After courtship, airlines keen to bond with fliers

After intense fare wars, airlines are now sprucing up their loyalty programmes and facilities to outdo each other in the fight for customers.
Industry experts say airlines are doling out goodies and new facilities to attract and retain “commercially important persons” who are willing to pay extra for premium services. So, whether it’s having a personal porter to take care of your luggage, a luxurious car to take you around the town, an in-flight entertainment system with over 100 hours of programming or loads of discounts on your in-flight shopping bills, airlines are pulling out all stops to ensure that they stand out in the crowd.
Unlike earlier times — when full-service carriers were competing with each other on similar parameters for the same segment of customers — today these airlines have to think about Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) which are offering similar services at lower fares.
24/10/06 Gouri Shah/Daily News & Analysis

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