Low-cost air carriers have made flight tickets cheaper than a first class train ticket. But the flip side of this is over the years the seats on the aircraft have shrunk and there is barely any space to stretch our legs without disturbing others. Plus the food is getting terrible and costly. We cannot blame these companies entirely as the majority of them are running losses due to intense competition and wafer thin margins. So I was just thinking(daydreaming) if there is something that the airline could do to increase passenger’s comfort.
1. In-flight snacks — partnerships with FMCG companies that want to advertise their products by providing a free sample to travelers.
2. Stop shrinking the seats and reducing leg space. Check for lightweight durable materials to reduce the weight of the flight and in turn the cost of fuel.
3. Offer better (premium economy or first class) seats for people who travel with just carry-on baggage. It is an incentive for business travelers who add less load to the plane.
4. Offer help to passengers to find taxi and hotels while booking tickets on the site and while departing from the flight. Everyone likes a little extra than what they paid for 🙂
5. Come up with experiences (like a helicopter ride, tour package, etc) rather than imbecile gifts like pens and watches for frequent flier program.
6. Surprise travelers by celebrating their birthday or wedding anniversary. Cutting a cake 50,000 ft above the air will certainly leave a lasting impression and word of mouth publicity.
7. Replace in-flight magazines with touch screen displays as most magazines are filled with in-flight shopping catalog. When the friction is removed, people can just buy the stuff they want right then. If an item is not available, have it shipped home. Just enter the boarding pass number and the address details will be auto-populated. Bam!
8. Explore partnerships with music streaming services and have curated playlists on the flight to give an idea about the service. Users might be tempted to download the app once they land.
9. The same can be done for video streaming services.
10. Tablet manufacturers can promote their new devices on the flight by letting people getting a hands-on and watching movies.
Disclaimer: Some of them may sound crazy, but everybody is allowed to dream 🙂
This post was originally published in my blog.
