Clients value comfort over cost
TRAVELLERS are prepared
to pay more where
comfort is concerned.
In a survey run on TNW’s
sister publication, eTNW, 61 of
the 114 travel agents surveyed
said more of their clients were
choosing to fly first, business
and premium economy class
because comfort was their
clients’ primary concern when
travelling.
Premium economy was
especially popular, said
respondents.
“I have seen an increase
in clients booking premium
economy class as they get
more reward miles and they
still enjoy good fares,”
one agent said.
“Travellers are enjoying
the premium economy class
because they want more
space for comfort but do
not want to pay businessclass
fares,” another agent
commented.
Travellers flying long-haul
routes, particularly business
travellers, also enjoyed arriving
at their destination well rested
and were therefore willing to
pay the price, agents agreed.
Airlines have also seen more
travellers opting for the higher
classes.
Darrin Thomas,
manager of marketing and
communications for Virgin
Atlantic Airways in South
Africa, told TNW he had seen
increased uptake in both
Virgin’s Upper Class (business)
and premium economy, and
that both cabins were often
full.
Singapore Airlines market
development manager,
Sally George, agrees that
there has been an increase
in demand in business-class
travel. “There is great demand
for business class, particularly
over the weekend departures.”
Jimmy Eichelgruen, Delta
Air Lines sales director for
Africa, Middle East and India,
says the Delta One (business
class) cabin is always in
high demand on Delta’s
Johannesburg route – the
longest route on the airline’s
network.
‘More bang for our buck’
On the other hand, some
agents say while clients are
still travelling in premium
class, they feel value for
money is not as evident in
premium class as it was in
the past.
“Value for money is not what
it used to be – and in these
tough economic times, airlines
must remember that clients
want what they pay for,” says
one agent.
Jimmy says it is
understandable that
customers want more for
their money when flying
premium class and paying the
associated fares. “As such,
Delta has invested heavily
in its Delta One product
to ensure our premium
customers have a quality
experience.”
Quality experience is
achieved through Delta’s
collaboration with respected
global brands such as Westin
Heavenly Bedding by Westin
Hotels and Resorts and the
airline’s amenity kits, which
are made by TUMI and have
recently begun featuring
products by Kiehl’s, says
Jimmy.
Air Mauritius sales and
marketing manager, Wouter
Nel, says the airline offers
business-class passengers
a premium experience at
very competitive, all-inclusive
rates. “Additionally, our lastminute
business-class upgrade
offering affords all passengers
the luxury of an upgrade for
a nominal fee on the day of
departure.”
Tlali Tlali, spokesperson for
SAA, told TNW the carrier’s
offering was based on a cost
structure that sought to strike
a balance between cost and
what customers wanted to pay
for. The nature of SAA’s service
is intended to meet some of
these demands, says Tlali.
La Première cabin offers unique luxury
AIR France’s new La
Première cabin (first
class) offers passengers
a ‘designer suite’ that
promises total privacy.
Found on board the
airline’s Boeing 777s, each
suite is dressed with thick
curtains, held back with
leather tiebacks enabling
the passenger to decide
whether to be totally or
partially isolated.
The La Première seat turns
into a fully flat bed over two
metres long, and guests can
enjoy entertainment on their
own 61cm HD touch screen,
one of the largest offered
on board.
When the passenger
is ready to sleep, a crew
member installs a mattress
on the seat for further
comfort and passengers
are given a fluffy pillow and
duvet.
Passengers in this cabin
are also offered a brandnew,
unisex sleep suit
in high-quality cotton, as
well as slippers, socks, a
shoehorn and a shoe bag.
Passengers can take them
with them after their trip to
wear at home.
What do clients want?
TRAVELLERS flying premium
class want more choice, more
comfort and more ancillary
services, agents agree.
Airlines say they are
responding to these demands
in a way that still offers value
for money.
According to Tlali Tlali,
SAA has taken note of the
request by premium-class
passengers to have privacy
and easily accessible aisles.
“Product improvement and
service offering are some of
the areas SAA is constantly
looking at in order to enhance
its premium customer
experience on board,” he
says.
Value for money
Says Martin Modarelli,
commercial director for the
UK, Nordic Countries and
Africa at LATAM Airlines:
“We believe offering value
for money across all cabin
classes is important, and
each class has a role to play
in the travel experience.
“Travellers have different
expectations and needs, such
as the ability to work on the
move but also the opportunity
to get some rest while
travelling, and our focus is
on meeting as many of these
needs as possible,” he says.
More leg-room a must
In response to a survey run
by TNW’s sister publication,
eTNW, 34 of the 114
respondents said leg-room
and flat beds were the
primary demands for their
clients.
A further 20 agents said
their clients wanted more
personal attention when flying
premium class.
“We’ve noticed that
premium passengers want
personalised service, such
as senior pursers introducing
themselves.
“They want to be treated
like a valued customer and
receive that recognition.
They prefer seamless travel
experiences and whenever
there are changes to the
schedule that could affect
their journey, they would like
to be personally alerted or
notified,” agrees Tlali Tlali.
