Larsen Idealog

The Experience of Flight

Having flown around the US quite a bit the past couple months I've found that the air travel industry could stand to benefit greatly from a little experience design. With the increased security found at the airport and the financial trouble many of the legacy carriers are experiencing, it is apparent that the excitement and ease that had previously been associated with air travel is a thing of the past. But the opportunities are there to make the whole experience of air travel better for everyone involved, traveler and carrier.

In the early 50s there was only one class of flight, first class. This accompanied by the fact that ticket prices were regulated by the International Air Travel Association (IATA) made airliners compete on the basis of service. These were the days of luxurious air travel;  stewardesses, blankets, meal service, alcohol, cigarettes, seats the size of lay-z-boys. Each airline touted their services and amenities over the competition and service was always the top priority. In one instance a Pan-Am flight was forced to crash land in a field, after everyone was evacuated safely, coffee and tea were served by the flight attendants with the passengers sitting on Pan-Am blankets in the middle of the field until help arrived.

It was soon realized that if each flight could carry more people, carriers could make more money. And so 'tourist class' was created. With less leg room and fewer amenities came a cheaper ticket. This development, along with the deregulation of ticket prices, made air travel a reality for many people who previously could not afford it, but it also started the race to the bottom that has left us with the air travel system we have today, with carriers competing almost entirely on price alone. While this level of competition has worked for a number of years the emergence of low-cost carriers and the hassle and wait times of increased security have thrown many of the legacy carries into financial straits, causing them to cut flights and staff, reduce services, and even merge with other carriers.

All this has lead to a general malaise towards air travel. It is no longer a special treat to fly, it is a necessary evil that only gets in the way of doing business, visiting friends and family, or taking a vacation. It has become a commodity. Although, there is one airline that is taking steps to break the old out-dated model of air travel; Sun Country. I must say right now that I love Sun Country. I am a brand advocate, brand evangelical, believer, whatever. I don't care what label you use, the important thing is that I appreciate what they do and how they do it, so much so that I fly with them whenever possible and encourage my friends and family to do the same. So why do I like Sun Country so much? Because they are returning to the original model of the service oriented air carrier. Not only do they have cheap prices but I actually get the impression that they want me to be comfortable and enjoy myself, not only on their flights but throughout the whole process of traveling with them. Here are some examples in chronological order.

Ticket Purchase
When I purchase a ticket on the Sun Country website it is easy to navigate and fairly well designed. Let me point out that while the fares on Sun Country may be cheaper it is the experience here that is important. If the ticket price is reasonable on Sun Country, I'll purchase it without comparison shopping because I'm loyal to the experience they provide.

At the Airport
Here in Minneapolis, Sun Country flies out of the Humphrey terminal. This terminal is much smaller than the main Lindbergh terminal. It is easier to find my way around, easier to park, and less gates means less flights which means less people which means less time spent waiting in line at security. The Humphrey terminal also boasts a recent remodel and Herman Miller benches. Cool.

On a recent return flight from Dulles International in Washington checking in was a breeze. This is also a product of fewer flights. The Northwest and United lines were miles long, while the one for Sun Country was just a few people.

Sun Country also lets me upgrade to a fist class seat if it's available for only an additional $75! Some other carriers might also do this but I wouldn't know because I only fly Sun Country. And if I do have to fly another carrier I'm usually so upset with the parking and the terminal and security all I do is listen to my iPod at the gate anyways.

Boarding
The last time I flew Sun Country, as I was walking down the aisle to find my seat I noticed some music playing. I figured that it was someone with their headphones cranked up but then I realized it was coming over the intercom of the plane itself! They had the stereo playing over the whole plane! And it was the new Royksopp album! "Wow" I thought, "This airline really understands my tastes and what it is that I enjoy. I can relate!" And if I didn't think those exact words they were pretty close.

In the Air
There is the standard beverage service, plus alcohol. It's my understanding that not all carriers offer alcoholic beverages on domestic flights. They should. Even if I don't want a Miller Lite at 7 in the morning on my way to Baltimore, it's nice to know I could get one if I wanted. Hot cheeseburgers or breakfast sandwiches are also served depending on the time of day. I've certainly had better burgers, but I'd place the Sun Country cheeseburger above McDonalds in quality. Hey, it's free, a lot of other carriers don't serve food at all.

