Aussie airline Qantas is asking consumers to ditch their Kindles and curl up with a good book — one that’s been specially penned by the airline so that fliers they’ll manage to finish just as their plane touches down. Droga5 Sydney, which won the client’s business last year, teamed with publishing house Hachette to create a push geared toward Qantas’ most traveled flyers. It’s called “Stories for Every Journey,” and is a collection of bespoke books, each of which promises to last only for the duration of one of the airline’s routes.

Stephanie Tully, CMO Qantas Loyalty, said the tactile experience and custom-created books are meant to reflect the sophistication of the brand. It’s a trait that’s Qantas is focusing on more than ever thanks to its recent partnership with luxury airline Emirates, which makes Dubai a key travel hub and opens the airline up to 65 destinations. The effort is aimed at the brand’s high-frequency travelers but is “just one of many conversations we’re developing with our members, from Bronze to Platinum One,” she said.

“It occurred to us that, in this world of Kindles and iPads, the last bastion of the humble, paperback novel is actually at 40,000 feet,” said Droga5 Sydney Creative Chairman David Nobay. “Just take a look at the bulging shelves at any airport bookstore. But, for all its relative clumsiness, there’s an unmistakably reassuring charm about thumbing through a good book as you recline amongst the clouds.”

Each book’s cover was designed by award-winning art director/designer Paul Belford, who was behind memorable campaigns for The Economist, Sony Playstation and Waterstones. What’s more, every book has a customized with a special foreward from Qantas and is packaged with a personal note from the CEO Alan Joyce.

The agency worked with Hachette to choose themes especially suited to Qantas Platinum Flyers, who skew male. Based on research, that means non-fiction, thrillers and crime-based short stories are the most popular choices.

So how did Droga5 managed to time the actual books to match the length of the flights?

“According to our literary friends at Hachette, the average reader consumes between 200 and 300 words per minute, which equates to about a page per minute,” said Mr. Nobay. That idea was applied more specifically to the shorter novels and flights, but “for the longer flights, we accommodated some napping time and meals,” Mr. Nobay said. “After a few hours with a fine Qantas in-flight meal with Australian Shiraz, most people need a break from reading.”

This story originally appeared on AdAge, a Skift content partner.

Additional links from AdAge:

• How Fenway Became About Much More Than Baseball
• Newsweek.com Redesign Aims to Be ‘Snow Fall’ on a Weekly Basis
• TBS and TNT to Stream All Their Programming Live

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Alaska Airlines tops the traditional carrier segment in the J.D. Power report. InSapphoWeTrust / Flickr

North American airlines earned their highest rating for passenger satisfaction since 2006, before the advent of baggage fees, in a survey showing the value of smiling employees, onboard Wi-Fi and mobile applications.

Customers reported better experiences with both segments of the industry, the traditional full-service carriers such as Delta Air Lines Inc. and low-cost competitors including JetBlue Airways Corp., market researcher J.D. Power & Associates said today in its 2013 North America Airline Satisfaction Study.

Travelers who checked in with a mobile app, surfed the Web in flight and consistently received warm service helped buoy airlines’ rankings, according to Westlake Village, California- based J.D. Power. The study found fewer objections than in the past to luggage charges and booking-change payments, which totaled a record $6.1 billion in 2012.

Traditional carrier segment

Based on a 1,000 point scale

Low-Cost carrier segment

Based on a 1,000 point scale

Source: J.D. Power & Associates 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study

“With each year, passengers are increasingly more accepting of carriers unbundling baggage and other fees,” Ramez Faza, senior manager of J.D. Power’s travel practice, said in a statement.

On a 1,000-point scale, customer satisfaction across the industry was 695, 14 points higher than in the 2012 survey, J.D. Power said. The score for full-service airlines rose 16 points to 663, and low-cost carriers gained one point to 755.

‘Negative impact’

While “charging for bags still has a pronounced negative impact on passenger satisfaction,” according to Faza, the study found that 37 percent of travelers who checked luggage said the fees are reasonable, up from 28 percent a year earlier. Airlines in the U.S. began adopting baggage fees in 2008.

The annual study was based on responses from 11,800 business and leisure fliers on “major” North American airlines and measures passenger satisfaction in seven categories: cost and fees; in-flight services; boarding, deplaning and baggage; flight crew; aircraft; check-in and reservations.

The largest year-over-year improvements involved boarding, deplaning and baggage, followed by check-in and aircraft.

Alaska Air Group Inc.’s Alaska Airlines ranked highest among carriers with at least two cabin classes, followed by Delta and Air Canada. The low-cost segment was led by JetBlue, Southwest Airlines Co. and Canada’s WestJet Airlines Ltd.

