Originally Posted by
aerobod
Bear in mind that from a sheer size perspective, AC IT budgets are about 5 times larger and Delta 10 times larger than WestJets, yet the systems complexity are not that much different now between all three airlines.
That makes sense … really good perspective. There’s no doubt that WestJet is in a tough spot.
Even so, the status quo is also very expensive for WestJet. There’s a cost every time someone has to call in to an agent because the IT, app and website are all insufficient. There’s a potentially bigger cost - lost revenue, lost repeat business - when customers get frustrated with call centre wait times that are hours (or days) long. And WestJet won’t be able to grow and keep business travellers without the IT tools and “ease of doing business” that business travellers need and expect.
The current systems are ok for the one-or-two-times-a-year leisure traveller who needs little or no self-serve options once they’ve booked. Unfortunately that’s a pretty low margin market.