How Airlines Can Leverage Social Media Sentiment Analysis to Improve Customer Experience

Airline Sentiment Analysis for Revenue Management

Social media has become a powerful tool for airlines to engage with customers, address concerns, and build brand loyalty. With over 4.9 billion social media users globally in 2025, platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are treasure troves of customer feedback. Social media sentiment analysis—using AI and machine learning to analyze customer emotions and opinions—offers airlines a unique opportunity to enhance customer experience, optimize operations, and boost revenue. This article explores how airlines can use social media sentiment analysis to improve customer experience, with actionable insights and real-world examples. What…

The Importance of Sentiment Analysis in Airline Revenue Management Strategies

In the air travel industry, the adage “you’re only as good as your last review” holds a significant amount of truth. Customer sentiment, once relegated to the purview of customer service, has now become a critical factor in revenue management strategies. As airlines strive to protect revenue and gain market share, the integration of customer sentiment analysis into decision-making processes is no longer optional—it’s essential. Identifying Revenue Risks from Customer Frustration An angry customer is not a loyal customer. Negative reviews can lead to decreased customer retention as dissatisfied passengers…

Exploring the Origins of Airline Ancillary Revenue

Airline Revenue Management

Over the last 10 years, the growth of ancillary revenue has been nothing short of stratospheric. The potential for huge incremental revenue growth is enormous, and airlines are fully embracing it. But where did the concept of ancillary revenue start? Let’s take a look at its history. The concept of ancillary revenue in the airline industry has its roots in the operational models of low-cost carriers (LCCs), which began gaining prominence in the late 20th century. These carriers introduced a novel approach to air travel, emphasizing cost reduction and operational…

Integrating Rank Management in Airline Revenue Strategies

Rank Management

Evolution of Screen Bias in the Airline Industry The concept of “screen bias” in the airline industry, initially seen with Computer Reservation Systems (CRS), has evolved in the digital age, particularly with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Metasearch engines. Originally, “screen bias” described the practice where airlines owning CRS systems would give preferential display to their flights over those of competitors, significantly affecting booking decisions. Modern Screen Bias Today, airlines and OTAs engage in a complex relationship, where flight rankings on these platforms can greatly influence customer choices and booking…

The Role of Technology in Open Pricing

AI in Airline Revenue Management

As advancements in technology, particularly big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), have transformed every industry, the airline sector and its revenue management teams have also been significantly impacted. These technologies enable airlines to analyze vast datasets, allowing them to forecast demand, set optimal prices, and personalize offerings with unprecedented speed and accuracy. AI, particularly machine learning and deep learning, has been used to process and learn from the data, enabling the automation of decision-making processes in pricing and inventory management. This includes dynamic pricing algorithms that adjust fares in…

The Importance of Effective NDC Strategies

FareTrack Blog

How to Deliver Effective NDC Strategies Over the last few years, New Distribution Capability (NDC) has caused excitement, and apprehension in equal measure for airlines. The opportunities for revenue generation are huge, but delivering the right NDC strategy has caused many to approach their strategies cautiously. Let’s look at the current state of play, and explore a few ways airlines can implement effective NDC strategies. The Promise of NDC NDC is designed to modernize airline distribution by enabling richer and more dynamic content and more personalized offers directly to consumers.…

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know And That Can Hurt You

FareTrack Blog

The changing world of airline pricing and revenue management is presenting new data challenges to operators. Relying on traditional data sources could mean you are missing out on critical data to inform better decision-making. The highest selling statistics book in the second half of the 20th century was a book called ‘How To Lie with Statistics’ by Darrel Huff. One of the stories within the book was from World War II. In it, the Statistical Research Group of Columbia University had been tasked with analyzing damage patterns on fighter aircraft…

Product overview: FareTrack’s Revenue Management Business Intelligence Dashboards

FareTrack Blogs

Okay, we might be a little biased, but we think our revenue management business intelligence dashboards are pretty special. Not only are they powered by the most accurate, AI-driven data, they also feature market-leading visualization capabilities, plus all your data shops are easily managed through your Shop Manager. Let’s take a quick look at some of the key features of our library of Dashboards, and discover why more and more airline revenue managers are choosing FareTrack to help them boost their profitable decision-making. Fully Customizable Dashboards FareTrack’s dashboards are not…