Turning Fall Onboard Product Questions Into Actionable Solutions
A request for a new onboard product can sound straightforward at first. An airline needs a wipe, a blanket, or a new piece of serviceware.
Then the practical questions begin. Where will it be stored? How will the crew hand it out? Does the packaging fit the service? Will the item hold up to daily use? What needs to change for different cabins or routes?
Those details are where RMT Global Partners gets involved. We work with airline teams to develop and source custom onboard products that make sense for their operation and for the passengers using them. Sometimes that means improving an item already in service. Other times, a team comes to us with a challenge and wants to explore what the product could be. Our role is to help shape that idea into a product the airline can evaluate, refine, and use with confidence.
The Conversation Starts Before the Product Is Chosen
An airline may know it wants to make a service feel more premium or give crew members an easier way to offer a particular item. It may need to rethink packaging, consider a different material, or find an option that better supports its sustainability goals.
Before discussing specific products, we want to understand what’s happening onboard. Who handles the item? At what point in the journey is it used? How is it packed, stored, distributed, and cleared? What does the airline want passengers to notice?
Our team’s background in inflight service and catering helps us ask about details that can be easy to miss when looking at a product sample on a desk. A beautiful item won’t be the right choice if it’s awkward to store or slows down service. And an efficient item may still need work if its quality or appearance doesn’t fit the experience the airline wants to create.
The answers give us a better starting point for exploring options with the client.
Product Details Shape the Final Decision
Once we understand the goal, we can look at the choices that shape the finished product. Size, weight, texture, color, packaging, and presentation all matter. So do the quantities needed, the intended use, and the practical requirements of production.
Consider a custom wipe program. The conversation might include the wipe’s material and formulation, but it can’t stop there. The package needs to open conveniently, carry the right information, and look appropriate for the cabin. A wipe offered as part of a premium service may call for a different presentation than one intended for a high-volume program.
A blanket or other textile raises a different set of questions. How should it feel? What fabric and finish suit the brand? How will it be packaged? What level of durability does the program require?
There isn’t one answer that works for every airline. Our role is to help the client compare the possibilities and understand what each choice would mean in practice.
Bringing an Idea Closer to Service
Samples are an important part of that conversation. Seeing and handling a product can reveal things that are difficult to judge from a photo or a specification sheet. A team can feel the weight of an item, inspect the finish, see how a package opens, and decide whether the overall presentation feels right.
Feedback at this stage can lead to refinements. Perhaps a material needs to feel softer, a package needs to take up less space, or a color looks different in person than it did on screen. Those observations help shape a product that fits the client’s needs more closely.
RMT also works with manufacturing partners around the world to source and produce customized products. Thinking about production as the concept develops helps keep the discussion grounded. The goal is to arrive at an option that the airline feels confident putting into service.
A Partner for the Questions Along the Way
Every onboard program has its own starting point. Some teams arrive with detailed specifications and need a partner to help execute them. Others are still weighing ideas and need someone who understands both products and the realities of travel service.
RMT can be part of those early conversations, help explore materials and custom options, and work through sourcing and production with the client. We bring product knowledge and industry experience to the table, but we also listen. The airline knows its passengers, service teams, and priorities better than anyone. Our job is to help turn that knowledge into a product that works.
If your team is planning a new onboard product or rethinking one already in service, reach out to our team at RMT Global Partners. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish. We’d be glad to explore the options with you to find the right fit for your program.