“Traditional carriers have improved significantly across all seven factors, and it is a positive sign to see them turn a corner and starting to rise again,” said Jessica McGregor, senior manager of J.D. Power’s global travel and hospitality practice.

Flight crew

Satisfaction with flight crews climbed to the highest since 2005. Travelers smiled at by employees at least occasionally had an average satisfaction score 105 points higher than those who never received one. The rating was 211 points higher for those who consistently got a smile, the study found.

In other ways, technology improved travelers’ experience by letting them bypass personal interaction with airline staff.

The survey showed 36 percent of passengers check in for flights online, while 15 percent use a mobile device, more than double the 6 percent share two years ago. Satisfaction was highest for users of mobile apps, at 866, followed by use of a mobile device, 853. Check-ins at a kiosk had an average score of 805, trailed by an 801 for queuing up at the main ticket counter.

J.D. Power & Associates is a unit of McGraw Hill Financial Inc.

Editors: Ed Dufner, John Lear. To contact the reporter on this story: Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at maryc.s@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Ed Dufner at edufner@bloomberg.net. 

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Correction: Cathay spokesperson says the SCMP story is not accurate. ”Unfortunately, the story in the South China Morning Post is not accurate.  Our representative simply confirmed our interest in the concept of a self-boarding device, not that any plans were underway.  Any infrastructure changes would be an initiative of the airport authority.”

Original curated post: Cathay Pacific is considering installing “self-boarding” gates at Hong Kong airport…to allow passengers to board without a manual document check by ground staff. Face-detection cameras at the checkpoints will recognise the passenger using biometric technology, freeing up airline staff.

In an experiment by Lufthansa at Frankfurt Airport, the airline found that using four self-boarding devices and two ground staff enabled it to halve the embarkation time for about 450 passengers to 20 minutes.

Air China is putting on trial two self-boarding devices at Beijing Capital International Airport. Kaba is helping set up similar self-boarding programmes in Singapore and Australia.

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John Torode and Gregg Wallace appointed official taste buds of Heathrow. / Heathrow

Two of UK’s best-known foodies have been appointed as the official taste buds of Heathrow. BBC’s Masterchef show star chefs John Torode and Gregg Wallace were tasked with eating their way around the UK’s only hub airport in 80 plates and to set Heathrow a six-month challenge to improve the airport dining experience. The duo were given access to all areas of the airport to sip, sample and savour dishes from Heathrow’s 73 restaurants and bars to better understand and improve the airport offering.

John and Gregg have tasked Heathrow’s food and beverage team with introducing healthier food choices across the terminals and asking them to champion British culinary talent. John and Gregg’s experiences are also being used to launch heathrow’s first food guide, “Food on the Fly”, which will provide passengers with an overview of the various dining options available in the airport.

Every year 26 million orders are placed at Heathrow’s restaurants and bars, which include options such as Caviar House and Prunier, Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food, Oriel and rhubarb, as well as high street shops such as YO! Sushi, Strada and Carluccio’s.

10,000 copies of “Food on the Fly” will be published and handed out to passengers, with a digital version available to download from Heathrow.com from July.

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The stylish, Finnish designed sleeping pods…feature a partial or fully enclosed sliding shade that isolates the customer from noise, light and crowds.  After an initial launch phase, the chairs will be upgraded to include Internet access, will include secure storage for luggage and other valuables, and will allow customers to charge their laptops, mobile telephones, and other electronic devices.  Passengers will be able to use the chairs at a rate of AED 45/hour (about $12) using a credit card.

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At the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in Colorado, the hotel recently brought on a Sleep Ambassador to train employees on the art of a restful night’s sleep. The hotel offers a Sound Sleep TV Channel…oxygen canisters to adjust to the altitude and slumber massages…In Berlin, the Swisshotel uses light therapy, aroma therapy, nutritional supplements and a sound pillow.

Even airlines are getting in on the trend. Starting this summer, Delta Airlines will provide Westin Hotels’ famous Heavenly Bedding in BusinessElite cabins.

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The pool at the Delano Hotel in Miami. Dan McQuade / Flickr

Kim Walker was the sixth employee at Morgans Hotel Group.

Straight out of Boston University, with a degree in finance and a minor in hotel management, she was hired nearly 22 years ago by none other than Ian Schrager. The famed American real-estate developer — credited with creating the “boutique hotel” segment and known for his days as owner of legendary New York club Studio 54 — gave her a job as a front-desk agent.

