Ok!
So i have started my first ever blog.
The purpose..... DISSERTATION!!!!
I wanna write about airlines!
I do work for a scheduled airline .... as i like to call it THE PROPER AIRLINE!
I used to work for Ryanair ..... only for 6 months .... those days are gone.... thank God!
So i thought i will find out how has an appearance of low-cost airlines (like Ryanair or Easyjet) influenced the scheduled airlines. What has changed? Why people do choose cheap flights (apart of the obvious reasons - prices). Do we not care about the standards of the services that we pay for anymore?.....
Well well Karolina, I can see you are spot on with this course! Off the plane and already have your blog up and running !You go girl!
ReplyDeleteAm really looking forward to reading your dissertation and gaining an insight into airline companies and KAROLINA'S OPINION! lol BONNE CHANCE MI DEAR am with you all the way x
As customers, we do care about the service we pay for, but in the society we live in this has become prioritized and specialized. Time is the big issue nowadays, society has changed, major low cost airlines have made commuting possible to the grand majority of the medium class population who weren't able to afford it before. Now these relatively new type of passengers are aware of the fact that specialized customer service is awailable elsewhere, therefore planes have been taken off their "so very glamourous" status they held on the past to became a mere transport.
ReplyDeleteScheduled airlines offer the time factor, but their fares are too high for the vast majority, who would rather buy a coffe at the terminal and pay less for their tickets, knowig that the service offered provided on board has also gone down a lot in quality in my opinion.
Great blog Karolina! Will be interesting to see what people's opinions are on this!
ReplyDeletePersonally I would prefer to pay a little extra for a better service. I don't think Ryanair is that much cheaper when you have paid for check in and baggage and a taxi from the remote airport they use to where you actually want to be, and everything else...
Especially when things go wrong and flights are delayed and cancelled, the assistance you get with a low cost airline is really poor.
Hey Bec.
ReplyDeleteThank you:)
I do agree..... low-cost assistance..... no comment cause there is no assistance. But is it not because of them that the major airlines do lower their assistance standards and performance?? (BA as an example) :) ... millions of people at the airports with no hotel rooms provided for the night....
I am surprised to see your blog. It’s quiet interesting. I think you are the first one in the class who create the blog. Anyway, your subject is really nice as its related directly to your career and it could be social and practical. Good luck! I am looking forward for seeing your dissertation!
ReplyDeleteMojgan xxx
I am surprised to see your blog. It’s quiet interesting. I think you are the first one in the class who create the blog. Anyway, your subject is really nice as its related directly to your career and it could be social and practical. Good luck! I am looking forward for seeing your dissertation!
ReplyDeleteHey Mojgan!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Good luck to you too!
Looking forward to see your blog:)
Czesc miss P!
ReplyDeleteLow-cost airlines... are they a good thing? Hmmm... depends where you stand!
- Passengers: they get lower fares (most of the time), get to fly to more destinations (some of them in the back of beyond...), get more value for money (in theory), do not pay for frills they don't need, fly point-to-point (less misplaced luggage - Ryanair is a case in point), spend less time in crowded main airports... But the bottom line is: they're only in favour because it saves them money compared to "legacy"/regional airlines. However, the airports served are sometimes not main hubs, so they need to allow more time to travel to their destination.
- airlines: they get better use of their aircraft through higher daily use (short turnarounds, more daily sectors flown) since an aircraft in the air brings money while an aircraft on the ground costs money... They cut down on all "unnecessary" frills (frequent flyer programmes, airport lounges, most catering, check-in positions and ground handling staff), get more revenue from their workforce (by working them harder) and create competition for the "legacy" (i.e, traditional) airlines by bypassing their crowded hubs (where delays are common). They also get maximum revenue from non-flying services: on-board catering to be paid for, check-in fees, luggage fees/excess baggage, provision of car rental, hotel reservations, scratch cards, pre-paid sim cards, you name it! Some, like Ryanair, may actually get more revenue from this than from the actual flight fares!
- local airports: they were sometimes underused and get more traffic, more passengers, so more revenue. But sometimes that also means that they actually have to subsidize the low-cost flights (through free landing fees, handling, etc) so the whole business model is skewed: some low-cost routes only break even thanks to local subsidies, a bit like Publis Service Obligation routes, but they are not open for tender!So it's not even sure that local government/taxpayer/airports really benefit form the extra business...
- for crews/staff: low-cost usually means equivalent pay, but they have to work longer hours for it (i.e., their hourly rates are lower). Low-cost airlines often work them to the legal maximum (for instance, 900 flight hours per year for pilots in Europe), with minimum benefits outside pay and minimum days off work every month, etc. Flights become very repetitive with long working days (12hrs + is common) and minimum rest before the next one. Not sustainable in the long term (chronic fatigue etc.)
Someone mentioned the recent Colgan Air Dash8Q400 crash in the US; while Colgan is not a low-cost outfit but a franchise operator (similar to CityJet) for "major" airlines, it is managed like one. The First Officer involved in that accident was living with her parents on the West Coast since she couldn't afford to event rent near her NY base, and was paid less than a US hotel porter...
So the low-cost airlines have done away with all the glamour. But their management methods (including in HR departments) have now extended to most of the air transport industry and started a race to the bottom. We now see work contracts with conditions that would have been unthinkable 15 years ago.
One last thing: all those I know in the low-cost airlines see their job as a means to an end, they all do it to get a "proper" job since they can't imagine doing it for years. That means experience levels are not always as high as they should be.
The glamour? It's long gone!
Good luck on the dissertation!
well well well...low cost airlines and the way they changed aviation...there is so much to talk about!!! JP Rokacz has given an excellent introduction to low-costs.It must be said though that within the low cost idea, there is a lot of differences as well.In Europe the "most low cost of the low costs" is, as we all know, Ryanair. Cheap in every way. Ryanair has changed completely the way of travelling in Europe and has given the possibility to explore Paris, London or Rome to many people who before didn't even think of flying. In the US, same story with Southwest, the largest low cost in the world. The big difference between the two airlines is that Southwest still guarantees a complementary service on board. Another main difference "behind the doors" is about the working conditions...Ryanair is probably the most hated airline, if you want to join the airline, forget the word "union". You are left by yourself. New bases are open every month , which means flexibility and possibility of development, but routes and bases are cut as well with short notice without caring about the staff who has to move or just leave. Jobs can be created as they can be eliminated. Southwest instead is considered as one of the best airlines to work for and the employees are enthusiast about their company. It is at the same time the most unionised US airline and a company where the managers consider every single staff member as their main resource, not just as a number that can be repleaced at any time... In a way it is a shame that the arrival of the low cost business in Europe has brought the beginning of the end of the "Leaving the dream" mentality... but thank God, flying hasn't become completely cheap stuff yet... just try a trip in first class with Singapore Airlines or Emirates, or get a job in Air France or Klm...and you will see that we can still live our "good present days".
ReplyDeleteHey Carolina. This is really an interesting and up to date topic. I will be interested in your findings. Good luck :)
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