SimpliPlan: Top 10 Initiatives by Airlines to Engage Travelers at the Planning Stage

SimpliPlan: Top 10 Initiatives by Airlines to
Engage Travelers at the Planning Stage

Featuring:

Helping airlines & airports engage travelers profitably

http://www.SimpliFlying.com
http://www.SimpliFlying.com

The SimpliPlan Stage
Some airlines have rightly
recognized that there’s an
opportunity to convince
travelers to travel to a
particular destination/on a
particular airline, by engaging
them in the planning phase
and helping them validate
their travel plans.

However, good initiatives are
still few and far between
leaving the balance tilted in
favor of those who recognize
the opportunity and seize it.

www.SimpliFlying.com

Case-study 1
Edmonton Airport: Stop the Calgary Habit

A tough battle
Airports face a tough struggle when trying to develop air services and
attract more airline traffic as they must convince airlines that the new
routes will be profitable. To do so they must be able to influence at the
SimpliPlan stage of the traveler lifecycle in order to generate demand.


A bad habit
In the case of Edmonton Airport (EIA) the challenge was made even
greater because many local residents became accustomed to drive to the
nearby Calgary airport and traveled from there.

With the help of Donovan
Creative, EIA decided to
raise awareness of the
problem with a guerrilla
campaign called “Stop
the Calgary habit”


A long lasting effect
In the first 6 months it is estimated that the campaign helped change
the planning habits of 22,500 to 30,000 local residents. Furthermore
the success of this campaign was such that, two years later, users on the
airport’s Facebook page still use the concept, even when complaining.

The screen shot above was taken on the 4th of June 2012 from the Edmonton airport
Facebook page


Case-study 2
KLM: Trip planner

Removing the hassle
KLM is becoming an almost permanent feature of our Top 10s due to
their innovative spirit. This time for the SimpliPlan phase of the traveler
lifecycle they have launched an initiative to make group planning easier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovdhoQuZwvs


Helpful + Social + Fun = More Bookings

Behind this initiative there is
clearly a need to encourage
travelers to choose KLM when
planning their trips. To do so
the airline created something
that not only makes it easier
to plan group travel but also
takes into account the “social”
element and makes it fun.


The social element

One of the most
interesting aspects of
this initiative is that it
focuses on the social
element thus making
sure that its brand and
its message are seen as
a shared value and at
the same time
associated with a
positive group travel
experience.


Case-study 3
Air New Zealand: iampacked

Not just plan where to travel
Engaging travelers during the SimpliPlan stage of their lifecycle is not
always about helping them choose where to fly or organize a trip.
Sometimes brands must think differently and act at an emotional level
where a connection between the brand and the idea of travel can be
built.


Personality
Air New Zealand created an (almost) brand free place where users can
express their personality by posting pictures with the content of their
bags as well as some basic information.

The first reaction to this
site is perhaps a
“voyeuristic” one but
that sentiment is also
accompanied by a desire
to share and travel.


Leveraging on curiosity
The key to the approach taken by Air New Zealand is that it leverages
curiosity, ensuring that the content is explored and shared. It also
ensures that, when planning a trip and packing their luggage, users will
visit the site and find the little “breadcrumb” left by ANZ.


Case-study 4
Cebu Pacific: Fly One, Fly All, Fly Free

Group travel

Flying for free is surely high up
in the wish list for most of us.
However, for this to be possible,
our wish must also coincide with
that of an airline.

Cebu Pacific created a campaign
to encourage large groups to fly
the airline, they called it “fly
one, fly all, fly free”.


The first 150 win
The airline created a campaign on facebook where users had to “create”
a flight they would like to take with their friends and then invite them to
join the flight. The first group to reach 150 members would win a free
flight to their chosen destination.


Overwhelming response
The response was so overwhelming that the airline had to upgrade its
servers to host it.


Case-study 5
Qatar Airways: 24-hour guides

The other half of the story
When planning a trip, choosing where to go, when and what airline to
fly is only half the story. The other half is, of course, planning what to do
when you get there.


24-Hour Guides
To help its customers trough the planning of their journeys Qatar
Airways created a series of 24-hour travel guides and dedicated a
Pinboard of its brand new Pinterest account to them.


