FOCUS ON AIRLINE TRENDS
Clockwise, from top left: Following the Air France food truck; KLM’s ‘Tile & Inspire’ campaign; KLM invites Facebook users to convert their profile into a Delft tile; airBaltic goes organic
passengers can enjoy an excellent meal, while at the same time supporting local farmers who grow organic products.” AirBaltic also serves Latvia’s national drink,
Riga Black Balsam onboard, as well as local beers Aldaris and Švyturys and BalticWater, mineral water from Latvia’s Venden national park. AirBaltic is one of the first airlines to introduce the Apple iPad to passengers. Eight iPads are currently available in the airline’s Riga lounge and in early June 2011, airBaltic will make the latest version of the device, the iPad 2, available for rent to passengers on flights. Business passengers can make use of the onboard iPad for free, while enjoying a cup of freshly-brewed Nespresso coffee.
Inflight food takes to the street In recent years, gourmet food trucks have been all the rage in the U.S., serving up high-end cuisine and using Twitter to let customers know where they will be parking on any given moment. To promote the airline and its service,
Air France has also jumped on the food truck ‘trend’ and in March 2011 an Air France ‘Gourmet Food Truck’ toured New York’s Manhattan for five days, serving complimentary food. The truck’s location could be followed via
Air France USA’s Twitter stream and also via its Facebook page. Chefs from airline caterer Flying Food Servair handed out free food samples based on the recipes of Michelin-star chef Joël Robuchon, normally served in Air France’s First. An estimated 600 samples of breakfasts, lunches and dinners were served each day.
Experiental marketing Air France’s food truck is part of a wider ‘experiental’ marketing trend. As people are bombarded with marketing messages, real- life interaction with products and brands has become increasingly valuable for airlines to get their message across.
Travelling light South Korea-based Asiana Airlines – voted Airline of the Year 2010 – is known for its
“As people are bombarded with marketing messages, real-life interaction with products and brands has become increasingly valuable for airlines”
thoughtful services. At Seoul Incheon Airport the airline offers
a ‘Coat Keeping Service’ during the winter season, allowing passengers leaving for sunnier destinations to travel lighter. Asiana’s First and Business passengers,
as well as members of its frequent flyer programme, can check their coat with Asiana for free for five days, after which 100 miles will be deducted per additional day. Asiana’s coat-keeping room at Incheon stores 4000 coats simultaneously and the coats are wrapped in plastic sheet during storage. More than 15,000 passengers leave their coat each season. Korean Air recently introduced a similar ‘coat storage service’, providing the amenity to all
passengers travelling internationally from Korea with either Korean Air or a code-sharing flight. After a five-day complimentary storage, a fee of KRW2,500 (US$2.25, €1,65) per day applies.
Raymond Kollau is the founder of market research agency www.
airlinetrends.com. Having been part of the leading consumer trend firm
trendwatching.com since its inception, Raymond founded
airlinetrends.com to focus on trends and innovations in the global airline industry. He has been quoted as an industry expert in a range of media as diverse as CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times and is also known for his high-level and colourful presentations.
www.airlinetrends.com
www.onboardhospitality.com
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