The long haul, the last stronghold of romantic aviation, has, as we knew it, its days numbered. a generation of airlines Low cost , which in Spain is championed by the airline LEVEL , is taking on the old guard with far more satisfying results than might be expected in a battle where the low-cost segment is flying higher than ever.
TAILOR-MADE FLIGHTS
The fact that most of the usual services on a long-haul flight are subject to payment implies that everything additional that is not flying, you have to buy it , from food to luggage to utilities such as a blanket or headphones. And there is no catch. Who wants fly cheap can do it buying the basic fare and whoever wants to fly toasting with champagne, if they pay for it, too.
this is how they work these ‘tailor-made’ flights that are called to revolutionize the aviation sector (they are already doing it), and in which it is the passenger who decides how much he wants to spend to fly across the pond: airlines offer low prices in exchange for the passenger accepting that the rest of the services will be paid for (unless you pay for a premium ticket that already includes everything, also a high price).
Welcome to the era of low cost flights.
“The great achievement of this type of offer is that it not only competes with traditional operators but is also growing the market for transoceanic flights , making them affordable for a segment of leisure customers that was previously satisfied with flights within Europe or within the US”, confirms Josep Huguet, Director of Tourism at Minsait Business Consulting.
Reducing costs by offering a tailored service is what has allowed airlines like LEVEL grow organically at its base at El Prat airport in Barcelona, where it has remained as owner and lady of this segment low cost after the disappearance of the long-haul flights that Norwegian operated from Barcelona.
The company's value proposition called “Fly your Way” , is based on offering a totally personalized on-board experience, thanks to which its passengers can design their own tailor-made trip: reserving everything you want, but nothing you don't need . The passenger only pays for what he wants or needs to include in his experience.
There are no frills here, and it goes without saying that all complementary income is of vital importance for the airline. And it is that low-cost airlines not only generate additional income by charging for services such as food or luggage, but also they also reduce significant operating costs in relation to weight and delivery times and which in turn allows them to be unequivocally more sustainable.
To know a little more about this air business model that is effectively changing the way of flying, we must refer to the one that was the pioneer, SkyTrain, the first low-cost airline launched by Freddie Laker in 1977 covering the route between JFK airport in New York and Gatwick in London.
SkyTrain was, in fact, the first airline to offer seats in a single class (everything was economy class) and even charged about 3 dollars for the suitcase. Despite the importance of his model, which has served as a reference to many others that have come after him, the airline did not survive due to mismanagement , an obvious lack of funding and too much pretense.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY
A widespread optimism coupled with pent-up demand in markets as mature as the European are turning out to be a blessing for this low cost model on long-haul flights for those who, despite having to endure the ravages of the pandemic, have put all their meat on the grill when it comes to defending a model air business for which 2022 is a pivotal year.
And the road to get here has not been easy and there have been few the airlines that stumbled in the attempt (Wow or Norwegian are just some of them) and even Ryanair itself has backed down on its plans to try its luck also on the long haul.
Now we enjoy more accessibility to transoceanic flights.
The arrival of low cost forced traditional airlines to transform and now you also have to pay to check in even on American Airlines if the chosen rate is the basic one. Food, yes, is still included. On the other hand, the resilience shown by low-cost airlines is due, among other things, to the draconian cost-cutting measures that They allow you to sell very cheap tickets (it is possible to fly to New York round trip, for less than €300) and still achieve the famous 'break even' (that is, without losing money).
PERSONALIZATION IN DETAIL
That leisure traffic is recovering much faster than business is something that also favors low cost airlines, which tend to target leisure travelers and his desire to fly away before the business passenger.
In the case of the low cost long radius IAG for example, everything, from its birth in 2017 to its current positioning, is designed for a new type of traveler, more millennial than business , and for which it is important to be able to choose your own tailor-made flight and pay for what you are going to use.
How is this possible? Through a platform advance sale . It is here, after having bought the ticket, where each passenger can buy the products that he wants to consume on board, and that are from comfort items like helmets even an aperitif , going through complete menus or hot drinks.
selection is available up to 12 hours before the flight , something that is comfortable for the passenger, but for the airline it is fundamental when it comes to continuing to maintain its margins, since it allows optimize the cargo on board your aircraft , reducing not only the weight and waste generated but also food waste. Once again, technology at the service of efficiency. And yes, also in aviation.
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