Travel recovery watch: International travel and spending up says Department of Commerce

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Last May, 3.6 million non-stop air passengers left the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Who cares? Well, the travel industry does, as this indicates an 8 percent year-over-year increase and the fifth month to show a gain since December 2009. The top outbound markets were Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and Mexico. Air travel was up for the Caribbean, Asia and Mexico, with Europe posting a decline of 1 percent year-over-year for the month of May. Departures to Mexico, the Middle East and Oceania showed the strongest growth: 68 percent, 19 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

For the first five months of this year, outbound air traffic ticked 3 percent higher compared to the same period in 2009, hitting 15.1 million. And, positive growth occurred in five of the eight overseas regions, the U.S. Department of Commerce reports.

While the growth story is solid, don’t forget that were measuring against a severely depressed baseline. Travel and tourism spending was in the tank last year, following the global financial crisis triggered in September 2008. Though the numbers are headed in the right direction, the road to a full recovery remains long.

What is interesting is that more Americans are traveling, and they’re spending more while doing so, showing that the travel market recovery may have some legs. U.S. travelers spent $2.4 billion on foreign air carriers in May 2010, a year-over-year surge of 19 percent.

[photo by uggboy via Flickr]

Top five reasons passengers are getting nastier

by Tom Johansmeyer on

As much as passengers complain about airline employees (and we do), we give them reason to complain about us. And, we complain about each other. There’s clearly no risk of a love-fest breaking out in the gate area, and if you look closely, you can see how the situation will only get worse. There are all kinds of conditions set to make air travel miserable (well … more so), and that means everyone involved will wind up getting a little nastier. Here are the top five reasons why:

1. We have no space, and there will be more of us on the plane: the lack of legroom isn’t exactly new, but everything around it is going to get worse. In the wake of the financial crisis, airlines cut flights to shave expenses and boost revenue per available seat-mile (RASM). This means the odds of having an empty next to you have dropped.

2. There will be more of us in the air, too: the economy is turning the corner, and businesses are starting to spend some money again. Look for more business travelers on the road, which will make flights even more crowded.3. We’re thinking about value: because of economic conditions (including high unemployment), we’re now acutely aware of what every dollar we spend means. A reclining passenger translates to the erosion of a purchase – “That’s my space!” We want as much for our money as possible. So do the people next to us, in front of us and behind us. Elbow room is a zero-sum game: there will be losers.

Want to make the situation worse? The coming increase in passengers will likely bring with it an increase in fares. So, an economic recovery means we’ll effectively be paying more for less. I don’t know who fails to crack a smile over that!

4. Let’s not forget about the service: beyond economic conditions and market drivers (e.g., RASM), there is another airline factor at play. We need to be realistic, here: this industry has a long-standing reputation for delivering abysmal service. Passengers know this and expect an uncomfortable experience, so they get primed for it. Remedying this will take concerted effort by airlines – and it will require years of unrequited love.

5. There’s no shortage of blame, and it’s everywhere: airline employees think passengers are unreasonable, demanding and often inappropriate. Passengers think airline employees feel (and act like they’re) entitled, self-obsessed and controlling to an unwarranted degree. Our zeal to point fingers only makes the situation worse for everyone. Passengers are getting nastier because we expect the worst, and crews expect nastier passengers. We’d all rather win than fix the situation.

[photo by Pink Sherbet Photography via Flickr]

Was there a silver lining to that volcanic ash cloud?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Well, no. Millions of people– and not just air travelers– were affected by that giant cloud of volcanic ash that cancelled flights into and out of Europe last week, including flower salesmen in Kenya, potential organ transplant recipients in Germany, and injured U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But some are now declaring that there’s a silver lining to the Great Smoke Monster Uprising of 2010. Keith Sawyer, a psychology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, says that gridlock at the airport might actually be good for travelers because it will help them rediscover their inherent “creativity.” From the article:

Like it or not, stranded travelers around the globe are suddenly finding themselves with a lot of unscheduled time on their hands, and idle time is a key ingredient to becoming more creative in your personal and professional lives, says Sawyer.

