Air NZ Delivers Domestic Business Travel Boost

Air New Zealand Delivers Domestic Business Travel Boost

Air New Zealand achieved a nine per cent increase in domestic business travel during the traditionally quiet month of January, underlining a pattern of increased spending on business travel through its lower Express Class fares.

When the national carrier launched Express Class on November 1 last year, it was committed to providing improvements and stimulating increased domestic travel opportunities for its business customers.

And, as the service nears four months in existence, Air New Zealand points to evidence it is succeeding.

Despite January's holiday nature, figures just out show domestic business travel on Air New Zealand Express Class grew by nine per cent last month.

Ed Sims, Air New Zealand's Vice-President - Marketing and Alliances, stresses the business market is also benefiting substantially from greater savings generated by using Express Class.

"When we launched the new domestic fares, we said we expected businesses to see an average price reduction of 18 per cent in their airfare costs," he says. "In fact, our analysis shows that figure is tracking at 21 per cent.

"We believe businesses are not only saving money, but they are using the lower fares to travel more. New Zealand business travellers are fully embracing Express Class and that we're delivering real benefits for them."

Central to the business traveller's Express Class experience is improved efficiency and convenience through innovative smart solutions, and also enhanced service for Koru Lounge members, of whom the majority are business people.

The smart solutions are called ExpressCheck and TextExpress. Customers travelling on an electronic ticket with no luggage to check in can use ExpressCheck, a 30-second self check-in facility; TextExpress is an SMS mobile phone texting system (Short Message Service) which keeps travellers informed of flight delays or changes.

Air New Zealand customer research, conducted last month, shows strong interest among business travellers in the two electronic innovations.

More than half of those surveyed said they were likely or very likely to use ExpressCheck when flying on Air New Zealand's Express Class service.

And close to half also had a positive attitude about using TextExpress.

"All of these products provide tangible benefits for the business traveller beyond the more competitive fares on offer," says Sims.

And now Air New Zealand is reinforcing its value to business customers with the just-launched third and final phase of its brand commercial campaign.

This latest television advertisement uses a fishing theme targeted at the business travel market, pushing a message that the best way to do business is face to face - even if it means going to extraordinary lengths to do so.

Abbreviated versions of the main 60-second commercial concentrate on the ExpressCheck and TextExpress products plus Airpoints and Express Class fares, all with the business traveller in mind.

Two earlier commercials were themed around grandparents visiting their newborn grandchild and a band heading overseas trying to crack the big-time.

The advertisements, produced by Colenso BBDO, are the work of advertising guru Tony Williams, the man behind Toyota's award-winning "bugger" commercials.

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