BCG’s Jason Guggenheim discusses major digital disruptions affecting travel today—and how companies can turn these disruptions into opportunities.

Jason Guggenheim is a member of Boston Consulting Group’s Consumer, Marketing, Sales & Pricing, and Strategy practices. He leads BCG's global work in travel and tourism, and lodging and leisure. He is an expert with BCG TURN, which helps clients deliver rapid, visible performance improvements in the short term while strengthening their organizations and positioning them to win in the future.

At BCG, Jason has worked with numerous lodging clients around the world on a wide range of issues, including organizational development and design, global hotel strategy, technology and digital strategies, and optimization of loyalty programs.

Jason has also helped build the online distribution portfolio for a major airline and led the comprehensive turnaround, merger, and relaunch of a large carrier. He has helped set up an initial public offering for an online travel company, and aided development of long-term strategies and operational improvements for multiple airlines.

Jason has extensive experience in the cruise industry, where he has assisted clients in generating new pricing, merchandizing, and promotional strategies; redesigning their loyalty programs; and implementing rapid revenue-enhancement initiatives.

Jason first joined BCG in 2001, after practicing as an attorney for three years in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2002, he worked in strategy and corporate development at Delta Air Lines, engaging closely with the CFO and executive team. In 2004, Jason joined a team that took on the restructuring of bankrupt energy provider Mirant Corporation. He returned to BCG in 2007.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION


  • Law degree, Oliver Schreiner School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Bachelor’s degree, finance and economics, University of the Witwatersrand

Publications and Videos

Why Airlines Need to Nudge Behavior Not Just Hedge Fuel Costs Hero Rectangle

Why Airlines Need to Nudge Behavior, Not Just Hedge Fuel Costs

Saving fuel is everybody’s business, from dispatchers and pilots to cabin crews and passengers.
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Overcoming the Talent Shortage in the US Hotel Industry

Our survey shows that leaders have an opportunity to solve the industry’s labor challenges by accommodating changing worker priorities.
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The So What Podcast from BCG:
To Uncertainty and Beyond in the Travel Industry

In this episode of "The So What from BCG," Jason Guggenheim, BCG’s global leader of travel and tourism, explains how companies can sharpen their ability to sense shifts in demand.
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With Business Travel Up in the Air, What’s Next for Airlines?

For airlines, the whiplash could continue.
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COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Snapshot #10: The Trip Back

COVID-19 has hit the travel and tourism industry hard, but consumers’ pent-up desire for leisure travel is powerful and promises better days ahead.
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The Post-COVID-19 Flight Plan for Airlines

A data-driven, action-oriented, and digitally supported approach will help airlines emerge stronger from the pandemic crisis.
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COVID-19 Impact on Travel & Tourism

Even as they’re fighting for their lives, they must look to the future by developing scenarios, seizing opportunities, and preparing for a new normal.
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How Digital Operations Put The World’s Oldest Airline In The Lead

KLM is using state-of-the-art technology to solve one of the industry’s thorniest dilemmas: dealing with operational tradeoffs.
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What Travel and Tourism Consumers Really Want—and Why

In a dynamic market with proliferating travel choices, companies must focus less on what they’re trying to sell and more on what customers hope to buy.
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Innovation in Travel Must Put the Traveler First

Travel companies that fail to innovate will be reduced to commodity providers of hotel rooms and airplane seats.
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In Travel, It’s Time to Push AI Beyond the Pilot Phase

Travel companies are rich in data and confront complexity daily—characteristics that play to AI’s strengths. But for AI to succeed, companies must do more than experiment.
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North American Airlines Take Off

Among travel and tourism companies, airlines have dominated over the past five years in terms of value creation, thanks to restructuring efforts, scale efficiencies, and consolidation.
Deep Expertise, Broad Experience