✈️ Payment Performance: The Missing Link Between Financial Health & Customer Experience in Airlines
- Aftab Khan
- Oct 31
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 4
In aviation, every second counts - whether it’s on the tarmac or in the financial back office. Yet, one of the most underestimated levers for improving both profitability and customer experience lies in a less glamorous corner: Payment Performance.
For Heads of Payment and Customer Experience, the connection between how efficiently payments flow and how customers perceive your brand is becoming increasingly clear. Delays, errors, and friction in the payment ecosystem don’t just affect cash flow - they ripple directly into loyalty, trust, and operational agility.
Why Payment Performance Is a Strategic Issue - Not Just a Finance Function
Airlines operate in one of the most complex financial networks of any industry. Payments traverse multiple channels:
Direct customer bookings
Travel agents and Global Distribution Systems (GDS)
Interline and codeshare agreements
Cargo settlements
Refunds, loyalty redemptions, and ancillary purchases
When any of these systems falter - whether due to reconciliation delays, currency mismatches, or integration gaps - the customer feels it. Refund delays, rejected payments, or inconsistent billing experiences can erode hard-earned trust in moments.
In other words, Payment Performance is now a key CX metric.
Common Friction Points Airlines Face
Delayed settlement and reconciliation – Complex Billing & Settlement Plan (BSP)/ Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) processes and interline billing create long Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) cycles.
Siloed systems – Revenue accounting, ERP, and CRM rarely talk to each other in real time, increasing manual work.
Refund and chargeback inefficiencies – Poor visibility and delayed refunds directly harm Net Promoter Scores (NPS).
Inconsistent partner payments – Slow payments to agents or partners strain key relationships.
Limited payment visibility – Lack of predictive insight into where and why payment failures occur.
Transforming Payment Operations with Automation & Insight
Forward-looking airlines are no longer treating payments as a cost centre. They’re turning it into a strategic enabler of customer experience by:
Integrating CRM, ERP, and payment systems for unified customer and cash visibility.
Automating reconciliation and settlement across BSP, interline, and direct channels.
Leveraging analytics to predict late payments and refund bottlenecks before they impact the customer.
Applying workflow automation to streamline exceptions, approvals, and dispute management.
Implementing self-service refund and dispute portals that reduce back-office pressure and improve CX transparency.
How Conexxia Can Add Value
Through the introduction of no-code automation and intelligent workflow design, Conexxia empowers airlines to:
Orchestrate end-to-end financial processes seamlessly.
Gain real-time visibility into payment and customer touchpoints.
Automate manual tasks such as data entry, refund processing, and report generation.
Deliver faster, frictionless payment experiences that reinforce customer confidence.
The result? Fewer delays, faster settlements, happier customers and a measurable lift in cash flow and brand trust.
Final Thought
For Heads of Payment and Customer Experience, the goal isn’t simply to “collect faster” - it’s to build a payment ecosystem that earns trust and delivers confidence at every touchpoint.
When airlines align financial precision with customer empathy, payment performance becomes more than an efficiency metric; it becomes a strategic differentiator.
Aftab Khan
Sales Manager - Payment Consulting
On a mission to help change the world, one experience at a time
I collaborate with progressive businesses to deliver successful business outcomes in 4 key areas: Increasing Revenues, Improving Operational Efficiencies, Regulatory Compliance and Elevating Customer Experience, leading to sustainable business growth.
Connect with our team at Conexxia to fortify your payments landscape.
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