When Charlene Wee took the stage at WiT Singapore, she had just transitioned from heading distribution at Singapore Airlines (SIA) to overseeing operations, a move that bridges two worlds often kept apart: how airlines sell, and how they serve.
After 15 years with SIA, Wee now manages 9,000 cabin crew, charged with translating the airline’s brand promise into the actual onboard experience.
“It’s about bringing to life everything we’ve been selling and marketing,” she said. “Having been on both sides, I can now make sure what we promise through our channels is what we actually deliver on board.
From Distribution to Delivery
Wee’s tenure in distribution coincided with one of the most transformative decades in airline retail. Under her tenure, SIA became one of Asia’s earliest adopters of NDC (New Distribution Capability), a new standard that allows airlines to sell richer, more dynamic content directly to partners and customers.
“Just before I left, we crossed the 50% threshold in NDC transactions,” she said. “That was a huge milestone for us. It started slow, but once the trade saw value, adoption ramped up very fast – from 20% to 30%, and now 50%. Our long-term goal, of course, is 100%.”
But for all its promise, NDC has also brought growing pains. “There’s a lot of fatigue in the trade,” she admitted. “Agents are asking: do I book this airline on NDC, that one on EDIFACT? There’s too much content fragmentation, too many systems to manage. The pace of change is exciting but also exhausting.”
Selling Where Customers Want To Be
SIA’s distribution philosophy, she said, isn’t about chasing a perfect split between direct and indirect channels.
“The most optimal mix is wherever our customers want to be,” said Wee. “If they want to book online, they can. If they prefer an agent, that’s fine too. What matters is presence and consistency of content.”
Still, the momentum is clear. “Growth will definitely come from online, whether direct or through partners,” she predicted. “That’s where customers are going.
AI and the New Age of Agents
AI, Wee believes, is reshaping not only how travellers book flights, but how they dream, search, and decide.
“It’s not just OTAs being disrupted, airlines are too,” she said. “People aren’t searching the same way anymore. They’re asking their chat assistants for recommendations or using voice commands. So we’re rethinking how to meet them there.”
At SIA, teams are exploring agentic AI – intelligent booking assistants that could recognise a traveller’s intent without requiring step-by-step input.
“Imagine visiting our site and the agent already knows where you’re going, what fare type you prefer, your past behaviour,” she said. “It can auto-book or curate suggestions before you even start typing.”
The long-term ambition, she hinted, is to make Singapore Airlines the preferred choice of AI-powered travel agents – human or machine.
“If AI agents are going to be deciding where people fly, we need to make sure they understand and prefer SIA.”
Personalization: Ready or Not?
The airline is also experimenting with dynamic pricing and personalization – the ability to tailor fares and offers to individuals – but Wee remains cautious. “The technology is ready. The question is: are customers?” she asked.
“Imagine sitting next to your friend and discovering you paid a different price for the same route. Some will see that as unfair, even if it’s personalized. So it’s not just a tech issue — it’s about consumer readiness.”
The Power (and Limits) of Loyalty
For now, much of SIA’s personalization effort lives within its KrisFlyer ecosystem.
“You can earn and redeem points across KrisShop, Pelago, and Kris+,” she said. “But it’s still within our ecosystem – we’ve been careful not to extend loyalty data to external partners yet, because that information is highly personal.”
Future expansion, she suggested, could see travellers using their KrisFlyer profiles across other booking channels, “but only when we can do it securely.”
Asked what “next-gen loyalty” means, Wee’s answer was delightfully human.
“It’s not just points, it’s vibe,” she said with a laugh. “People are traveling for vibe now, not just value.”
Collaborate to Grow And Win
Looking ahead, Wee believes success in airline distribution will depend on collaboration, not competition. “It’s not about one airline winning,” she emphasized. “It’s about how we work with trade partners to make technology and processes better for everyone. That’s how we grow the pie.”
That philosophy extends to SIA’s investment in Pelago, its tours and experiences platform.
“People don’t fly just to fly,” she said. “They travel to experience. Pelago lets them book flights, hotels, and attractions, all in one place. It’s about giving our customers a complete journey.”
Rapid Fire Takes:
- Window or aisle? “Aisle, always.”
- Guilty pleasure on board: “Pretending Wi-Fi doesn’t exist – my me-time.”
- Dream destination: “Bhutan.”
- Will Gen Alpha book on OTAs or social? “Social, for sure.”
- Will inflight meals get better or worse? “Better – I’m in operations now, I’ll make sure of it.”
