Revolutionizing Travel: Alex Cruz on AI, Business and the Future of the Industry

In this dynamic episode of The Cashflow Show, recorded live at Tech Show London 2025, host Clayton M. Coke sits down with Alex Cruz, former CEO of British Airways, now Vice-Chairman of Westjet, to explore the modernization of the travel industry. With 35 years of experience, Alex discusses how outdated systems, like 70-year-old reservation codes, clash with rising customer expectations shaped by digital-first businesses. He delves into the transformative potential of AI in addressing complex operational challenges, boosting revenues, and enhancing customer experiences, while emphasizing the need for a risk-averse industry to embrace experimentation and cultural change.

Key Discussion Points

• Outdated Systems: The travel industry relies on 70-year-old structures, like six-digit reservation codes, and aging IT systems that struggle to meet modern demands. 
• Customer Expectations: Exposure to seamless digital apps has raised traveler expectations, creating pressure to modernize operations and baggage tracking. 
• AI’s Dual Role: AI is being adopted for internal efficiencies (e.g., data analysis) and solving complex industry challenges, like crew scheduling and dynamic pricing. 
• Revenue Impact: AI-driven pricing solutions can boost airline revenues by 5–10% without significantly affecting customers, leveraging price elasticity. 
• Cultural Barriers: The risk-averse nature of the travel industry slows AI adoption, requiring a cultural shift toward experimentation and learning from failures. 
• Future of AI: AI will reshape competition by enabling faster solution development, but businesses must ask smarter questions to maximize its value.

Key Takeaways

• The travel industry’s legacy systems are a bottleneck, unable to keep pace with digital-first customer expectations. 
• AI offers significant opportunities for operational efficiency and revenue growth, but its success depends on cultural openness to experimentation. 
• Businesses must prioritize value generation, with AI delivering measurable results like 5–10% revenue increases through dynamic pricing. 
• The human element—asking the right questions and fostering a learning culture—is critical to leveraging AI effectively. 
• Over the next five years, early AI adopters in travel will gain a competitive edge by solving complex problems faster.

Notable Quotes

• “We’re struggling with bringing together [customer] expectations with our older legacy landscapes.” – Alex Cruz 
• “AI is going to help us… digest many more pieces of information than standard old software or human beings were able to.” – Alex Cruz 
• “The big pressure is going to be on what questions are you asking? What is it that you really want?” – Alex Cruz

Actionable Insights for Businesses

1. Audit Legacy Systems: Assess outdated IT infrastructure and prioritize modernization to meet customer expectations and stay competitive. 
2. Experiment with AI: Start small with AI pilots for internal processes or pricing strategies, learning from failures to refine solutions. 
3. Foster a Learning Culture: Encourage teams to embrace risk-taking and experimentation to overcome the industry’s risk-averse mindset. 
4. Focus on Value: Ensure AI initiatives deliver clear ROI, such as cost savings or revenue increases, to secure stakeholder buy-in. 
5. Ask Smarter Questions: Train teams to define precise problems for AI to solve, maximizing the technology’s impact on business outcomes.

Resources

• LinkedIn: Follow Alex Cruz for insights on travel and technology. 
• Tech Show London: Learn about the event at techshowlondon.co.uk. 
• AI in Travel: Explore industry trends via IATA for airline technology advancements. 

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