USA Today has another dismal air travel story. To a large extent, the airline industry has become a group of companies offering a generic product. Flight is a commodity now. Most airlines look pretty much like the others.
And most of them are making travelers miserable. And most of them are in perilous financial condition.
At some point, an airline (perhaps new, or perhaps a bold existing airline) will set out to create a new airline that is different. It won't be a commodity airline, it will be different, better, and attractive to the market.
It won't be easy, but this airline will reinvent air travel, similar to how Apple reinvented music retailing. And customers will flock to it. I travel enough that I'm frustrated with air travel. I'd be willing to pay more to travel by air if I had an attractive airline to do it with. But airlines are busy following each other into the dumper.
I don't know when this will happen, but it will happen. And I can't wait. One company will realize that they can't simply follow the lead of fellow poor-performing airlines. They'll realize they need to forge new ground.
Sometimes you just need to quit being a "me, too" seller. Innovate. Create. Improve.
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Skip Anderson is the Founder and President of Selling to Consumers, a B2C sales training and consulting company. Subscribe to the free Selling to Consumers Sales Tips Newsletter.
Skip, I am surprised by this myself. I am a bigger guy... Well not very tall, but I am broad shouldered and a bit thicker than most from years of playing rugby (I'm a hooker), and the one thing that drives me nuts is spending hours rubbing shoulders with strangers while I am wedged into a seat that hasn't fit properly since I was about 14.
I would pay more just for a good seat with no additional amenities.
I guess as long as they all chase each other and we keep flying there will be no change though.
It's a bummer...
-Brad
Posted by: Sales Management 2.0 | 03 August 2008 at 09:17 PM