FOCUS ON AIRLINE TRENDS
Clockwise from top left: A water refill station at San Francisco International
Airport; airBaltic’s ‘free’ bagage tag; sponsored snack boxes give passengers free meals; wireless IFE on Condor
AirAsia X, the long-haul low-cost affiliate of Malaysian-based AirAsia, will trial a similar wireless IFE system on the Kuala Lumpur to London route in early 2012. Some of the content will be available for free, whereas a fee will be charged for movies, music and e-magazines. Passengers without their own WiFi-enabled device can rent a tablet from the airline.
airBalticBag Hybrid low-cost airline airBaltic has introduced an innovative ancillary product called the airBalticBag, providing passengers with a tangible product instead of just another charge. Regular flyers can purchase an airBaltic- branded Samsonite suitcase and carry it as free checked-in luggage on an unlimited number of airBaltic flights for twelve months. AirBaltic normally charges a fee of between €20 - €30 per checked bag per one-way flight. How it works: Travellers can purchase the
airBalticBag, which is the lightest Samsonite suitcase available, for respectively €169 and €181 (depending on the case size). Passengers then register for airBaltic’s BalticMiles frequent flyer programme and receive a personalised ‘free baggage tag’ with their full name and BalticMiles number, which should be attached to the Samsonite suitcase and correspond with the name on the flight ticket when taking a flight.
Sponsored snack boxes With traditional mass advertising losing its effectiveness, advertisers are looking for new ways to reach consumers. At the same time, many airlines have begun charging for services that used to be included in the price of the ticket. Bringing advertisers and airlines together,
Air Advertainment is a marketing company that sells snack boxes containing pretzels, crisps and a chocolate, to advertisers who give them to airlines to distribute to passengers for free in order to connect with them in a more meaningful way. Air Advertainment launched its first campaign last year on Horizon Air, sponsored by Creative Labs. It’s latest ‘snackvertising’
campaign recently took place on US Airways’ shuttle flights between Boston, New York and Washington DC and was sponsored by Gilt. com, an US online retailer of luxury goods.
Water bottle refill stations For some years passengers have not been allowed to take drinks through airport security, forcing many to buy another drink airside. Aiming to solve this issue and also reduce plastic, San Francisco International Airport , one of the world’s most environmentally active airports, has come up with an innovative solution. The airport encourages passengers to empty their plastic containers before entering the screening area and after passing through security they can stop at ‘hydration stations’
to refill them with free water. Furthermore, travellers buying bottled water after security, can only buy it in biodegradable bottles.
Raymond Kollau is the founder of market research agency
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
“Regular flyers can purchase an airBaltic- branded Samsonite suitcase”
www.onboardhospitality.com
35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88