Current Issues In Aviation

Hello and welcome to my first blog. Having worked in the aviation for more than 16 years, I am passionate about issues affecting the industry’s future, especially in terms of customer experience and sustainability.

This blog will focus on creating educated debate about those issues from an informed perspective, bringing to light the challenges that face both consumers and the industry alike and, hopefully, providing a platform for both to have a voice.

One key area that interests me is how the airlines service their diverse customer spectrum, especially in the tough economic climate.

The economic downturn has impacted dramatically on the airline industry and with increasing costs and environmental responsibility being taken by the carriers, I can understand how difficult it is for the airlines to differentiate themselves from the competition and attract customers.

The past decade has seen the industry focus on providing low budget options for customers, which has made air travel more accessible, but has impacted on service and created a greater void between the economy and business class experience.

Now, it has been reported that some airlines are to further increase this void by providing business travellers with buy-on-get-one free opportunities to the US.

My view is that this approach is not appropriate and that actually now is the time when the airlines should be focussing on providing a better service to all.

I do understand the rationale behind the idea of providing exceptional service to more wealthy clients being seen to possibly have a greater financial benefit. But, improving general levels of service to all customers would have an even greater return in terms of brand loyalty and customer satisfaction – overall reducing the investment needed to deal with customer complaints and refunds.

In doing this airlines would be able to re-inject the notion of ‘experience’ back into air travel to provide opportunities that are supported by a quality, rather than quantity assurance and reduce the divisions that seem to be reinforced on a daily basis.

In a recent online survey on travel trends that I carried out, certainly many respondents came back with comments demanding that airlines bring good customer service back into the economy cabins. Passengers are calling for good value for money, this clearly seems like a good a business opportunity for airlines that wish to differentiate their product and attract customers on board their aircraft.