Airline Loyality

[Pedota]

Airline Loyalty for Business Travellers.

There is an interesting article in today’s AFR about the fundamental changes going on Australia’s business travel:

www.afr.com/specialreports/report1/2003/06/19/FFX7F2ZCZGD.html

Essentially, the journalist argues that business travellers are ‘pulling the plug on airline loyalty in a big way’ – but the winner is not automatically Virgin Blue. Apparently they (we) have learnt to pay Qantas a lot less than before.

The MD of one corporate travel consultancy is quoted as saying “We could be as little as six months away from the meltdown that has occurred out of the blue in Europe, with clients en masse abandoning the traditional high-fare carriers and deciding that single-class, low-fare air travel is the norm, not the exception. The same situation exists in the US. The passengers have staged a revolt and the old high-fare structure isn't coming back”.

The message seems to be that the old high cost enterprises that we grew to love and hate no longer have relevance in the market place. The CEO of the Business Travel Association is quoted as saying: "Our buyer members depend for their living on delivering cost efficiency, and loyalty to Qantas or Virgin Blue only plays a role once that requirement is being met”.

The article also makes some interesting obsverations about seating pitch and the provision of lounges.

Interesting times ahead, methinks.

[Chocks Away]

Mmmmmmm:suspect:

Me thinks also:=

The loss of bucket loads of Freq. Flyer points with Ansett, was a rude awakening too.:rolleyes:

[vdd]

The current trend of business travellers happy to secure cheaper seats and fly economy class has slowly been building up for some time. I know of a very large international company that for years has had the across-the-board policy that all staff only fly in economy class. Long haul flights included, which is a weekly thing for quite a few staff members.

I'm sure QF are very aware of this growing/current trend and it probably plays a big factor in their current staff shake-up/cost cutting.

How full are the business class sections in QF short haul and long haul flights now?

Cheers
vdd

[dirty deeds]

Once read an article in an aerospace magazine regarding a pax survey. The three top results of the survey may not surprise you.
When pax where asked what they look for in airline travel, the three top answers in the survey where:
1. Want the cheapest fare,
2. Did the flight leave and arrive on time,
and this one will make you laugh
3. How good was the landing.

Food for thought in these changing times!

[Pimp Daddy]

vdd - last couple times I have flown on the SYD-MEL Cityflyer business class has been full, however the majority are usually staff.

[Three Bars]

Well, I guess some time in the future, some brave airline executive will come up with a brilliant idea:

"Hey, let's put some really comfortable seats up the front of the plane. We'll give them a bigger seat pitch for more legroom.

Exec #2: "Yeah, then we could serve a superior meal and after the meal, we could provide them with a blanket.

Exec #3: "It'd cost more - but we could pitch it at businessmen who'd be prepared to use corporate funds to pay for it."

CEO: "Fabulous idea guys - let's call it "Business Class"".

And so little Johnny, the wheel was re-invented, yet again. There were mangement bonuses for everyone, and they all lived happily ever after. :} :}

[Centaurus]

Dirty Deeds. Interesting point about passengers judging an airline by the quality of its landings. You are right. I flew for a small Pacific airline that had one particular captain that just about always did a very heavy landing. And I mean heavy - smack on the 1000 ft marker. Frequent business travellers would make inquiries when booking a ride as to who was the captain.
Some were seriously frightened.

Now I know that every airline has its share of pilots who are prone to banging it on, but if people are consistently worried, then maybe the time will come when autoland becomes SOP. Autolandings are generally remarkably smooth.