American Airlines turns to customers to sell its fares
By CYNTHIA WILSON
Post-Dispatch
03/02/2003 10:15 PM
For months American Airlines has been trying to convince travelers, without much success, that its airfares are competitive with low-fare carriers such as Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways.
Now the world''s largest carrier is turning to customers who recently flew the airline to help deliver the message.
The airline, based in Fort Worth, Texas, will launch a three-month advertising campaign today that features real travelers bragging about the low fares they paid to fly American and the benefits that came with their
purchase.
American representatives spent three days in January asking randomly selected customers at their hub in Chicago what they paid to fly the airline and if the customers believe they got a good deal, said Rob Britton , director of advertising for American Airlines.
Of the 400 customers interviewed, 30 agreed to appear in television, radio and print ads, Britton said.
In the 30-second television spots that will make their debut in St. Louis and Chicago, customers yell out their names and the one-way fare ( they paid for tickets to places like New York, San Diego, Phoenix and Kansas City.
In two other spots, the passengers also talk about getting frequent-flier miles they can redeem toward travel to Paris and Hawaii, and that they had more room to stretch their legs during the flight. The commercials end with a spokesman saying, Next time, get a great, low fare and a lot more airline.
The campaign''s theme extends to newspaper ads and radio spots that include tips on how travelers can find low fares on the airline.
American is launching the ads in Chicago and St. Louis because the airline has a hub in both cities. The ads will begin March 31, in New York City, Los Angeles and on select national cable channels.
Last summer, American launched a newspaper and radio ad campaign to tell travelers that they could get more bang for their buck flying its international network. But American''s research shows consumers
continue to believe it costs more to fly the airline, Britton said.
The mindset is costing American, which lost $3.5 billion last year, revenue to discount carriers who now compete with American on 82 percent of its flights in the U.S., Britton said.
Britton acknowledged that the perception of American''s pricing is partly driven by the higher fares passengers pay if they buy a ticket within 24 hours of their trip. But, he said, full-fare tickets, as they are called, account for less than 10 percent of American''s revenue.
The growth of the low-cost carriers over the last 10 years has crowded out the idea that incumbent carriers are not price competitive, Britton said. We really need to continue to chip away at the misconception in the
marketplace that we do not offer low fares.
As speculation continues that American could join rivals United Airlines and US Airways Inc. in bankruptcy, Britton wouldn''t say how much American is investing in the campaign. But he called the investment substantial.
In addition to television, radio and newspaper ads, American will run ads on billboards, mass transit trains and bus panels, Britton said.
We have a business objective ... to make more progress convincing the marketplace that we are price competitive, Britton said.
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Why isn''t the management using TV and magazine ads to promote U and now the codeshare with UA more?? Unless you live on the airline like I do, most PAX don''t even know what is happening with your company. Other than the bimonthly threats to liquidate you. Tell your BOSSES to start promoting this fine airline.
By CYNTHIA WILSON
Post-Dispatch
03/02/2003 10:15 PM
For months American Airlines has been trying to convince travelers, without much success, that its airfares are competitive with low-fare carriers such as Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways.
Now the world''s largest carrier is turning to customers who recently flew the airline to help deliver the message.
The airline, based in Fort Worth, Texas, will launch a three-month advertising campaign today that features real travelers bragging about the low fares they paid to fly American and the benefits that came with their
purchase.
American representatives spent three days in January asking randomly selected customers at their hub in Chicago what they paid to fly the airline and if the customers believe they got a good deal, said Rob Britton , director of advertising for American Airlines.
Of the 400 customers interviewed, 30 agreed to appear in television, radio and print ads, Britton said.
In the 30-second television spots that will make their debut in St. Louis and Chicago, customers yell out their names and the one-way fare ( they paid for tickets to places like New York, San Diego, Phoenix and Kansas City.
In two other spots, the passengers also talk about getting frequent-flier miles they can redeem toward travel to Paris and Hawaii, and that they had more room to stretch their legs during the flight. The commercials end with a spokesman saying, Next time, get a great, low fare and a lot more airline.
The campaign''s theme extends to newspaper ads and radio spots that include tips on how travelers can find low fares on the airline.
American is launching the ads in Chicago and St. Louis because the airline has a hub in both cities. The ads will begin March 31, in New York City, Los Angeles and on select national cable channels.
Last summer, American launched a newspaper and radio ad campaign to tell travelers that they could get more bang for their buck flying its international network. But American''s research shows consumers
continue to believe it costs more to fly the airline, Britton said.
The mindset is costing American, which lost $3.5 billion last year, revenue to discount carriers who now compete with American on 82 percent of its flights in the U.S., Britton said.
Britton acknowledged that the perception of American''s pricing is partly driven by the higher fares passengers pay if they buy a ticket within 24 hours of their trip. But, he said, full-fare tickets, as they are called, account for less than 10 percent of American''s revenue.
The growth of the low-cost carriers over the last 10 years has crowded out the idea that incumbent carriers are not price competitive, Britton said. We really need to continue to chip away at the misconception in the
marketplace that we do not offer low fares.
As speculation continues that American could join rivals United Airlines and US Airways Inc. in bankruptcy, Britton wouldn''t say how much American is investing in the campaign. But he called the investment substantial.
In addition to television, radio and newspaper ads, American will run ads on billboards, mass transit trains and bus panels, Britton said.
We have a business objective ... to make more progress convincing the marketplace that we are price competitive, Britton said.
......................
Why isn''t the management using TV and magazine ads to promote U and now the codeshare with UA more?? Unless you live on the airline like I do, most PAX don''t even know what is happening with your company. Other than the bimonthly threats to liquidate you. Tell your BOSSES to start promoting this fine airline.
