How JetBlue Takes Transactional Push to New Heights

When it comes to using push notifications to keep users up to speed about urgent transactional information, nobody does it better than travel and transportation brands. Airlines in particular shine at this kind of transactional push, using the channel to let customers know instantly that their gate has been changed or their flight has been delayed, and making it easier for people to take effective action.

But while this kind of urgent messaging is a great way to take advantage of push notifications, it shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all of your transactional push strategy. To see what else is possible, let’s take a look at a great transactional push notification from JetBlue that moves beyond simple gate change announcements to focus on adding value for passengers once they’re in the air.

The message (and what makes it special)

1. The message focuses on adding value

When an airline sends a push letting customers know that their flight is leaving out of Gate A7 instead of A13, that’s valuable—it makes it more likely that passengers will notice the change and actually catch their flight. But there’s more to a positive flight experience than just getting on the flight.

In JetBlue’s push notification, they’re priming their passengers to get the full benefit of their in-flight entertainment options by nudging them to review what’s available ahead of time and then schedule a reminder that will trigger once they’re in the air. This kind of thoughtful, experience-focused transactional messaging won’t drive higher in-app purchases in the moment, but it can go a long way to convince users that your brand genuinely understands their priorities and cares about providing a great experience. That’s the sort of messaging that strong, sustainable customer/brand relationships are built on.

2. The copy is tight (and there’s a clear CTA)

While there’s a place for punchy, humorous push copy, JetBlue knows that for this kind of transactional message, less copy is more. This message is to the point, sets out a simple, clear call-to-action (namely picking a TV show and setting a reminder for it), and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

3. The timing is just right

JetBlue’s push notification arrived 16 minutes before boarding began, giving passengers a real opportunity to act on its message and see the value that it provides. In this situation, careful timing is essential to the success of the message: if the push arrived after passengers had already boarded, many likely would have put their devices on airplane mode, meaning that they wouldn’t see the message until the flight arrived at its destination. To ensure these sorts of time-sensitive messages arrive when they should, consider using triggered messaging.

Anything else?

Want to put together best-in-class transactional messaging campaigns that really engage your users? Learn how brands like Slack and Uber are bringing innovation to transactional outreach and apply some of those lessons to your own outreach.