Our marketer on the ground, Simon Burrell, has spent many years working in and travelling across different regions of the world and now runs his own global travel website. In this, his first regular DMI column, he offers a marketer’s eye view of…

Airlines: flights of fancy?  

It seems like a week doesn’t go by without one airline or another advertising the fact that they are going to start charging for ice in your drink or for using the tiny space above your seat for your laptop/handbag, something Spirit Airlines are planning on introducing in August.

Whether Ryanair actually does start charging passengers for going to that last remaining toilet on board its planes (the plan is to remove the others and replace them with more seats) remains to be seen.  

I am left wondering whether this is just a clever marketing ploy to grab attention in the press and there is, in fact, no intention to do this at all. 

Passengers will then be left feeling somewhat relieved (please excuse the pun) and won’t mind so much paying for all the other extras to make their journey somewhat bearable.

That said, a friend of mine flew Ryanair very recently from the south of Italy to London for the first time and although she was frustrated by not being able to read her newspaper in peace and quiet she did think their on-board marketing was very slick and professional.

This was a three-hour flight and, for the first hour, passengers were bombarded with announcements on what was available to purchase on board from their pizzas to an assortment of different beverages. These were clearly well rehearsed, even though she was not tempted to buy anything herself.  

She was also amused by the little jingle that sounded when they touched down, accompanied by an announcement that, once again, Ryanair had got passengers to their destination on time . . . I guess you can’t knock them for that, or for the price of the ticket!

The other extremes are, of course, the full-service airlines and their marketing pitches to the business traveller.  

I was amused to read recently that Lufthansa has opened a German beer garden at its business class lounge in Munich, offering passengers draught beer and Bavarian pretzels! 

First and Business Class passengers also enjoy special menus created by award-winning chefs on their long-haul flights.

It would also seem as if those rather bland and dry meals North American airlines serve on board may have seen their last days, as airlines begin to realise that serving good quality food might actually be profitable.  

Air Canada is now offering vegetarian sandwiches and yoghurt parfait, while American Airlines is working with Boston Market offering home-styled cooking.  

I, for one, welcome that – the last time I flew American they had run out of the pizzas I fancied, not a good advert for First Class. I had to make do with a rather mediocre steak sandwich so I guess you can’t have everything . . . we did, however, land on time (without the jingle) and my bag arrived on the same flight – which was a real bonus!

• Are you fed up with having to squeeze your 100ml liquids in that plastic bag at airport security? Well, there may be some good news on the way. Find out more in my next column, in the next issue of DMI News Extra.