Southwest Airlines - The No Fees Brand
May 31, 2008 by Susan Gunelius
Filed under Advertising
In a market flooding with extra fees, Southwest Airlines is striking back with a no fees message. Whether the cause is rising fuel costs or airlines trying to line their pockets, no one knows for sure, but consumers are feeling the crunch from the myriad of extra fees and reduced services that airlines are embracing.
Here are a few changes being made by airlines in recent months that hurt consumers:
- First bag fees (that’s in addition to fees for bags after the first that have already been in place for awhile)
- No more pretzels and snacks or snack and beverage fees
- Fuel surcharges
- Fees for phone reservations
- Curb-side check in fees
- Ticket-change fees
- Fees for breathing the air inside the plane cabin
Okay, I’m kidding with the last one, but you get the point.
What can an airline do to differentiate itself from the competition in 2008? Start an ad campaign that highlights the lack of fees your airline charges and the many services your airline continues to provide. That’s what Southwest Airline is doing with an ad campaign that launches on Monday. Makes sense to me. In fact, if I were planning to fly somewhere, I’d definitely check Southwest’s rates first.
What do you think of the Southwest Airlines no fees message?
Image: Southwest.com
I think this is definitely a smart business decision on Southwest’s part! Give the people exactly what they want, and they will come!