The Holidays Start When I Board My City

Ana Paula Delgado – Events Manager for the pharmaceutical industry for 10 years

We were received in her office in São Paulo and got to know that apart from traveling frequently to Switzerland, where the headquarters of her offices are, Ana Paula has made numerous trips around the world with groups of clients to Medical Seminars.

“Apart from having traveled mostly for work recently, I like traveling on holidays as well; when I can I look for interesting destinations”.

For future trips, Ana Paula would like to have the same tranquility and easiness at the check in as she has at the time of buying her ticket. Her wish is that the airlines start their differentiated service already on land and see her as an individual client - or know if she is traveling on a business trip or as a tourist. Everything today is mass produced. The ideal for Ana Paulo is for passengers to have customized treatment. If they are traveling with children and a lot of luggage: their needs would be more agility, a quicker check-in. According to her, mile programs alone are not enough to make clients loyal.

She also tells us that she would love a little more space onboard the planes, as well as a quicker and more pleasant service that does not stop her from relaxing or working - even when traveling coach. Ana Paula also dreams of a future with more direct flights.

“When the subject is holidays, the ideal would be to have an airline that could remind me that my holidays are coming up and offer me a differentiated package, with tips of places that I could visit at this exotic destination”.

To make the travel process even better, Ana Paula agrees that today the check-in is already done in a much simpler way at the terminal with only a code. “But technology could help you check-in your own luggage or assign your seat. It could also offer a menu with more options.”

She also imagines the day that a film will show the luggage getting put inside the airplane. "It could have a chip that could transmit a message to you mobile phone: 'your bag has just boarded.'"

“What a pleasant trip: a nice flight attendant, a good magazine, a good film and your bag on the same flight you are.”

Ana Paula thinks that one of the main things for an air trip to be pleasant is the service and the friendliness of both the ground crew and the flight crew. “The airlines have the opportunity to be in direct contact with its clients during nine or ten hours and do not take advantage of this contact". Sometimes they ruin an image that has taken a long time to build because of a rude answer or an unfriendly crew member. Its seems that some companies are not worried with the fact that once you lose a client it is very difficult to get him back.”

“When you leave the comfort of your house, be it for work or leisure, you cannot be mistreated. Same goes for the way back. You are happily returning home and many times the flight attendants can turn this into an unpleasant moment. A better service, more educated, should also exist for coach class. More care, mainly with the older passengers, a child, a person with longer legs or someone that has fear of flying. A flight crew can never be unfriendly. Service is normally better in business and first class. I travel in different classes and feel the difference.”

Ana Paula thinks that a differentiated airline should surprise and charm the passenger. “The surprise is what can captivate the client. If you are a frequent flyer, you know what to expect: the same little candy, the same magazine, etc.”

“When I traveled to the Maldiva Islands, I was surprised. When I got into the bungalow that had been reserved to me there were flowers on the table, wonderful music playing and a person welcoming me with a smile. The place was totally new to me but I felt very at ease. You feel like Cinderella, a princess”.

Ana Paula’s opinion is that the number of trips in general tends to increase. What will make a client choose one airline and not another will be the differential. “I think people are traveling more. The internet has incentivized people to know new places. Even though it is bringing these places closer to people, it is also generating curiosity. Also, traveling used to be a privilege of the rich and even companies prioritized directors when investing in executive travel. Today, sales conventions are held throughout the country. I think the trend is for this to increase.”

The companies that are first to discover a differential are the ones that will benefit.

Ana Paula comments on the low cost companies: "I don’t want to pay extra for anything. I like paying a fair price for what is offered to me. This kind of company scares me a bit because how does it manage to get to such a low cost? Apparently the space is small and there is less comfort, there are less flight options and there is less staff. I don’t think of so much on savings for me and my family. If you want to travel at any cost, o.k., but I want to enjoy the trip from the time I am boarding. It is already a part of the holiday. Business-wise it is the same thing. If the company buys a cheaper ticket for an employee, it is not necessarily keeping him motivated. Much less so if it uses this less expensive service for a client."

Ana Paula has never traveled Emirates, but for her, it is a brand associated with luxury and comfort. It is almost a consumption dream. She wished Emirates would fly to some of the more common destinations like Paris, Rome, and London. Or maybe she would choose Dubai as a holiday destination only to fly Emirates.

"My friends who have traveled Emirates spoke about the friendliness of the flight attendants and the comfort. There is glamour. It would be like going back to the days when air travel was an event. People would get dressed, prepared a special suit for the trip.... I think the event should start the moment you buy the tickets from Emirates. The holidays don’t start when I reach my destination. They start when I board in my city. It seems to me that Emirates treat their clients in a different way. I hope they deliver what they promise. A special way of traveling."