Kim Penstone, of Marketing Web, makes a brilliant point in her latest contribution (click here for article). Flying is not glamorous, yet many airlines use glamour as the basis of their advertising and marketing campaigns. Its time for them to get real. Kim’s argument is irrefutable, except for one thing: Boomers have an odd passion for flying. They mourned the death of Concorde, and they often stop near the airport to just look at the airplanes. Maybe its because flying was the stretching of the horizon for them when they were young (Gen Xers have a similar love affair with technology, like laptops and iPods). Whatever it is, the airlines need to get over it.
One of the greatest opening lines of any book is from the late Douglas Adams, Dirk Gentley’s Holistic Detective Agency (I quote from memory). “It is no surprise that the phrase ‘As sexy as an airport’ has never entered the English language”.
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As I sat on a plan last night, having been upgraded to Business Class, I thought about the women ’serving’ me, and wondered if they enjoyed what they did? why did they want to be steward-trons? Calling me Mr Bramley, and waiting on me, with trays, and ‘fancy’ food, treating me as if I was some kind of royalty. It just didn’t seem right to me. A sham I thought to myself. Exactly some of what you’ve just commented on.
Why do airlines feel like they need to pretend that I’m impressed with that kind of treatment? I’m more akward that impressed, being treated like that. Certainly I apreciated the bigger seats, but the whole ‘waiting’ on me is a little over the top.
So yes I agree. I think it’s a generational thing. I think it’s some kind of something you buy into, and then are impressed with.
I just wish low-cost airlines didn’t have to mean shocking service. I can do without all the frills, but why does low-cost equal terrible attention to detail?
Interesting article there Graeme, She actually makes flying sound worse than catching a taxi, ha ha ha
Now someone shares my sentiments, i always think flying is like catching a taxi on air, the only difference is you get served, but then the low cost flying came into play and hey now i don’t know the difference. Thats why to some extent, i still appreciate the “Good Morning Miss Neo, can i worship the ground you walk on” type of service unlike Nuf Sed.
Since flying is like “taxi” on air,therefore up until we can get our own cars which equates “private jets” i guess we will have to bear with the airlines