Final Decent
A few minutes before the captain comes over the intercom advising you to "return all tray-tables and seat back to their fully upright and locked position" the flight attendants come around with a basket full of York Peppermint Patties! This just about blew my mind. Of course I'll take a peppermint patty. Who doesn't love peppermint patties. It makes perfect sense, just like at the end of a meal. It's a way of saying "This experience is coming to an end. Refresh yourself and your palate." I was astounded by how simple it was. For the price of a jumbo bag of peppermint patties and basket, Sun Country propelled itself into the stratosphere of service and hospitality in my opinion.

Post-flight
While Sun Country has little influence once I leave the airport, the good feelings I have from a comfortable flight make my trip all the better.

Most of these services are the product of a smaller airline and could be rather difficult for the legacy carriers to implement. So while the legacy carriers try and get back in the black by cutting flights, staff, and service (all the while not cutting prices), the newer, smaller, low cost carriers are beating them in every aspect of the game.

After my last flight on Sun Country I started thinking about what else could be done to enhance the experience of flight in general. Here's the list I came up with:

Free Upgrades
If a flight has empty fist class seats upgrade coach passengers for free. The airline isn't losing any money but is gaining points with those it upgrades. Those people then tell other people, which is invaluable word of mouth. I would guess that just knowing that there is a possibility of being upgraded would make people feel better about flying.

Better Ticket Design
E-tickets today can be printed of a home computer and look like a warehouse claim ticket for a washing machine. Even if they do have to be printed off a home computer at least make them look special. A dull looking ticket makes for a dull looking flight. Snazz it up a bit. I would suggest utilizing the visual vernacular found in international currency. And if you do have to wait in line to check in, or to reschedule a cancelled flight, imagine being handed a beautiful, embossed ticket with a cool looking foil stamp on it. It would show that a carrier has invested some time and money into their business, just as I have. Hell, I'd keep the thing, for sentimental value and just because it looked cool.

Personal Profiles
Similar to online social networking websites like MySpace or Flickr, I'd like to create a profile of where and how I like to travel on an airline. I could have all my information stored online and not have to reenter information everytime I wanted to travel. This would be great to ease online ticket purchase since all my credit card info could be stored online. Additionally, I could store my travel preferences such as: window seats, and early morning flights vs. afternoon flights. I could designate destinations I like to travel to on an ongoing basis (such as Austin, TX where I have some family) and the airline could automatically send me updates for flight specials or holidays. It could also store my personal interests. For example, if I'm a classical music fan, it'd be great if the airline could alert me to lower than average fares to Boston or New York with maybe a link out to a website where I could purchase tickets for a concert, or rent a car.

I am a member of Northwest World Perks which is their frequent flyer program, and it is a pain in the neck to use. The website is terrible and there is soooooo much information you need to provide it would take an hour just to set the whole thing up. While the frequent flyer program is one of the few services Northwest has going for them, it's not worth it to me. I know some people who are slaves to their miles and willing to pay extra to fly NWA. I'm a slave to the customer experience Sun Country provides. And to cheeseburgers.

More In-flight Updates
When I'm flying on an airplane I always find myself asking a lot of questions like: "Where do you think we are now?" "What state is that?" "Is that Lake Superior or Lake Michigan?" It'd be nice if every once in a while the captain came over the intercom and gave a little update on the progress of the flight. Not too frequently, maybe at the halfway point or so. Even if it's something as simple as: "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached the halfway mark. We are currently on schedule for an arrival time of 8:57 at LAX International Airport." or: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are flying high above Nebraska but don't bother looking out your window because there's nothing to see down there." I'm just looking for something that tells me there is a human being behind the wheel of this giant flying tube. We can't even see the pilots anymore since they started locking the door to the flight deck for security reasons, at least let them talk to us a little bit.

I sure hope that the return to a customer-centric oriented business model will carry over into the legacy carriers. I think it's the only way they are going to survive.