Southwest flying away from no-frills?
Southwest has added no new perks but “after decades of being known by air travelers for serving peanuts and little else, has Southwest Airlines become the frills carrier?”
The Dallas Morning News poses that question and notes that the airline is now poking fun at traditional rivals in national television ads that depict, among other scenarios, a customer asked to insert coins to use an overhead bin.
Another spot shows a flight attendant ticking off a list of charges for the bathroom and other necessities.
“The tongue-in-cheek ads signal Southwest’s desire to shed its cattle-call reputation, industry analysts say, as it faces heightened competition across the airline industry, including from rival low-cost carriers,” according to the Morning News.
“Southwest is trying to divert the conversation away from its no-frills reputation,” said Stuart Klaskin of KCC Aviation Consulting.
Doing so could become increasingly important for Southwest as its competition increases.
“Although Southwest has enjoyed a powerful brand image for low fares, its cattle-call reputation -– which is largely connected to its open-seating policy -– has been hard to shake when wooing new customers,” the paper writes.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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