New pax target of Easyjet

[bio161]

Hi there,

There are rumors (nothing official) which report Easyjet to plan a new business plan for its operation in order to move the tipical pax target from a low cost tipical pax to a more business traveller in order to go close to the national flag euopean carrers!

Well..This would be a huge change in the whole operation of the low cost airline!

Anyone heard as well or knows something else?

Happy week to everybody! ;)

[Speevy]

easyJet: towards flexible fares and business passengers (http://aviationanecdotes.blog.tdg.ch/archive/2010/11/17/5888487ce75fbb4b18681ed71397dcb8.html)

Not so much of a complete move, just a will to offer a service which could I attract more business pax, also things like speedy boarding or the possibility to catch an early flight for free if seats available, they are all part of the plan.

It's nothing secret, it has been official for some time, have a look at this old article.

easyJet signs break-through distribution deals with Amadeus and Galileo for the corporate travel market (http://www.easyjet.com/en/news/amadeus_and_galileo_for_the_corporate_travel_marke.html)

Speevy

[ConstantFlyer]

easyJet have been attracting business passengers on many routes for ages, mainly due to some of the following reasons:

a) They are the only airline operating a particular route;
b) Business passengers like low prices too; and
c) Instead of a 'legacy carrier' flexible business class ticket you can just book a 'loco' cheap seat on two or three flights around the day/time you might need to travel.

I travel extensively within Europe and have flown easyJet numerous times for reasons a) and b). At morning and evening peaks, flights I've been on have often been full of 'suits'. I'd not consider doing c), as it's a bit cheeky and greedy, but I know people who have. The new easyJet £99 flexible business fare is probably meant to address that.

In these times of austerity, I think businesses that keep their costs down where they can, are better regarded. What I have done in the past is travel out loco (as my meeting start time/date is fixed) and back legacy business (where the finish time is unknown); that's worked well. Will people use the new £99 service? easyJet are gambling they will. As they say, time will tell.

[L'aviateur]

Agree with 'c', I've done that many of times, where I've booked an earlier and later flight, hoping to get away early but having a backup in case I don't. At 30 quid a fare, works out a lot cheaper then a flexible economy ticket with most airlines.

[nicolai]

Easyjet have clearly been aiming at business travellers for a while now. Their advertising of "convenient times for business from city to city", even the onboard coffee being Starbucks Instant instead of something more generic (Kenko, I think, before) and a choice of types of tea and so on.

They could improve a bit by having less crack-of-dawn UK departures on the shorter hauls and a bit nearer start of workday (i.e. 0900), and their punctuality over the summer was shocking.

Currently we're in the lull between winter (and lack of operational excellence and bad weather) screwing the schedules, and summer (and lack of operational excellence, southern European air traffic control, and lack of crew) screwing the schedules. I eagerly wait to see if this summer is as much of a cluster**** as last summer.

(Currently I am flying Easyjet at least fortnightly somewhere)