LMAO....BFD I can't believe airline managers are really this stupid..thinking that this kind of crap is going to bring passengers back. Walter DCA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Hough" <psa188@juno.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Thursday, May 30, 2002 (AP) > As airport hassles mount, carriers try to make the in-flight experience mor= > e comfortable > BRAD FOSS, AP Business Writer > > > (05-30) 10:56 PDT NEW YORK (AP) -- > The airline industry, stung by the terrorist attacks and a downturn in > business travel, spent most of the past year trying to convince Americans > that flying is safe and affordable. Now, as business slowly recovers, > carriers are dangling small perks to reacquaint the public with the idea > that travel can also be enjoyable. > JetBlue Airways is encouraging passengers to relax a little with placards > in the back of seats that show how to do simple yoga postures without > standing up. Continental Airlines is serving higher quality food to coach > passengers on trans-Atlantic flights. And American Airlines is spending > millions of dollars on TV and print ads to ballyhoo several inches of > legroom added throughout every plane. > "They're trying to get everybody in the mood again," Gloribel Rodriguez, > 18 and a frequent flier, said on a recent morning at New York's La Guardia > Airport. Rodriguez, who swayed back and forth in a rocking chair near a > large window with views of incoming and outgoing planes, said it's only > natural for airlines to pay more attention to passenger comfort after > months of focusing almost exclusively on security. > "They know they need to satisfy the customer," said Rodriguez, who flies > to Puerto Rico once a month to visit family. "If we're not happy, they > have no money." > These minor service changes, while seen as a way for rivals to distingui= > sh > themselves from one another, do not overshadow the fact that carriers > remain much more intensely focused on cutting costs. With passenger > traffic down 12 percent in April compared with last year, security and > insurance costs on the rise and profit margins thinned because of reduced > airfares, major U.S. carriers have canceled meal service on short domestic > routes, removed pillows and blankets from the cabin and shut down airport > lounges. > Taken together, though, these recent announcements of extra amenities > represent a subtle yet significant shift in marketing strategies, said > Robert Mann, an airline consultant at R.W. Mann & Co. in Port Washington, > N.Y. > "It's a return to marketing 101," said Mann. "The airlines are back to t= > he > product differentiation factors ... to take the edge off this perception > that the airports should be avoided." > Houston-based Continental last week announced it would begin serving > chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs on trans-Atlantic flights and > that breakfast will be upgraded from a cold croissant to a warm bagel with > cream cheese. The only catch behind these and other modest culinary > improvements is that Continental will subsidize the changes by charging $4 > for each alcoholic beverage served on trans-Atlantic flights, an amenity > that used to be free. > Mann said Continental's version of a sin tax could backfire, though, if > passengers don't actually believe the food tastes better. "There are risks > associated with a couple of these campaigns," he said. > American Airlines, for instance, has hinted to Wall Street that it might > have to reinstall the seats it took out to create more legroom, and that > would effectively be a waste of advertising dollars, Mann said. The Fort > Worth, Texas-based carrier denied having second thoughts about eliminating > seats to make its jets roomier. > For its part, low-fare carrier JetBlue, which has never served meals, is > using a mixture of calisthenics and quirky humor to try to make its > customers happier. > "A flight attendant may ask you if you need something," JetBlue's > in-flight yoga manual says. "Tell them that we all need inner peace." > New York-based JetBlue is also encouraging travelers to release tension > before they board the plane in recognition of the fact that much of the > travel-related stress these days comes from navigating airports. In a > partnership with health club operator Crunch Fitness, JetBlue is > installing heavyweight punching bags that travelers can take a whack at > once they get through security at New York's Kennedy Airport. > "It's amusement and entertainment," said Gareth Jones, a spokesman for > JetBlue. "In many ways, it's just communication with our customers." > It's worth noting that Southwest Airlines, the only major U.S. carrier to > record quarterly profits since Sept. 11 and one that has stood apart from > the industry by limiting frills, said it will continue that strategy. > "When's the last time anyone bragged about an inflight meal?" spokeswoman > Linda Rutherford said. "We'd rather you saved money on the cost of the > flight and be able to have a steak dinner when you get to your > destination." > Mary Jo DeMartini, 38, who flies once a month as a public relations > manager for Parade magazine, said she's unimpressed by marketing > campaigns. The best way for the industry to put a smile on her face, she > said, would be to reduce the hassles associated with baggage and passenger > screening. > "I'm not a gimmicky girl," DeMartini said. "I still don't think they (the > airlines) have their act together." > Because of the increased frequency of long lines and airport evacuations, > DeMartini now drives to destinations less than four hours away. As for > airline amenities, DeMartini said she pays little attention; her primary > concern is finding the cheapest flight, a common sentiment among business > travelers and one that has crimped airline revenues. > Business has picked up dramatically since the sharp dropoff after Sept. > 11, but profitability remains elusive for most airlines. The nine largest > U.S. carriers lost a combined $2.4 billion during the first three months > of the year and analysts expect only modest improvement in the April-June > quarter. > > On the Net: > www.aa.com > www.continental.com > www.jetblue.com > > =20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Copyright 2002 AP >