With the emergence of “low cost” flights, large flagship companies are all finding themselves in increasingly more aggressive environments. Whether or not the major commercial companies such as Air France, Iberia and British Airways can match cheaper offerings whilst ensuring they do not compromise in quality remains to be seen and history shows us that so far most airlines are struggling to meet customer expectations.
In terms of customer rights and commodity, the general consensus is that the aviation industry is taking steps backwards. The perception that flying commercially is exclusive to the distinguished traveller has long been lost.
Low cost flying has allowed many to travel to locations they never expected to find themselves in. Take for example John Beluschi who landed in Prestwick thinking he was travelling to Glasgow. An ambiguous advert from a low cost airline advertised: “Fly Barcelona to Glasgow-Prestwick for €10.” Deep within the website it states that “Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is located 51 Km from Glasgow” yet John was unaware of this fact until he landed. Without trains, at night, finding himself in the middle of nowhere John took several hours to get to his final intended destination in Glasgow.
A normal flight nowadays starts with an endless queue to check-in luggage, once at the desk flyers can be subject to the lottery known as “overbooking”
One can be forgiven for finding himself needing an extra pair of hands whilst carrying extra luggage, coats and plastic trays to the x-ray scanner only to be “rejected”
Budget travellers who have dusted themselves off after passing the indecorous security controls then have to compose themselves for the scramble that is getting on an aircraft without numbered seats in the hope to find themselves a space with above-standard legroom.
Once you’ve landed, you may well find yourself in a foreign airport to find that your luggage has not reached its destination. In Europe during 2007, it was reported that 1,6% of checked-in baggage failed to reach its destination at the same time as its owner. In more recent news, the large commercial carrier Air France lost over 15,000 bags due to cold weather and has publicly apologised since. It has echoes of the Heathrow Terminal 5 fiasco in which British Airways and airport operator BAA were blamed for baggage chaos at its opening, BA remains one of the least reliable carriers according to official figures and last summer lost one bag in every 53 - or a total of 444,492 units.
The larger commercial carriers have committed themselves to investing in business class yet the strategy has failed to reap its rewards, sales of the more noble flights have dropped 7% worldwide and it appears that the damage has been done after years of frustrating passenger experiences.
Business passengers are growing increasingly cost-conscious and smaller firms are looking to reduce spend by booking flights with low-fare carriers. However for such travellers convenience and reliability are recognised as essential prerequisites which can only consistently be found in chartering a private aircraft.
The benefits of flying via private air charter are clear when compared to commercial flying. For starters there is little chance of finding yourself in an airport that has poor connections as the traveller has the discretion to choose his or her preferred departure and arrival destinations. Private flights usually depart from separate terminals less frequented by flyers making the check-in to boarding process far smoother and hassle-free than those at commercial airports.
A spokesperson at Eurojets.com states: “We’
Needless to say, flying in a private aircraft to the requirements of the traveller means all their needs are met at the very highest standard. Flying via private air charter therefore remains for now the most reliable method of air transport and the epitome of luxury, comfort and quality. First class flyers can once again rekindle their romance with commodity flying by upgrading to private air charter in the knowledge they will reach their destination refreshed and ready for business.