In response to this, SAA
addresses many of its
passengers personally, with a
full account of what to expect
on board, he says.
Ancillary services and an
extended duty-free offering
that is available online and
accompanied by delivery
on board at their seats are
also offered to the airline’s
premium passengers.
According to Wouter Nel,
Air Mauritius has responded
to these demands by offering
business-class passengers
cocoon-style lie-flat seats on
its A330 and A340 aircraft,
as well as personalised cabin
services.
“Air Mauritius is known for
its dedicated service and
Mauritian hospitality, which
has earned us a four-star
Skytrax rating,” Wouter says.
“All passengers experience
our personal service and
Mauritian touch.”
LATAM Airlines has also
prioritised leg-room in its
premium cabins.
“The 2-2-2 configuration in
our business class creates a
feeling of space in our cabin,
and allows passengers to
choose between privacy or
sharing with a partner,” says
Martin.
While fully flat-bed seats are
becoming standard, Jimmy
Eichelgruen says Delta offers
direct aisle access to every
person in the cabin flying
between Johannesburg and
Atlanta, enabling them to walk
around at their leisure without
disturbing their neighbour.
Dedicated service
Agents also say their clients
enjoy dedicated checkin
counters and priority
boarding.
Virgin Atlantic has
responded to this by
introducing dedicated bag
drops and check-in counters
for premium passengers, as
well as priority boarding.
“Additionally, our premium
economy main meal
experience has been
upgraded, making it feel much
more like a ‘restaurant’ rather
than an ‘airline’,” says Darrin
Thomas of Virgin Atlantic.
Lounge access is also
important to passengers,
agents agree.
Passengers departing
from Mauritius will enjoy
the award-winning Amedee
Maingard business-class
lounge, while premium
passengers flying Delta
can make use of the SLOW
Lounge in Johannesburg
before resting at the Delta
Sky Club in Atlanta, which
includes an outdoor Sky
Deck and offers a range of
amenities from free WiFi to
food and beverages plus
showers.
LATAM passengers have
access to the airline’s
partner lounges, courtesy of
the oneworld alliance.
“The LATAM Airlines VIP
Lounge in Terminal 3 of
Guarulhos International
Airport is the airport’s
premier lounge and is
brought to life with materials
endemic to the region,
creating the feel of the
local landscape and making
travellers feel at home,”
says Martin.
Premium economy – an easy sell
THERE is significant
opportunity for agents to
upsell clients from economy
class to premium economy.
The trend towards some
premium passengers
downgrading from business
class, coupled with the
increase in cost-conscious
travellers looking for more
value, has led to an increase
in travellers booking
premium economy class,
travel agents say.
Responding to the survey
run by eTNW, one agent said
both business and leisure
travellers had begun moving
more toward premium
economy to keep up with
frequent flyer rewards.
“More pax are booking
premium economy because
they want a premium offering
without the business-class
price, and this makes it an
easier sell for consultants,”
another agent commented.
Singapore Airlines
introduced premium economy
on its Johannesburg route
in June and, according to
Sally George, the cabin is
expected to prove popular
with travellers due to the
increased demand for this
product.
“There is high demand
for premium economy class
with some corporates
changing travel policies from
business class to premium
economy due to cost, and
we have offered competitive
launch fares of 10% off the
standard premium economyclass
fare in order to
capitalise on this,” she says.
The airline’s premium
economy class offers
passengers a dedicated
cabin, 35kg baggage
allowance, priority checkin,
boarding and baggage
handling, 110% KrisFlyer
miles and a choice of three
meals.
A USB port is also included
in the cabin, as well as a
34cm HD touchscreen TV
monitor and a calf and foot
rest.
LATAM Airlines has also
responded to the call by
economy-class passengers
for something a bit better.
The airline offers 14
‘Space +’ seats in its
economy cabin that offer
extra leg-room, more space
and ease of access.
Similarly, Delta Air Lines
offers Delta Comfort+, an
upsell from the main cabin,
which offers more leg-room
and recline.
Says Virgin Atlantic’s Darrin
Thomas: “Our premium
economy cabin offers
passengers a wonder wall –
a space where passengers
can stretch their legs, grab
a snack and interact with
cabin crew. It is a great
social space for travellers.”
Virgin also offers premium
economy passengers a
dedicated cabin and crew as
well as dedicated check-in
and priority boarding.
While SAA does not offer
premium economy at this
stage, one agent said this
was a shame as travellers
wanted to fly this class
but also wanted to earn
Voyager miles and fly SAA.
The airline’s spokesperson,
Tlali Tlali, told TNW SAA
was not against the idea of
introducing this product on
its aircraft.
“The introduction of a
premium economy cabin is
a possibility that we cannot
rule out completely,” he
says. “We are especially
presented with an
opportunity to consider this
cabin on the new A330
aircraft that we will take
delivery of later this year.
Virgin introduces new service for premium guests
VIRGIN Atlantic recently
launched Groundspan, a
new online booking tool
that makes it quicker and
easier for agents to make
and manage chauffeur car
bookings for their clients.
Groundspan provides an
online booking tool that
enables:
Instant access for all
chauffeur car booking
requests.
