There\u2019s no doubt that the airline industry is big business. Flyers spend about $750B annually to move around by this efficient mode of transportation. Yes, that\u2019s \u00be of a trillion dollars and it\u2019s spread out over more than 3 billion passenger journeys. Beyond these staggering numbers, the industry has faced some key consolidations (United & Continental, American & US Airways, and Delta & Northwest, for example), seen some new entrants, like Baltia, and found a thriving niche: the value carrier (Allegiant, Spirit, Alaska and Southwest).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s easy for the flyers to feel lost in all of the big business of the airline industry, and some opportunistic airlines are taking advantage of that sentiment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n There has been a fair amount of consumer backlash to the monetization of airline services that used to be free, from soda to seat selection to baggage. In the face of this dissatisfaction, and while many airlines are focused on dollars and cents (to consumers, it feels like nickels and dimes), some airlines are exploiting the situation by turning an ear to the voice of the customer. Smart airlines are implementing customer experience programs to continually listen to their flyers and show them they care.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond simply listening, we\u2019re seeing the trend of airlines using their customer experience program as a marketing vehicle. It\u2019s easy for flyers to feel like a number, given <\/span>the economics of the business<\/span>. Because of this, it\u2019s also easy to stand out from the crowd when you show you care. When you show that you care, you make a stronger emotional connection and you give customers another reason to stay with you. Caring drives loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\tExploiting the Situation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Customer Experience as Marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n