Shopping on earth is fast and fabulous, but up in the air? It’s a whole different story
Pre-Airport
Customers book flights and basic add-ons on airline or third-party sites, but must book hotels, tours, and transport elsewhere. Travel essentials are bought on Amazon or in local stores, not via airlines or airports.
In-Airport
Customers book flights and basic add-ons on airline or third-party sites, but must book hotels, tours, and transport elsewhere. Travel essentials are bought on Amazon or in local stores, not via airlines or airports.
Airline retail today is stuck in the past, focused only on the inflight journey, with fragmented boring frustrating siloed processes
In-Flight
Customers book flights and basic add-ons on airline or third-party sites, but must book hotels, tours, and transport elsewhere. Travel essentials are bought on Amazon or in local stores, not via airlines or airports.
Post-Flight
Customers book flights and basic add-ons on airline or third-party sites, but must book hotels, tours, and transport elsewhere. Travel essentials are bought on Amazon or in local stores, not via airlines or airports.
On the ground, giants like Amazon, Careem, and Uber are reshaping what customers expect—driven by a new generation that demands more speed, personalization, and convenience
92% took at least one trip in the past year
50% of Gen Alpha rely on social media as a primary shopping guide
Gen Alpha
By 2035, the two groups are projected to account for >80% of all airline-related travel expenditures
Only 17% of travellers rely on travel agents, preferring full control over their itineraries and spending
Gen Z
Millennials
Gen X continues to hold the largest share of global spending power at 23.5%
88% of baby boomers are deprioritising budget – Preferring premium upgrades for comfort & convenience
Gen X
Baby Boomers
The airline industry is increasingly modernising
Because of all these trends –This is how we view the future of airline retailing
Pre-Airport: The journey begins with thoughtful, tailored recommendations-covering everything from travel essentials to destination experiences-conveniently integrated and delivered to suit each traveller’s plans
In-Flight: Passengers access a broad, personalized selection-meals, entertainment, duty-free, and destination activities-through seatback screens or personal devices Loyalty programs and AI recognize preferences, enabling real-time, tailored suggestions and seamless ordering for delivery at the seat, destination, or home
Post-Flight: Airlines maintain relationships with personalized follow-ups, anticipating future trips and offering relevant products, services, and loyalty rewards-making the retail experience continuous and connected
At the Airport: Purchases are ready in 15 minutes at the gate; click & collect and biometric payments make shopping frictionless. Real-time, personalized offers and exclusive items are delivered through joint airline-airport apps, transforming the airport into a hub of tailored experiences
Because of all these trends –This is how we view the future of airline retailing
The airline industry today
9.5
Billion Global passengers in 2024
90
Of surveyed airline leaders embrace digital initiatives to prioritise improving customer experience and unlocking ancillary revenue streams
16
We deliver so much more than the competition
Source: Joint ACI World-ICAO passenger traffic report, trends, and outlook (2025), Accenture – Retail Led Future Airlines (2025)
These capability gaps are more urgent when viewed through the lens of what today’s customers and leading retailers expect
After conducting a detailed analysis of dnata’s current capabilities, including both baseline assessment and external benchmarking, several key gaps became clear. While dnata has strong foundations, these capability gaps limit its ability to lead in airline retail.
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Customer Journey Services
The primary customer-facing offerings and touchpoints across the airline retail journey.
Retail Enablers
Tools, technologies, or capabilities provided to airline clients to enhance their retail offerings
dnata Enablers
The foundational and internal capabilities that dnata should adopt to successfully become a leader.