Convenient 24/7
booking. Agents or their
clients can change the
time/location or cancel
the booking at any
time between 330 days
and 12 hours prior to
departure, thus providing
more flexibility.
All customers’ details are
passed to the chauffeur
car company so they can
contact the customer with
any updates or issues.
There are also two other
ways in which agents can
facilitate these requests
– via the Virgin Atlantic
Airways website through
‘Manage My Booking’ or
‘Customer Services’.
Once the service is
booked, agents receive an
instant confirmation email
up to 330 days in advance
of the journey.
Did you konw?
Air Mauritius is offering great fares on business-class tickets. Book
flights from Mauritius to Perth for R25 090pp. Business-class fares
from Mauritius to Hong Kong start from R25 750pp, Mauritius to
Beijing from R29 370pp and Mauritius to Delhi from R24 480pp.
All fares include taxes.
SAA has introduced a promotional fare from both Durban and Cape
Town to Mauritius, effective for all sales on/before August 31. Book
flights from Durban to Mauritius from R2 450pp return, excluding
taxes, or from Cape Town to Mauritius for R3 070pp return,
excluding taxes. Travel is valid on/before September 25, as well as
on/after October 10 and on/after November 30.
Photocap: Hi-res IFE with LATAM
Each seat on LATAM Airlines’ premium business class
offers a high-resolution 37cm screen and A/V system, a
collection of 110 movies, including two new releases,
eight recent hits, 10 Latin movies, 10 children’s movies
and 70 classic movies from across the decades. Seats
also offer a USB port and air-conditioning power, giving
travellers the chance to work on the move.
Top tips to deliver that ‘premium touch’
PAULA Martini, owner and
consultant at Travel Dynamics,
shares her top tips to help
agents take care of premium
travellers when they are
transiting.
Minimum connecting times
set by airports and allowed
by airlines don’t always
mean they are acceptable.
Many European airlines
offer a one-hour connection
through Frankfurt, Paris and
Zurich.
This is not sufficient. Agents
should look for alternatives,
because weather and delays
can happen and clients
could be left stranded or
having to get another flight.
Many airlines offer free
stopover hotels, for example
Air Mauritius and Ethiopian
Airlines. Offer these to your
client and advise them that
you can either pre-book
this or they can contact
the local representative for
assistance.
An important thing to
remember when connecting
through Ethiopia with
Ethiopian Airlines is that
free visas are only given to
transferring passengers.
If your client changes their
flight and has a voluntary
stop in Addis Ababa, they
are responsible for their
own visa
Many airports offer arrival
and departure lounges that
can be booked online.
It is also good to ask
your client if they have an
American Express or Diners
Card and see if they qualify
for free entry. “I have a
client who was paying for
lounges in London, Paris
and locally. I calculated that
the entry fee to one lounge
in London is the equivalent
to a year’s membership fee
with Diners. This gave her
access to over 300 lounges
around the world,” notes
Paula.
Remember to always check
transit visa requirements,
especially for the UK. Clients
often see specials on British
Airways, for instance, and
then forget they need a
transit visa unless travelling
to the USA or Canada.
When a client has a long
stopover, it is always better
to offer a hotel close to the
airport as this alleviates
any stress from traffic when
returning to the airport,
depending on the length of
the stopover.
There is a simple rule for
connecting flights: separate
tickets mean separate
check-in. One ticket means
one check-in when travelling
to your final destination.
Sometimes a separate ticket
only saves you R1 000
but then the client loses
their international baggage
allowance and they have to
check in twice.
“Agents, remember to advise
your client of this,” Paula
stresses.
If there has been a delay
on a flight and the client
has an onward connection
issued on one ticket, it is
the airline’s responsibility to
assist the passengers with
a hotel, meal voucher or
even toiletries.
“Clients often call me to
assist when this happens
and if an agent does
anything to the ticket, then
the client is liable for the
cost. If the client contacts a
local representative it could
save them a large amount of
money,” Paula says.
To the point
SAA’s business-class passengers receive a full-size pillow, duvet, mattress, three- to five-course meals, high-end
beverages such as wine, as well as extensive programming of on-demand entertainment. The airline also offers
tablets for entertainment on the Mauritius and Nairobi routes”
Photocap: SQ sports new aircraft
Singapore Airlines’ new A350 aircraft departs from
Johannesburg on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
It offers a larger business class cabin with 42 seats,
an increase of 38% on the Boeing 777-200ER which
still operates the Cape Town-Johannesburg-Singapore
service on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Did you know?
KLM offers an economy comfort seat on its Johannesburg and Cape Town
routes on the B777-200 and B787-900 aircraft. It is not a separate
cabin but it does have more leg-room and recline than normal economy
class. On both aircraft it offers a seat width of 44cm, a seat pitch of
89cm, a recline of 116 degrees, 40 seats on the B777, 48 seats on the
B787 and a configuration of 3-4-3 on the B777 and 3-3-3 on the B787.
Newsflash
Delta Air Lines is completing the roll-out of WiFi across its
international fleet and, by August 31, every flight operating from
Africa – including Johannesburg – will have this service.
