Aer Lingus - Did they market correctly?

Aer Lingus, recently announced the winter suspension of flights between Washington DC and Dublin and San Francisco and Dublin with a vague reference to the "current conditions."

But is it really due to the current conditions? True, all airlines need to turn a profit, but to turn a profit you have to offer a good quality service, that markets to the right audience. I have an affection for Aer Lingus, from many flights to the "old-country" as a child. As a kid they were the only game in town to get from NY to Dublin directly, and they were basically the sanctioned monopoly of the Irish government. It seems they have never gotten past this monopoly mentality.

It seems though, that they were rather short sighted with the DC to Dublin market. The cost of flights were exceptionally high. In most instances, I was able to connect through London for a much cheaper rate. They could have adopted a more aggressive marketing approach by competing head to head with the other airlines as the gateway to Europe. It seems there was a will to do it but there was never a sound plan. Being a frequent European traveller, I tried in vain every time to use Aer Lingus as my carrier, but they just couldn't compete. They would have been wise to offer service that brought passengers to London or other European capitals via Dublin but instead they settled and priced out Dublin as if it were the ultimate "Shangri Lah" destination. For most Americans, its not.

But aside from the European market entry proposition, Aer Lingus is an absoute fiasco at Washington's Dulles airport. The check-in process was just mess with no sense of customer ownership. At every turn you were dealing with a bureacracy, with agents who were more well versed at apologizing to customers than they were with "wow"ing the customers. It's fair to say, that its not the agents fault. Its a systemic problem with Aer Lingus. They typically adopt an egalitarian attitude, as if you are "lucky" to fly with them. In-flight services are minimal, and staff typically condescend to the passengers. Yes you will come across a warm hearted cabin attendant who fits the stereotype associated with Irish warmth and caring, but it seems that Aer Lingus rarely puts these gems in leadership roles to set the standard for others.

I hope Aer Lingus gets a wake up call and stops blaming the economy. If they had creative business strategist, they could really take over the transatlantic market. Even their adverstising missed the boat in the DC metro market. They glorified an Ireland of old with its mysticism and landscapes. They missed the boat (no pun intended) on simply announcing that they were the ONLY airline to fly directly to Dublin and they missed the boat on connecting passengers to other European locations. Again, I hope they break out their mind trap and sieze the market when they resume service in the Spring

Changing Expectations...

So here is an absolutely ridiculous notion, that might put a smile on your face and give us all something to think about. The next time you contact your airlines either by phone or on line, take a moment to ask them a few questions about your flight. Will it be futile? most likely but its' a subtle reminder to them that you are the consumer and there needs to be a paradigm shift.

So..you have just booked a ticket to Moscow...here's a few questions to make the reservation agent gasp.

Can you tell me the maximum length of time it will be for me to check in for the flight?
Will the counter be staffed sufficiently to handle my check in?
What specific inflight amenities will I expect in return for my 1500 ticket to Moscow?
Will the baggage fee (if any) absolutely guarentee the arrival of my luggage?
How many meals will be served and what are the costs if any for meals and drinks?

Any more to think about? Share them here.

Shouldn't the Airlines be competing for the shrinking travel dollars?

Hello Everyone,

Today's subject is "service" in the airline industry. It seems the legacy airlines have lost site of the basic business principle of differentiating the product. We, the frequent road warriors pile into the plane, and once indoors...lets face it, except for the announcement at the beginning of the flight...there really isn't much difference between any of them. Do you really notice a difference between United, American, Continental and Northwest? It would be fair enough to say that Virigin Atlantic at least tries with the snazzy uniform and the entertaing flight safety announcement, but not all that much.

Somehow the industry has lost its "customer" focus, and forces itself into a business model that brings them all to the bare minimum. It's almost as if they have become apologists for all the cost cutting and are appealing to our sympathies to justify their shortcuts on cleanliness and service. I was recently on a United Airlines flight to the UK (my most frequent carrier) and I was completely shocked by how little inflight service/food we received. I was also shocked that the airline allowed two rambunctious and yelling children under the age of 5 remain unattended, while their parents slept two rows ahead of them. The flight attendants never even suggested that one parent sit with each child...but digress.

I'd like to post your suggestions and expectations for improvement here. I am not turning this blog into a consumer complaint center, so please save the individual incidents, for now. (Unless I really can't resist posting someones really GOOD story) I am just trying to get the movement started. Many of us are business professionals, we know sound business practice. We have to tell the airlines that turning their flights into an "undifferentiated product" focused only on cutting costs is a short sighted mentality...The airline that embraces the customer, adds the right touch and shows its value is the one with which I want to travel

Lets hear your thoughts...and there will be alot more to come...I want to hear from the business travelers out there.. Have a great hotel to recommend in London? Good restaurant in Hong Kong? Excellent cab company in Madrid? A nice quick side trip while on foreign travel? Tell me here and I will post it asap