Sorry to derail the interesting chat on rail , such topics are very compelling when news is thin and doubtless will return, but now we are back on piste so to speak, well and truly !
Egyptair
...well "if true" that's a sting in the tail but not unexpected !
AND at risk of being a bore , sorry I told you so !
Fragmented , scatter gun , sparse enthusiasm in marketing about new routes seemingly resulting in same old , same old 18 months on !
The Manchester Epitaph ;
"Here lies an airport unquestionably brilliant at gaining new routes, utterly abysmal at making any attempt to actually retain them"!
And therein lies the rub, if we try and fail fine, no argument, we can at least put it down to finite demand but at least bloody well try !
Social media
AGAIN , Lots of focus, nay backslapping about Cathay whilst core airlines/routes already in situ are allowed to wither on the vine !
Lots of endless chit chat on MAN social media about cheap parking, er' no good if the 80 passengers 5 X a week are not there in the first place.
Lots of endless chit chat on social media on about "cheap breakfast vouchers", again no good if the 80 passengers 5 X a week are not there in the first place.
Nothing about our network once a route starts.
Always lots of huff and puff on launch day (and of course following the 1980 template, a bit of standard
PR to the M E N), but then it never sees the light of day again well not unless its Chinese !
There is barely a mention of current services !
SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING IS FREE FOR GOODNESS SAKE !
When will somebody at MAG, Account Management/ Marketing actually wake up to the fact its 2014 re publicity !
Either personnel or an agency should be accountable and measured for publicity and performance, especially on new "thin" routes, at the very least have a strategy in place to give them a leg up until established ?
I do appreciate Egypt is volatile and has its issues, but the mere fact that up to 80 passengers at a time have been using it without a shred of promotion is
surely an indicator that there could have been potential to retain ?
AND lets not start lining up excuses...
"its because SAUDIA have started etc "
The fact is there has been barely a mention that the route exists, no publicity , no marketing activity , no mention of connections, no promotion English or Arabic etc.
Does somebody at board level not look at this failing strategy and think "hang on" ?
Does nobody have any vision of what to do or any passion to at least having a damn good go ?