As Russ Roberts points out, the only explanation for Sawyer’s odd hypothesis is that the man has never had his flight canceled or delayed.

Sawyer is not alone in trying to decipher a minuscule, probably illusory bright spot in a sea of horribleness. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks it will be a boon for the upcoming Pittsburgh Marathon. (Woo-hoo!) Elsewhere, investment bankers may stand to profit. (Double woo-hoo!) And FedEx also sees a possible silver lining in the mess.

While I admire the optimism, can’t we all just agree that the interruption of air travel into and out of Europe for almost a week was a completely awful thing? No silver lining. No “but on the other hand…” Thousands of people lost loads of money, many others were inconvenienced beyond belief, still others didn’t receive the medicines (or organs!) they needed. It is a little like pointing out that 9/11 was terrible but at least it “brought the country together.” No, it was terrible, period. So was last week.

For a more thoughtful consideration of the implications of the recent air travel disruption, check out Eric Weiner’s piece over at World Hum “Seven Lessons from the Great Volcano Shutdown of 2010.”

The best airline safety announcement videos

by Gadling Staff on

Air travelers have all been there — the plane is about to take off, but first we have to awkwardly look away or bury our noses in magazines to avoid paying attention to the safety announcements. They’re the same every time, so we always know that the closest exit may be behind us. But a few savvy airlines have come up with better ways to grab passengers’ attention. From stripping down to rapping, here are some of the best airline safety announcements you’ll see on board.

Thomson Airways
British airline Thomson Airways knows that cuteness always gets attention. When a plane full of adorable kids tells you how to buckle your seatbelt, you’re sure to listen:

Air New Zealand
If cute doesn’t work, sex always sells. Take this Air New Zealand video, which encourages passengers to “take a second look” at safety — and the body-painted flight crew:

To further prove they have a sense of humor, Air New Zealand released a blooper reel of the clips that didn’t make the safety video. After all, reciting lines wearing body paint can’t be too easy:

Delta Airlines
Delta is a little more subtle with its sexy announcements — but every person in the video is ridiculously attractive, with perfect teeth and not a hair out of place. YouTube commenters have even dubbed the main announcer “Deltalina” for her resemblance to Angelina Jolie:

Virgin America
International airlines aren’t the only ones who get to have fun. Take Virgin America’s safety video, which pokes fun at the various characters found on a typical flight:

Southwest Airlines
Southwest is known for its funny flight crews. This flight attendant brings the entertainment with a safety rap:

This Southwest attendant makes announcements American Idol-style, singing a parody of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies:”

Virgin Atlantic
When in doubt, use flashy graphics. Virgin Atlantic puts passengers at ease with its calming music and intriguing animation:

All that and a bag of SunChips: Brand-marketing targets air travelers

by Laurel Miller on

Is nothing sacred? It used to be that one of the few places you could escape the never ending onslaught of advertising was the bathroom, but even that’s changed, as public urinals and toilets have become mini-billboards.

That’s one of the few niceties of flying- it provides you with an excuse to turn off the Blackberry, close your eyes (to block out the ads posted to the seat back or on the in-flight TV monitor), and escape for awhile. Have a drink, a little snack…

Wait a minute. Is that…an advertising slogan on your peanuts? Brand in the Hand, a California-based company, now offers third-party advertisers the opportunity to repurpose snack bags, beverage cups, cocktail napkins and other on board consumables into promotional vehicles.

Explains Darrin Sarto, Director of Brand in the Hand, “Having that snack is a very positive part of the flight. You had to go through security, lug your baggage around, get seated and all of the [sic] sudden, the flight attendants are handing you a free bag of peanuts. And, oh, there’s a message to read.” Kind of like a fortune cookie…only totally invasive.

This month, Hilton Garden Inn initiated a campaign on board Delta flights advertising its “Cook-to-Order” meals on peanut and pretzel bags. Expect to see other Brand in the Hand ads on AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Southwest, and United.

“Getting our brand message in the hands of consumers…in the act of travel and thinking about hotel choices is an ideal marketing moment for us,” Jim Cone, Vice President of Marketing at Hilton Garden Inn, said in a release. How thoughtful.