Made to Pin

While it is not uncommon for
airlines to have destination or
travel guides on their
websites, the differentiating
factor in this campaign has
been the usage of extremely
visual images to represent
them, thus allowing easy and
effective sharing on emerging
image-focused networks like
Pinterest.


Case-study 6
Singapore Changi: via Singapore

Neither origin nor destination
In the case of some airports like Singapore Changi, being a point of
origin and destination for travelers is often just part of the story as a
large proportion of their traffic (and earnings) come from transit traffic.


Transit traffic
In an attempt to engage travelers in the SimpliPlan stage, Singapore’s
Changi Airport created a website dedicated exclusively to passengers
who pass through Singapore on their way to other destinations.


The perfect place to stop
The site provides plenty of resources, travel guides and information for
those travelling in the region as well as portraying the airport as the
ideal transit place.


Case-study 7
Malaysia Airlines: The BIG flight

The bigger the better
When planning a trip, the perception that one has of both the airline
and the planes it uses can make a huge difference. There is nothing like
a BIG, brand new plane to showcase an airline’s clout.


It’s YouTube time
Of course this is easier said than done, and “raising the awareness” of a
new aircraft, especially in emerging markets, is no easy task. To solve
the problem Malaysia Airlines turned to social media and built a
YouTube-centered campaign where it offered users the chance to win a
free joyride on their brand new aircraft: an A380.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtTv2t3hw4U

Case-study 8
SpiceJet: Q400 launch

Perceptions…
Airlines don’t always purchase aircraft that fire the public’s imagination
the way an A380 does. Sometimes they purchase efficient, state of the
art, regional turboprops that, to the public, appear like “one of those
small, old propeller planes that crash frequently.”


“one of those propeller planes…”
When SpiceJet planned the introduction of its Bombardier Q400
turboprops it quickly realized that its biggest challenge was not going to
come from its competitors but the perception of “propeller planes” in
the Indian market.


Social Awareness = 88% load factor
With the help of SimpliFlying the company was able to overcome this
problem by launching a Facebook-based initiative to raise awareness of
this new aircraft and its cutting edge technology.

The campaign included several pre- and post-launch initiatives that
ultimately resulted in a staggering 88% load factor over the first few
weeks.


Case-study 9
Cathay Pacific: LinkedIn Targeted Promotion

The exception to the rule
One type of traveler that, for obvious reasons, skips the SimpliDream
phase of the lifecycle is the business traveler who, if anything, dreams
of being at home rather than travelling for work. However, even this
type of traveler is not immune to the SimpliPlan phase.


Empowered promotion
In order to raise awareness of its brand and services amongst business
travelers who planned to travel to Asia, Cathay Pacific set up a campaign
on LinkedIn targeting only those members who were likely to travel in
the region, achieving over a thousand responses and almost 100
recommendations.


Case-Study 10
Melbourne Airport: @MelbFlightDeals

Deal curators
For those airports that wish to attract more direct traffic, an interesting
tactic is that of becoming “deal curators” by offering users the chance to
find the lowest rates to and from the airport in one place. This is exactly
what Melbourne airport does on the @MelbFlightDeals Twitter handle.


There’s more!

The airport also provides the same
service on its website reinforcing it
with a series of dedicated travel tools.


Also of Interest
Air Asia: AirAsiaGo

If you can’t beat them, join them
An interesting, although dubious, strategy for airlines is to become (or
create) on-line travel agencies where they can sell not only flight tickets
but also hotels reservations and all the ancillary services, thus capturing
those customers that prefer to plan their entire holiday in one place.


Multi channel
The Asian low cost carrier Air Asia chose to implement this strategy
trough its Air Asia Go website that allows travelers to book everything
from the flight to the car rental and leisure activities in one place. The
activity of the site is also supported by a dedicated twitter handle.


For more case-studies:

Helping airlines & airports engage travelers profitably

http://www.SimpliFlying.com www.SimpliFlying.com

SimpliPlan: Top 10 Initiatives by Airlines to Engage Travelers at the Planning Stage

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SimpliPlan: Top 10 Initiatives by Airlines to Engage Travelers at the Planning Stage