Enhancements- missing the point ??

[smeacs]

I’m not a big FF at all, I like flying and I’m a plane fan but I never really manage to get status or anything when I book my tickets I often look for wats to travel on cool aircraft or via an airport that’s new or perhaps worth seeing.

Now on this forum there is a lot of complaining about the range of “enhancements” that have ruined frequent flying or owning status. I’m a tad more familiar with the Qantas changes but this seems to be consistent globally.

Now one thing that seems to be forgotten is how airlines seem to be picking the ball up in other areas you may not have some perks for free but it seems to be that there are a other positives in the industry that seem to be ignored for example

- QF and VA putting A330 on mainly Perth flights that have international standard fit out, which only came about because of competition.
- Business class products ( at least the seat) being of much higher standard and these almost private booth type arrangements.
- much smoother check in processes, well less queuing at least
- apparently ( due to my lack of experience) improved lounges every other week a new lounge with some fancy new thing is opened HK seems to be sitting at the top of the list for now. The airlines seem to think that the lounge experience is a big puller of customers and money is being spent here.
- personal IFE is now common place or supported on personal devices, I avoid LCC.
- even AA is trying to convince us it is picking up its game with the rollout of the new 777 product. ( yet to have this confirmed or not)
- Lufthansa has got its private terminal and drop-off service for high tier FF
- the Middle eastern airlines have seemingly opened the floodgates with premium travel standard

And the list goes on.

Now I acknowledge that many people may never have a chance to experience lots of this but I’d just like to question is it too easy to complain about the missing things than realise what is now available. Even if it’s not free?

 

[RooFlyer]

Hmmmm ... very fair comments and it is worthwhile looking at the bigger picture now and then.

While most of your list relates to the premium cabins/fares or high status (with attendant lounges etc), flying for all classes is generally cheaper now than most times in the past and some aspects of the experience in whY is also better (eg IFE), although the main thing is the seat you are flying in (especially long haul) and I don't think anyone would suggest that in Economy, that's gotten better.

From my perspective, 'enhancements' are annoying because they are usually chipping away at the margin / marginal services and they are often portrayed to us by the Airline spinners as actual 'improvements' (think of 'Simpler and Fairer™ ). I think if airlines just said "We are saving money by changing X and Y; this keeps a lid on fares etc etc ..." there would be less complaining . That said, some recent enhancements by Qantas have been costly for all pax (incorporating fuel fines into the main fare and not reducing them when the cost of fuel has reduced significantly). Paying hundreds of dollars for imaginary high fuel costs, which goes direct to QF's bottom line, outweighs the best lounge experience for me.

 

[Quickstatus]

Recent airline enhancements have all centred around the premium classes particularly and especially ultra first, first and business class. Y cabins do not feature in any advertising/marketing. I understand the battle is for the premium dollar where the margins are high while intense competition is squeezing the margins at the discount end.

My point is that full service airlines ignore non status passengers and best fare of day passengers at their peril. I encourage airlines to relook economy class to enhance the experience of that passenger segment. The biggest bugbear of the Y passenger is that the airline is always trying to scam them out of their last penny.

I have been reading about Southwest Airlines. Despite their LCC image they have been very profitable competing against legacy airlines. As I understand it their connection with their passengers is the one point of difference that other airlines have been unable to replicate. Essentially I think they have managed to give their passengers (who are all in the one cabin) the impression the airline is not there to squeeze the last penny out of them.

The best enhancement is to make flying enjoyable and stress free for ALL passengers irrespective of status.

 

[TonyHancock]

I think part of the problem is marketing spin. Instead of just coming straight out with the bad news the airlines seem to want to dress it up as fabulous news. The word enhancement has become notorious in this regard and is regularly used to describe changes that are the very opposite of its dictionary definition. It ends up making people cynical about anything described as an enhancement and consequently more critical of the airline responsible.

The OP makes some good points and in the twenty odd years that I have been flying long haul, across all cabins, the product has, for the most part, improved. Flyers want, and expect more, so when there are points devaluations and negative changes in frequent flyer programs there is always much venting of anger and frustration. I have certainly been guilty of that.

Thanks to Qantas the word enhancement will, for me, be forever linked with a reduction in benefits and service. I don't think that was the intent.