Airlines Want You to Fly with Them!

Airlines are now pulling all stops to get your business. They are coming up with creative marketing campaigns to get your business and create some buzz.

A few weeks ago we had Ryanair announce that they were considering charging passengers for using restrooms on their planes. It definitely got people talking. In the end it turned out that it was a ‘joke’ and Ryanair launched a competition via their website offering people 1000 euros for the most creative ‘extra charge.’ So far people have suggested charging for toilet paper and charging people for the luxury of reading safety cards.

Another Irish airline Aer Lingus created some buzz about it’s no hidden extras by offering 999 people two free flights if they were willing to bare all. Another sign of the times they promoted this via Twitter and Facebook on a first come, first served basis. Over 2000 people registered.

Asian carrier AirAsia have launched So You Wanna be a Pilot? campaign. They are offering a wannabe pilot the chance to work for them. All you have to do is log onto their blog and write about why you should be given the opportunity to work for them.  The aim of these campaigns is to get people talking and this is what it is doing! Check out this blog entry! that talks about the Air Asia campaign.

Well it certainly got us talking! Mission accomplished airlines! I wonder what they will come up with next. Better keep my eye on the latest airline news!

Malaysia Airlines: First Asian Carrier to Allow Cell Phones on Flights

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 Aircraft

Malaysia Airlines has recently unveiled a new service, allowing passengers to carry cell phones on-board. Travelers flying with the airline will now be able to send and receive text messages, and use their Blackberry-type devices to send and receive e-mails.

The airline has teamed up with AeroMobile, a British company, to emerge as the first Asian carrier to offer in-flight mobile phone and data services to its passengers. This new system will help the passengers to use their PDA’s in-flight, without disturbing the aircraft systems and ground telecommunication networks.

This service will be available to passengers on a single Boeing 777-200 aircraft, that flies to select European, Australian and Asian destinations.

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Airlines Say Holiday Season Bookings Still Strong

Many airlines expect that this holiday-season, the planes will be as full or fuller as last year. The reason for this is not the increase in the number of bookings but rather it’s the capacity cuts by the airlines, a decision that was made when fuel prices were soaring. In fact, travelers who haven’t reserved their seats for the holidays could find it more difficult and expensive than usual to find the flights they want, when they want them.

As opposed to earlier, fuller planes does not mean the rise in the number of passengers flying. Although several hotels are making lucrative offers to holiday travelers, it seems that it may be a real challenge for ski resorts and sunny vacation destinations to attract travelers who have now turned more budget-conscious because of the uncertain economy.

According to Arne Haak, chief financial officer of AirTran Airways, ‘AirTran Holdings Inc. — has not seen a slowdown in bookings over the holidays’. The situation is much similar with the Atlanta-based Delta whose domestic advance bookings for the holidays show stronger occupancy rates on a year-over-year basis.

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Airlines could save billions with new-age GPS Technology

Existing Air Trafiic Control System

The smart and new age GPS technology already a commonplace in cars and cell phones is all set to change the way airlines do their routing. With the $35 billion plan, that will replace the existing radar system, you will reach your destination more in time than ever.

The old era (since World War II) traffic network that often compels the planes to take longer routes, requires the U.S. airlines to spend billions of dollars on fuel. According to ‘Associated Press analysis of federal and industry data found that if the new system were already in place, airlines could have saved more than $5 billion in fuel this year alone.’

Moreover, this smart technology would triple capacity, reduce delays, improve the safety and will help to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions to a considerable extent. As for cost, U.S. airlines are expected to eventually contribute about $15 billion toward this $35 billion project. The airlines will have to spend about $200,000 per plane as they equip their fleets with GPS.

For anyone interested in the whole story by AP, please read here.

U.S. Airlines On-Time Performance Improves in July

Here’s good news for all the U.S. travelers. A monthly survey by the Transportation Department revealed that the nation’s airlines were on time in July and there were lesser complaints about their baggage too.

The DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said the 19 carriers in the survey recorded an on-time-arrival rate of 75.7 percent in July, compared with July 2007’s 69.8 percent and 70.8 percent in June.

Delta Air Lines’ regional subsidiary Comair had the worst performance as low as 63.3 percent on-time-arrival rate. JetBlue Airways was next, at 64.6 percent. United Airlines was third-worst at 68.25 percent, and American Airlines, ranked fourth from the bottom. The best amongst the on-time performers was the regional carrier, Pinnacle Airlines with 85.56 percent on-time-arrival rate.