When it comes to air travel, we know you have no choice.
But thanks for choosing Air Penguin.(c) Madagascar 2, Escape from Africa
Why do people board airplanes and fly somewhere? Do they do it for pleasure? Do they enjoy flying so much that they just want to take a ride? No. They have a purpose, and the airplane is a necessity. Whether it’s to visit a relative or because flying is the only way to reach a resort. Or perhaps flying is the only acceptable mode of travel for a businessperson. In other words, people don’t choose air travel; they are forced to use it.
Especially now. In all cases where traveling by another mode of transport is more feasible, people tend to opt for alternatives to airplanes, with their inconveniences like trips to and from the airport, hour-and-a-half waits, humiliating security procedures, maddening layover waits in the airport terminal, queues, ear pressure, fear of flying, and the risk of being stuck in the airport due to the whims of yet another panicked official.
Moreover, considering the current situation with air travel, people generally have little choice in which airline to use. Business travelers are tightly bound to their trip schedules, and if they need to be at point A on Monday morning and back home on Friday evening, and their preferred airline doesn’t meet those requirements, they will choose another airline, even if it means dealing with inconvenient layovers. They aren’t paying for the trip out of their own pockets; they are fulfilling a company assignment. A person flying “for themselves” will almost always choose either a low-cost airline or, again, their preferred airline (or its code-sharing partner).
Airline marketers may revel in the results they’ve achieved in “brand recognition,” “positive image,” and all sorts of other nonsense, but a person doesn’t choose a carrier based on big billboards with silly stars that accompany misleading prices. Typically, the passenger simply has no choice.
On the other hand, we have a very rich selection of hotels upon arrival. Both business and non-business travelers have a wide range of options for overnight stays. Here, they are free to express their taste, balance their travel budget with the benefits they receive, and “browse the offerings” — in general, it represents a fertile ground for marketing.
And now, let Alexander Druzd respond to us about why Ukrainian airlines futilely maintain frequent flyer programs, rewarding those who are already forced to fly with a “prize game” reminiscent of the joke about Vasily Ivanovich and a slot machine filled with worthless free miles. Meanwhile, I have yet to encounter a single hotel in my country that has done anything to make me choose it for my next business trip.