How Kenya Airways’ technology overhaul will change passenger experience

Kenya Airways is set to undergo a significant digital overhaul of its reservations, ticketing, inventory and check-in systems after more than two decades in use. The national carrier has partnered with US travel technology firm Sabre to provide a new reservations and operational platform, with travel technology firm Branchspace building the digital commerce layer for customer interactions.

The changes aim to offer passengers more personalized fares and offers, easier bundling of travel extras, improved mobile services, upgraded self-service tools and better real-time rebooking capabilities during flight disruptions. This marks a shift from Kenya Airways' traditional booking model to a more flexible digital retailing system, granting the airline greater control over how it presents fares and additional services.

Julius Thairu, Kenya Airways' chief commercial and customer officer, highlighted the importance of this transformation for both passengers and staff. Branchspace's platform will serve as the airline's primary digital customer touchpoint, enabling commercial teams to manage personalized offers across booking channels. Passengers can expect a smoother mobile and digital booking experience, with upgraded self-service tools for managing their journeys.

The overhaul aligns with industry trends as airlines move towards modular technology for direct digital sales and personalized travel offers. Kenya Airways will introduce the new Sabre Mosaic platform progressively, minimizing disruptions to the passenger experience while the airline modernizes its systems. The new technology will also enhance the Asante Rewards loyalty program, bringing digital services further into the customer journey.

As disruptions during travel become more common, the improved real-time rebooking capabilities of the new system could be particularly beneficial for passengers.