For Ms. Walker, joining Morgan’s was an intentional choice. She eschewed bigger hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott in favor of a more hands-on experience. And, boy, did she get it. She worked in virtually every department, including stints as a concierge, room-service manager, housekeeping staff and in sales. But there was a common thread in the things she enjoyed most, whether it was sending mailings for events to Mr. Schrager’s “movers and shakers” list or helping design uniforms. It all came back to the brand.

Today Ms. Walker is senior VP-marketing and creative director for the chain, which owns boutique brands like the Hudson, Delano and Royalton. She’s responsible for overseeing Morgan’s public relations, marketing, partnerships, online and digital presence, special events, uniforms and guest-room amenities. During the next two years, she’ll be instrumental in the brand’s expansion, which includes new hotels in the Bahamas; Istanbul; Moscow; Las Vegas; and Doha, Qatar. Ad Age recently caught up with her.

Ad Age: How do you convey the value of a luxury, boutique hotel in what’s largely a price-driven travel market?

Kim Walker: Our guests choose to stay at our hotels not just to sleep and have a bed. They want to experience our entire culture. Whether it’s our public spaces, nightlife or restaurants, you get the feeling that it’s more than just a place to sleep. We have created a very loyal customer base that knows what to expect when they come. Our guest experience is different than other hotel brands. For example, we aren’t formal — we are more interactive with our guests and make them feel like they are at a home-away-from-home and welcomed, but all while still providing great service. And by continuing to push the envelope with design, we are always trying to create lifestyle and restaurant venues that not just guests but also locals want to go to — which is really important — to hang out on the weekend. We give guests the essence of the city in which they are staying.

Ad Age: Are you working on modernizing the Morgan’s culture through new digital and mobile initiatives, like others in the hospitality industry?

Ms. Walker: Yes. Right now it’s all over the place. What our site looks like on mobile and on a tablet, it’s not consistent. Flash has prohibited us from doing the things we want to do. We’re also trying to bring [digital capabilities] more into the hotel so that you can experience them in the hotel and after you leave — pulling it through your entire stay. Over the past year and half we have been trying to figure out the plan for 2013, and we really felt that since consumers are relying heavily on mobile access it was going to be our key focus for this year. Also our last website was designed five years ago, so it’s time for that. [The goal is to have a new one live this summer]. We met with about eight different agencies from Seattle, New York, Los Angeles and Brooklyn and hired Firstborn. Firstborn did a fabulous job and showed us some interesting things and really stood out amongst all the companies. It’s probably two months since we’ve been into the project and we’re very in sync.

Ad Age: Each of your hotels are designed differently and have a unique aesthetic, unlike other hotel brands where customers know what to expect wherever they are in the world. What are the opportunities and drawbacks of having a brand that actually prides itself on inconsistency?

Ms. Walker: We absolutely don’t want to be a chain and be cookie-cutter where you expect the same thing every city you’re in. The design should reflect the city, and it’s very purposeful that way. We think it makes it more interesting for the guests. Relying on one design to carry us through for the next 15 or 20 years isn’t what we want to do; we’re always looking for up-and-coming designers. Our audience is very sophisticated and they don’t want the same all the time. The one drawback is that we’re starting from scratch each time we do that. Right now we’re opening eight hotels in the next two and half years. We would have a very easy life [if they all looked the same] but because each is different it makes it more challenging. But also more gratifying.

Ad Age: What do you think a loyalty program needs to be? And what has Morgan’s done to enhance its own?

Ms. Walker: Our loyalty program is called the Global Card and made up of our guests who have 25 stays or 50 nights over the course of the year, as well as tastemakers in design, art and fashion that we want coming to hang out at our hotels. We don’t give points away. We may offer discounts at our spas and restaurants and shops, but it’s more about having exclusive access to events or giving them a dedicated guest-services manager to help curate their stay — making them feel like it’s their own private concierge while they are staying with us, rather than a point program to cash in for free nights.

This story originally appeared on AdAge, a Skift content partner.

Additional links from AdAge:

• How P&G, Ford and Wendy’s Are Redefining Value
• The Manhunt for Media Screw-Ups
• Is the World Ready to Buy a Car Made in China?

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Chris JL / Flickr.com

If ticketing no longer holds much significance, why does the ticketing lobby still dominate the architecture of a terminal?

The idea of celebrating ticketing and check-in as the beginning of a journey is now anachronism. The arrival of a passenger to a community is the most significant moment in travel today, but airports continue to send arriving passengers down to a cramped, dark space on floors that sit below underutilized ticketing counters.

