Originally published in the Calgary Herald on Aug. 27, 2024.
Colleen Tynan has just about done it all at WestJet.
“I’ve had the opportunity to have worked on the front lines so I understand what our teams are going through,” says Tynan.
Indeed, her two decades of experience with the Canadian airline made her the ideal fit for her new role, from working on the front lines as an inflight cabin crew member to becoming director of the contact centre, then advancing to vice-president of airports and now taking on the role of WestJet’s vice-president of experience management.
“My job is ensuring that the guest experience delivers on our mission.”
Tynan’s years of experience guides her team at the Calgary-headquartered airline.
“Our team knows the ins and outs of operations. What we do well, what the pain points are and how to address those, so our frontline teams can provide the best experience possible for guests.”
The airline industry has faced its share of turbulence in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Tynan sees this as an opportunity for WestJet to develop new initiatives that resonate with its guests.
One such initiative is the revamped inflight food and beverage offerings. During COVID-19, these services were significantly reduced due to health restrictions, but Tynan and her team are currently in the process of enhancing the inflight menu.
“Food and beverage is just one of the more tangible benefits for our guests that was executed on in response to their feedback.”
Like all new guest-focused initiatives, it was data-driven — based on insights from travellers.
“We have more than one million data touchpoints from our guests in a given year, offering rich insight into their journey experience,” Tynan says.
“Access to up-to-date, real-time data is essential to allowing us to focus our energy on making changes to the greatest effect in service of our guests.”
Another one of those changes is free-of-charge, superior Wi-Fi connectivity on planes through a partnership with TELUS to bring Starlink satellite network access across WestJet’s fleet.
WestJet is also on pace to update its aircraft to create a more consistent experience for guests as early as this fall.
Other enhancements are focused on improving customer service, with self-serve options and more targeted communication during flight disruptions.
“We can’t control weather delays, but we can control how we communicate to our guests about these disruptions,” Tynan adds.
“No matter the change we implement, they are all rooted in putting guests first,” Tynan says. “It really guides everything we do.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commerical content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.