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It is a raw deal for frequent flyers

Friday December 09 2016
flyer

80 per cent of an airline’s revenues will come from 20 per cent of its passengers. It then makes sense, in airline and other industries, to protect and defend your cash cow. But that does not seem to apply with some regional carriers, at least going by the sloppy manner with which they treat their frequent flyers. FOTOSEARCH

It is agreed in aviation circles that the bulk of an airline’s revenues will come from just a few of its customers flying frequently or repeatedly.

Hence the 80:20 rule: 80 per cent of an airline’s revenues will come from 20 per cent of its passengers.

Knowing this, successful global carriers put extra effort in recognising, then rewarding and pampering this small group of passengers.

Like their counterparts around the world, key African airlines have frequent flyer recognition programmes like Voyager on South African Airways, Flying Blue on Kenya Airways, Sheba Miles on Ethiopian, Dream Miles on RwandAir and EgyptAir Plus on Egypt Air.

It then makes sense, in airline and other industries, to protect and defend your cash cow. But that does not seem to apply with some regional carriers, at least going by the sloppy manner with which they treat their frequent flyers.

From a passenger’s perspective, there are two key aspects of giving an airline your loyalty, thereby joining its frequent flyer programme.

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The first is to be able to earn and spend miles; an activity the airlines refer to as accruals and redemptions. Some airlines in the region not only make it hard for passengers to earn or accumulate miles but also difficult to redeem or spend those miles. In some cases, passengers have to follow up with airlines and remind them to credit their accounts with miles earned from travel already undertaken.

The second is to benefit from a set of airline privileges designed to reward and bestow recognition on its frequent flyers. Most airlines fail miserably at this.

In a recent survey on frequent flyer satisfaction, over 60 per cent of airline frequent flyers, specifically those in the elite tiers of loyalty programmes, were less than satisfied with the way airlines delivered member benefits.

The members were particularly offended that airlines treat them as secondary to first and business class travellers.

According to many frequent flyers, first or business class travel may be a one-time affair that does not compare with repeated travel in economy class hence not eligible for elite membership.

A view that might hold true despite premium class travellers sometimes paying 3-4 times more than their counterparts in the economy class.

Elite status travellers who fly frequently on economy class far outnumber those who travel in the premium classes.

A key item of feedback from the passengers was the dissatisfaction with the boarding and disembarking process. Some carriers, they complained, focus on premium classes passengers at the expense of their elite members.

Not enough benefits

Extra baggage allowance, access to the premium lounge and permission to invite a guest to the lounge — all accorded to elite status flyers — are among soft benefits that passengers ranked airlines highly on.

However, despite the fact that many regional airlines will priority-tag checked-in baggage for their elite passengers, many such travellers are dissatisfied with the time it takes to deliver baggage to the belts.

The main reason for priority tagging baggage is that it should hit the belt before other bags. It further beats the whole purpose when such luggage is lost in transit or pilfered.

Many frequent flyers also feel that despite having completed their profiles online with their seat and meal preferences, ground and cabin staff totally disregard these selections.

As many wind down their year, perhaps it is a good time for frequent flyers to review what their preferred carrier is offering them vis a vis the service promised then compare with the competition.

Remember: Your airline of choice needs and depends on your continued patronage to stay afloat.

Michael Otieno is an aviation consultant based in Nairobi. Twitter: @pmykee143, Email: [email protected]

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