Future Picks

What happens between an airline signing a contract and a new digital platform going live? In this episode of Future Picks, Branchspace's Delivery Lead Robert Lizinovic joins host Clarissa Jenkins to explore what it takes to turn an ambitious vision into a successful implementation.The conversation begins with discovery, exploring how Branchspace travels to customers to run workshops that translate rough RFP requirements into a prioritised delivery plan. Robert also explains why every project is guided by a dedicated Delivery Manager, and how a headless, layered architecture gives airlines the flexibility to evolve without rebuilding from scratch.Along the way, he shares how alliance check-in integrations can now be delivered in days rather than months, why stopover bundle implementations reuse roughly 80% of their existing groundwork, and how continuous optimisation helps airlines keep improving after launch.Whether you work in delivery, product or vendor management, this episode offers a practical look at how successful airline digital platforms are built, not just launched. Learn more at branchspace.com.

Ten years ago, the thing holding back new African air routes was demand. Now, says AviaDev founder Jon Howell, it's capital: African carriers can pay up to 25% more to lease the same aircraft as their European counterparts, and face interest rates as high as 30% against 3 to 5% elsewhere. On this episode of Future Picks, host Clarissa Jenkins talks to Jon about what's changed, and what it means for airlines trying to grow.The conversation covers Airlink's mixed fleet strategy, the difference between code sharing and interlining, the M-PESA story as a model for leapfrogging legacy technology, why NDC rollouts might have gone faster with a phased approach, and how mobile money and installment payments are reshaping airline revenue across the continent. Useful listening for anyone in route planning, commercial strategy or distribution, in Africa or beyond.

The line between low cost and full service in China has blurred to the point where the LCC label barely holds. Host Clarissa Jenkins talks with Fowler Wang, Regional Representative for China at The International Air Cargo Association and Founder of Summit Asia Events, on the 10th anniversary of the China LCC Summit.The conversation covers the shift from price wars to Smart Cost and yield per passenger kilometre, the CAAC's 3+7+N hub policy, why top Chinese LCCs already run 90%+ direct sales, how WeChat and Alipay handle offline in-cabin payments, the Macau 30-minute turnaround benchmark, the rise of bag-to-hotel ancillary services, and where AI and robotics are starting to land in airline operations. Useful listening for airline commercial, distribution, retailing and operations teams.From Branchspace, a B2B aviation technology company working with airlines on modern retailing and distribution. branchspace.com

Dynamic pricing isn't one thing. It's a spectrum, and most airlines are earlier on it than the conference circuit would have you believe. In this episode of Branchspace Future Picks, Clarissa Jenkins sits down with Radu Iliescu, Managing Director of Branchspace Consulting, and Niels Colemont of Wiremind, to cut through the noise on airline pricing and bundling.They cover the four dimensions of the dynamic pricing spectrum, why atomic pricing matters and why most airlines can't yet see how a bundle price breaks down across its components, the "never stop selling" principle and the asymptotic pricing curve that makes it work, why revenue management is still partly driven by instinct rather than science, and what airlines should actually be asking when they go to market for a new pricing or offer management vendor. A practical, honest conversation for anyone working in pricing, revenue management, distribution or commercial strategy.

What's actually stopping airlines from turning AI into real business value? In this episode of Future Picks, host Clarissa Jenkins is joined by three leaders from IATA following the World Data Symposium in Singapore. Together, they unpack why the real blockers are no longer technological — and why data governance, organisational culture, and the ability to operationalise insights at scale are now where the work actually happens.The episode also explores the growing role of digital identity in shaping the future travel experience, from faster check-ins to fully connected journeys, and what it will take for adoption to move from early pilots to industry-wide reality. A grounded, insider perspective on where aviation stands today and what needs to happen next.