Speaking at the Capa World Aviation Summit 2015 in Helsinki, Sabre global product marketing Angelo Contreras said businesses like Amazon, Uber and Netflix allow people to satisfy their whims as and when they wish.

He believes that over the next decade the experience of flying will need to become as responsive to the demands of customers by connecting with them, giving a context to their trip and making it convenient for them.

In order to do so, he argued every business involved in the journey needs to make better use of the data available to them.

Contreras said: “Traditional airlines only use 12% of data they have on passengers effectively, 88% is still unstructured.

“If you start to break open that 88%, there is so much more you can do.”

Amadeus vice president distribution and marketing Decius Valmorbida added: “As customers become more sophisticated and create new demands, all of us are forced to react a lot more.”

He also argued airlines and airports need to consider the experience from the customers’ point of view, adding: “They’re not buying air tickets, they’re buying a trip.”

Athens airport chief executive Dr Yiannis Paraschis also urged airports to focus on premises, processes and people and also urged delegates to consider how best to customise the experience for each passenger.

Meanwhile, Mobile Travel Technologies senior director Alison Bell said businesses must also prepare for the continued explosion in mobile use, citing th easyJet app which has been downloaded 13 million times, while 10% of its business now comes via mobile.

The world is making everyone increasingly self-centred. Judging consumers for their behaviour is no longer acceptable and instead businesses must respond if they are to succeed in the 21st century.