Julio Rodriguez: How I set the commercial strategy at IAG

International Airlines Group (IAG) brings together some of the biggest names in the aviation world. Through national carriers Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia, to the low-cost carriers LEVEL and Vueling, IAG takes customers to more than 250 destinations on a fleet of over 600 aircraft.

New investments, including the imminent rollout of free Starlink WiFi, and the IAGi Ventures fund for innovation ensure the Group are continually at the cutting-edge. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, Julio Rodrigues, Chief Commercial Strategy Officer, believes IAG’s strength lies in its diversity.

We believe that our airlines know their customers best. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Our airlines have developed a distinct set of strategies.

Ambitious targets and knowledge sharing across the Group mean every member airline has experienced significant growth since joining the group. In the future, Rodriguez says customer-centric retail strategies will be essential to engaging more customers and developing stronger airline/passenger bonds. Vueling is set to become a fully-digital airline very soon, while other airlines are undergoing redevelopment to become Offer-Order powerhouses.

The NPS for digital channels, including NDC, is around 15 points higher than that for passengers who book through GDS channels, and that’s because there’s less friction.

In an industry that’s taken more than a decade to replace paper tickets with e-tickets, Rodriguez concedes that retail evolution is challenging and slow. Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the future:

I truly believe that working together, airlines with agencies and tech providers, we can deliver the product and the experience that the customer deserves and expects.