Travel Marketing – Post COVID 2022 Boom
After an extremely frustrating 2 years of COVID chaos, testing, and cancelled flights; the esteemed travellers and tourists of our generation are more than eager to get back on flights and see more of the globe… but how have the airlines, travel agents and airports manoeuvred in the uncertain post-COVID climate?
At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, most airlines globally hit a halt and had to cancel every single flight they had available to the public, both already booked and pretty much all the upcoming flights due to the major uncertainty. This left passengers, employees, airlines, and airports all in limbo about the future of the business of aviation.
But in terms of the UK, the controversial furlough scheme benefitted most people working in the industry, and other government funding helped keep the industry afloat for the 2 years of chaos and limbo.
In 2020, industry revenues were around $328 billion in total, while that may seem an astronomical figure to some, that was around 40% of the income to that of the previous year – for wider context, it was the same ballpark figure as the one in 2000. So, the impact that COVID had on the aviation industry was decimating and certainly not to be underestimated. The sector is also expected to be much smaller for years to come, as McKinsey & Company projects traffic to only hit the heights of 2019 in 2024, whether that be due to economic impacts from the pandemic or hygiene or COVID worries. The industry has a lot of groundwork to put in to be back where it once was.
In terms of creating adequate cash flow, budget airlines have had to work the hardest yet not so hard to regain the same level of passengers as they once had. Unlike operators like Fly Emirates, Etihad Airways and co., airlines such as Jet2, RyanAir, and EasyJet all rely on large amounts of passengers on hundreds of flights a day all over Europe, however the fact that they are cheaper than the other alternatives helped them in their bid of recovery, with the familiarity of their branding and marketing playing a key factor in this.
Another reason why the budget airlines have benefitted more so than more expensive airlines and tour operators is that they are exclusively only flying to Europe, which has more relaxed rules re; COVID checks to enter the country, as it is usually the standard now to just show vaccination / negative status, just another small check in comparison to the hassle of travel. Compare this to operators like TUI and Emirates, who offer flights all around the globe, with those further away tend to be the big hitters in terms of profits, with flights to places like Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, and the USA. All these new stricter COVID regulations, VISA applications, and the more expensive deals all contribute to avid and sporadic jet setters settling for a cheap getaway to Europe for bedding back into the luxury of travel.
In terms of marketing, familiarity is key. Jet2 are probably the staple in the aviation industry in mastering this, and you all probably already know what I am going to say. Hold my Hand by Jess Glynne is the song most of the UK and probably Europe associate with the airline, and it has helped them build a stronger bond and relationship with their customers, which will certainly bode well in a time of economic crisis whereby passengers’ choice of airlines is critical when it comes down to whether a business stays afloat or not.
In comparison, RyanAir has opted for a more comedic approach. Their social media presence, more specifically on TikTok is the brand acting like more of a personal account rather than a professional, business account. This type of move would usually be seen as risky pre-pandemic, but as I have mentioned in many previous blogs, this has been an increasingly popular strategy for brands such as DuoLingo etc, where they almost push the boundaries with their content, jump on trends and make people feel less disconnected and more affiliated with the airline. This could be coupled with the fact that they are a budget airline, sell flights for as little as about £10 one way, and have a reputation from some judgemental members of the public for being unreliable, cheap, and flimsy. However, they have successfully cultivated and created a relationship turning into brand loyalty, particularly with the younger generation who will always be on TikTok and are constantly looking for cheap adventures around the continent, they have certainly hit the nail on the head with their marketing strategies.
Other airlines and parts of the aviation industry have not been as successful. I’m more than sure that you will have seen the ridiculous queues at airports around the UK, with people in certain airports having to wait more than 4 hours to check in for their flight to be delayed or cancelled. This has been particularly the case with TUI, which has suffered a dramatic hit to their once reliable reputation as they in recent months have cancelled hundreds upon hundreds of flights across Europe, however, have kept all their long-haul flights due to the cash influx that they receive from them. In contrast to their budget counterparts, the airline has essentially been radio silent on social media about the issue and has been bombarded with tonnes of negative feedback, which ended up faring into another big win for the budget airlines in this scenario.
However, airports like Manchester have capitalised on their large queues more positively. Instead of focussing on the fact that there are no queues due to a lack of staff as they had to lay off several members of staff that worked in the airport due to the pandemic, they are using it to earn more money to build back profits and reinvest into the airport to make it more successful again. They are promoting their paid services such as fast-track security and access to their premium and exclusive airport lounges, as ways to beat the mad lines and hustle and bustle, and they have monetised this successfully, while subtly advertising for multiple job vacancies to help get the airport back on its feet. Time will only tell though whether this will be a successful strategy, whether the paid incentives will drive passengers away to cheaper alternatives, or whether convenience will prevail…
Are you getting away this year to get back from the holidays you missed during the pandemic?
