Eric Tanner Sees Loyalty and Operability as the Future of Airline Differentiation

As airlines adapt to tighter capacity, rising costs, and evolving traveler expectations, Eric Tanner, Chief Commercial Officer at Flair Airlines, sees opportunity for reinvention.

Tanner believes the industry is entering an era where brand identity and reliability carry as much weight as low fares and network reach. Ahead of Skift Aviation Forum, he shares how Flair is redefining efficiency, what he sees as the industry’s biggest misconceptions, and why he believes loyalty programs are due for a shake-up.

What trends in aviation are you most excited about right now?

“I get very excited watching airlines decommoditize their products. I think it is leading to interesting, customer-friendly product innovation and helps give you a better sense of how individual airlines view themselves and the world they serve.

I would argue that loyalty programs have not seen this evolution, yet. After the round of airline mergers in the early 2010s, we saw airline loyalty programs become more homogeneous.

I think that is the next frontier of product differentiation. I expect we will start to see airlines differentiate their loyalty value proposition more, based on where they are competitively in this economic cycle. That will be exciting to watch.”

What challenges in the aviation industry do you think are often misunderstood or underestimated?

“I think many people believe in the cycles of post-deregulation airlines: legacy carriers see costs rise, new entrants come in with lower unit costs, and so on. I don’t think that is possible anymore. 

Our airports and airspace are more constrained than ever. There just isn’t the space for new entrants like there used to be. Could you imagine getting 75 peak slots at JFK today, like JetBlue got in 2000 when it launched?

The push towards premium traffic has as much to do with the post-Covid K-shaped recovery as it does with airlines using finite resources (slots, gates, etc.) for their highest value customers. 

We will need to work hard, particularly in North America, to ensure that air travel remains accessible to all.”

How are you balancing growth and operational efficiency in a changing travel landscape?

“Over the past few years, we have had to do a lot of trust earning at Flair. As a result, we have likely over-invested on operational efficiency relative to the standard low-cost playbook. 

On time performance is something we want to be known for and we feel it is a place where we can differentiate ourselves in a crowded market. That calculus is different for every airline, based on their business model, reputation, geography, etc. 

That said, while it often feels like there is this tension between adding revenue vs. improving operational efficiency, it is worth noting that running an on-time operation saves significant costs, while also increasing the lifetime value of your customers by increasing their propensity to return. 

Therefore, I perhaps place more value on operability than the cliché commercial person.”

Where do you see the biggest opportunities—or risks—for the airline industry in the next 3–5 years?

“I would expect most airline executives to discuss the fleet, and I will too. Between supply chain disruptions on airframes and cost/maintenance pressures on this new generation of engines, the issues around growing and maintaining the world’s passenger aircraft fleet won’t work themselves out until the end of the decade. 

As a result, we will continue to see average fleet ages creep up. This creates opportunities for intrepid airline planners though, who will have more depreciated assets to deploy. 

We are already starting to see that network creativity from some airlines, and I expect that trend to continue.”

Hear More from Eric Tanner at Skift Aviation Forum

Eric Tanner has a clear-eyed view of how airlines can thrive in an era defined by constraint, competition, and customer scrutiny. His emphasis on operational trust, loyalty innovation, and product differentiation reflects the evolution underway across global aviation.

At Skift Aviation Forum 2025, taking place on December 3 in Fort Worth, Texas, aviation leaders will explore how airlines can turn efficiency into brand strength, balance accessibility with profitability, and prepare for the next decade of fleet and loyalty transformation.