Airlines Can Best Boost Ancillary Revenue Through Empathy, Competence, and Kindness

Feb 2, 2015

Green is no longer a healthy objective; airlines need better goals for business success

Dublin, 2nd February 2015, Dublin, Ireland: Michael O’Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, recently admitted, “If I had known being nicer to our customers was going to work so well, I would have done it years ago.” As notable as O’Leary’s epiphany is to the airline industry, it’s worth pointing out that the proven value of empathy, competency, and kindness precedes his recent directives to be nice to customers. The latest Ancillary Revenue Report sponsored by CarTrawler explores how airline management teams can work together for the greater good of their customers, employees, and investors.

Call it a back-to-basics mantra, but sometimes in a technology riddled world, we all can benefit from a few therapeutic reminders to reset our moral compasses. By using the inherently human qualities of empathy, competence and kindness, the latest Ancillary Revenue report offers advice to airline management teams to boost ancillary revenue under the following headings:

  • Understand the perspective of other departments before adding a la carte services.
  • Front line employees provide a vital source of intelligence; talk to them before adding anything.
  • Empathy is a crucial tool of diplomacy, and ancillary revenue leadership requires diplomatic skills.
  • Enlightened airlines should have employees book and buy tickets like their clients.
  • Competence has a natural enemy, and that’s complexity; improve existing a la carte items.
  • Don’t invite regulators to become involved in your business by failing to fix systemic problems.
  • Untangle consumer confusion by dedicating corporate resources to simplifying self-service.

“Boost Ancillary Revenue Through Empathy, Competence, and Kindness” was released today as a free 16-page report available here. The 2015 Ancillary Revenue Report series is sponsored by CarTrawler. CarTrawler provides aviation, travel, hospitality, leisure and consumer brands with a direct connection to over 1,300 leading and independent car rental agents, shuttle bus companies, limousine and chauffeur driven services in over 30,000 airport and city locations across different 174 countries in the language and currency of their choice. By satisfying customer demand for choice and convenience, CarTrawler consistently delivers profitable growth for its partners. For more information, visit www.cartrawler.com.

About CarTrawler: Established in 2004, CarTrawler is a leading technology company providing fully managed online ground transportation solutions to travel partners in 174 countries. Working across all travel industry segments and geographic markets, CarTrawler enables online travel retailers to add car rental to their portfolio of products and services, creating an additional revenue stream that requires no investment on their part. The business is led by CEO Mike McGearty and a highly experienced Executive Team headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

The CarTrawler technology platform enables partners to offer self-branded car rental to their own customers from 1,300 leading and independent car rental agents, shuttle bus companies, limousine and chauffeur driven services at over 30,000 city and airport locations worldwide. Multi-lingual customer and IT support is provided by CarTrawler 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to all partners and suppliers operating on the platform.

CarTrawler’s portfolio of partners includes some of the world’s leading international airlines, hotel groups and online travel retailers. More than 64 international airlines offer a combined total of over 500 million airline passengers ground transportation options powered by CarTrawler including; Aer Lingus, Luxair, Hawaiian Airlines, Finnair, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Icelandair, Tigerair, West Jet, Volotea, Vueling, Virgin Australia, Transavia, Emirates, Viva Aerobus, Fly Dubai and Gulf Air. CarTrawler’s portfolio of ground transportation partners include; Hertz, Sixt, Avis, Europcar, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo, Enterprise, National, Payless, Holiday Taxis, Blacklane and many more.

CarTrawler also works with travel software providers Datalex and SITA who resell CarTrawler technology to airlines.

CarTrawler also provides car rental to online lodgings (hotels, rented accommodation and hostels), online travel agents, information websites (media, tourist authorities and airports) travel and transportation (car rental, rail and ferry websites) and retail travel agents including: Hotels.com, Momondo, Bookit.com, Starwood Hotels, Lastminute.com, American Express Travel, STA Travel, Skyscanner, Travix, Online Republic, Lowcostholidays.com, trainline.com, Via Michelin, Flightnetwork, Travelstart, HolidayExtras and Flightcentre.

CarTrawler employs over 300 people in Dublin, London and Boston and is private equity backed by BC Partners and Insight Venture Partners. CarTrawler also operates online car rental sites under the Holiday Autos and Argus Car Hire brands.