Continental Airlines' UK arm is investing in software to develop personalised marketing communications, improving customer relationship and boosting profits, says the company.

With systems from supplier Neolane, the airline hopes to improve loyalty and increase web site visits and ticket sales by using detailed profiles of its customers to automatically create targeted campaigns.

"We will now be able to build, maintain and segment customer data and create automated, highly targeted and progressive marketing campaigns centrally and in-house," said the airline's UK marketing manager, Martin Braisby.

Campaigns generated by the software will start this Spring and target frequent business and leisure flyers to the US, and the travel trade.