An airline loses your bag or cancels your flight. The next time you show up at the airport, an agent personally apologizes and offers a (0)A for your troubles. Don't laugh. Someday it may happen. Airlines are getting closer to introducing new technology that tells airport agents about your ticket-buying and travel history, and instructs flight attendants to give key (1). Luxury hotels have long tracked customer information, right down to cushion preferences or (2) and bad experiences. And online businesses suggest new products based on (3). But airlines have done very little in the field of customer-relationship management (CRM). Now they are hoping to put such practices to use – to the benefit of fliers. Several airlines say they view better CRM technology as essential for keeping important customers, especially in a worsening economy.
Alaska Airlines is one example. It gives flight attendants lists of the favorite drinks of (4) . They are served the drinks after boarding, and are thanked by name for flying with the airline. "The point is not the cocktail. The point is the recognition," says Steve Jarvis, vice-president of (5) for the airline.
A - free pass to an airport lounge
B - a person's buying history
C value of each customer
D - customers personalized service
E - elite-level customers
F - sales and customer experience
G - a history of complaints
