Mobile interactivity solutions company Incentivated has been appointed exclusive SMS communication supplier by British Airways for a number of global services, following a competitive tender held earlier this year.
SMS will be used initially in three areas: passenger disruption notification; cargo logisitics alerts; and staff communication. The passenger disruption notification service was launched at the weekend, just in time to alert 3,288 BA passengers in 59 country/language combinations about the disruption caused to flights  by the Buncefield oil depot fire, and a combination of fog and ice.
Throughout 2005, BA has been testing its customers willingness to disclose their mobile number via the BA online booking site in order to improve communications with them. The immediacy and relevance of the information BA could deliver via SMS has seen strong customer support for the initiative.
SMS is also seen as an ideal solution for BAs b2b logistics operation, particularly World Cargo, as customers are often on the road, so email does not always reach them in time.
“Integrating 15 automated applications with a supplier seemed like mammoth task” says Nico Le Roux of British Airways World Cargo. “With the help of the Incentivated technical team, the whole task was completed seamlessly in a few days.”
For Incentivated, managing director Jonathan Bass says:
“Having met with people in different departments at BA, and indeed other clients we work with, I am forever surprised by the number of additional uses for the mobile medium that those at the sharp end come up with. The addition of the mobile channel to marketing and customer service functions brings substantial enhancements to operations, along with cost savings. The days of waiting in the airport terminal for a delayed flight, when you could be at home, are severely threatened, if not numbered.”

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