Isn’t it time we reversed this model? Shouldn’t the airport welcome arriving passengers and visitors with a celebratory experience in a spacious, naturally illuminated space on a terminal’s upper level? Can’t those increasingly few who need to check bags be accommodated on the floor below?

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Australian airline Qantas Airways has removed food items containing pork and alcohol from its in-flight menu on routes that transit through Dubai.

The move comes following the launch of a major global alliance between Qantas and Dubai-based Emirates Airline that came into force on April 1. The tie-up will see the two carriers collaborate on ticket pricing, scheduling and frequent flyer programmes.

The alliance has seen Qantas switch its hub for European flights from Singapore to Dubai, a Gulf emirate which adheres to Sunni Islam and strictly controls distribution of alcohol and pork, both of which are forbidden under the religion.

A Qantas spokesperson confirmed to Arabian Business via telephone on Sunday morning that the airline has removed all food products containing pork and alcohol on services to and from Dubai. The carrier will however continue to serve alcoholic drinks on these routes.

Qantas, which makes a loss on its international routes, said that following the announcement of the Emirates deal it had seen a sixfold increase in bookings to Europe on the joint network in the first nine weeks of sales compared to the same period last year.

The number of Emirates customers booked to travel on Qantas’ domestic network is almost seven times higher than under Qantas’ previous partnership arrangement in the same nine week period, a statement said.

Combined the two airlines will offer 98 flights a week between Australia and Dubai. Qantas will continue to operate its A380 services from Sydney and Melbourne through to London.

The partnership is expected to benefit Australian tourism, with both airlines developing a global marketing campaign to promote Qantas destinations that are now part of the extended Emirates network.

© 2013 ITP Business Publishing Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

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The study, the annual Airline Quality Rating report, looks at four major areas of airline performance: mishandled bags, on-time arrivals, denied boardings and customer complaints.

The airlines’ performance looks good on the surface, said Dean Headley, a Wichita State University associate professor of marketing and co-author of the 23-year-old report. Besides complaints, the number of denied boardings also rose.

“On the whole, people are still unhappy,” Headley said.

One reason for the increased number of complaints may stem from the fact that airlines have taken planes out of service and reduced the number of seats available to more closely match supply and demand. Flights are full, which is good for the airlines, Headley said.

“But for the passengers, if that cancellation or delay or that schedule change happens, it doesn’t mean they will get on the next airplane,” Headley said. “It may be a day or two wait.”

Ten years ago, airlines could break even when load factors ? how full a flight was ? were about 65 percent, Headley said. Today, with the fuel crisis and fuel price increases, load factors must be up around 78 to 80 percent for airlines to break even.

“I can understand why the airlines want to have more full flights,” he said.

That strategy resulted in airlines making money last year, he said.

“You’re not throwing money down a rat hole anymore if you buy airline stocks,” Headley said.

Airlines can now invest in new equipment ? which is good for Wichita, where parts for commercial airplanes are built ? upgrade systems, renovate planes or do other things they need to do, he said.

Airline consolidations also tend to mean lower performance and increased complaints for the airlines involved. In a consolidation, “you have a period of time, usually it’s a year or two, when things don’t go well,” Headley said.

In 2010, United Airlines and Continental merged. Customer complaints to United were up last year, he said.

More mergers are in store

AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines merged two years ago, and Southwest is in the midst of combining the two systems. American Airlines and US Airways also plan to merge.

Last year, the largest number of passengers complaining to the Department of Transportation, 33 percent, complained about flight problems.

Fifteen percent complained about reservations, ticketing and boarding issues; 14 percent complained about customer service issues, while 12 percent complained about baggage issues.

Time will tell what, if any, effect sequestration will have on airline travel, Headley said. If the Transportation Security Administration cuts back or furloughs workers because of budget cuts, passengers may face longer security lines at airports around the country. That means consumers may have to arrive at airports earlier to deal with longer wait times.

The Airline Quality Rating report uses information from the Department of Transportation. The ratings are viewed each year by more than 75 million people, according to the report.

Other findings from the report include:

• An increase in on-time arrivals from 80 percent in 2011 to 82 percent in 2012
• A decrease in mishandled bags from 3.35 bags per 1,000 passengers in 2011 to 3.07 per 1,000 passengers in 2012
• An increase in denied boardings from 0.78 per 10,000 passengers in 2011 to 0.97 per 10,000 passengers in 2012
• An increase in customer complaints from 1.19 per 100,000 customers in 2011 to 1.43 per 100,000 passengers in 2012

(c)2013 The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.). Distributed by MCT Information Services. 

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