Articles tagged “low-cost carriers”

Since the creation of American Airlines’ frequent flyer program, what was meant to be a simple scheme to encourage repeat business has evolved into a shadow currency funding a large business sector that reaches across to all travel products and to banking institutions. It’s difficult to imagine all of that crashing overnight, or that it would be allowed to crash at all. If Jacobs happens to be right, then it’s bound to crash eventually, but there should be time to see the bright lights coming from the opposite direction.

By crushing passengers knees, airlines might just be shooting themselves in the foot.

Here we have the secret of the Spirit ULCC formula for success: butts in seats. Butts in tight seats, even. You can build an entire industry around the 1%--and airline industry has--but the 99% are still going to want to fly.

Perhaps Baldanza spends a lot of time practicing his candor and approachability, but it's working.

By the standards of every other major U.S. airline, Southwest doesn't do anything right. Except prove them wrong on profits quarter after quarter after quarter.

How much inconvenience can you afford for a bargain basement fare?

With these direct jibes at Aer Lingus, it's clear there the feisty O'Leary we thought we'd lost to 'nice' is still alive and kicking.

Legacy carriers should stay on the high ground and market themselves as offering superior products as more passengers will discover the pitfalls of some low-cost carriers with their pay-for-everything-extra-but-a-seat model.

Southwest already has a lot on its plate without additional acquisitions: international expansion, a new reservations system and expansion of its ancillary service capabilities. With all of the consolidation in the U.S. airline industry, there is a lot less to buy even if Southwest had the inclination.

The similarities between the look and feel of the two brands is pretty clear, and Scoot's attempt to call Spirit out is a great way for the otherwise lightly known Southeast Asian carrier to become much better known in the U.S. using the same attention-getting tactics perfected by, who else, Spirit Air.