Southwest airlines

Q1 Draw a detailed cycle of service for Southwest Airlines South West Airlines has taken due care that its world wide offices are well equipped to give all the necessary information to passengers. During the last 12-15 years the airlines has grown manifold. Top posts are managed by competent people who are dedicated and result oriented. Professionalism in the arena of aviation by giving advanced management training to Air Hostess and Flight Stewards. Airport Ground Staff Services has vastly improved.

They have State-of-the-art infrastructure and have recruited World –class training faculty members. To boost the traffic globally, it has clubbed with seventeen airlines and named it as Star Alliance Airlines with being the founder member. On the ground also they have Travel Partners, clubbed with Hotels and Resorts, Credit cards and Banks. This has resulted in more revenue, number of vacant seats has come down, better facilities to passengers and less air fare. There has been a tremendous growth in air travel these days and every country besides their own national carrier, many new players have entered the market offering better facilities, reduced cost and modern aircraft. People in turn have become quality conscious and getting the services of those airlines who can give the best out of the existing lot.

Q2 Describe the Service-Product Bundle of Southwest Airlines and discuss how customers can evaluate it.
It is a private airline based in Dallas, Texas and is flying to almost all the countries of globe, having a fleet of approximately 90 wide bodied planes consisting of Boeing and Airbus. For traveling passengers, has given many options as per the price they can pay. It has four travel classes: Economy, Premium Economy, Royal Silk and Royal First.

Availability of Classes Economy Class: As usual, this is the cheapest class in air and seat dimension is smaller than other class. There is a choice of and Western food. Premium Economy Class: This facility is available on Airbus A340-500 aircraft on trans continental flights between Bangkok and Los Angeles or New York. The seats are slightly higher than Economy and seating is in 2-3-2 configuration. Royal Silk (Business) Class: Facilities are better here as compared to Economy or Premium Economy Class. Priority checks in at Dallus and all major international airports, priority boarding, fast track lane for passport checking. There is more choice of meal selection and extensive choices of wine. Royal First Class: In the new model Airbus A340-600 there are 8 solo lie-flat-beds. The best services are provided in this class.

Q 3 For Southwest Airlines: (a) What are the order Winners; (b) What are the order Qualifiers. Order Winners Royal Orchid plus Programme In addition to the normal facilities that may be availed by passengers by traveling in different classes, the Airways International Royal Orchid Plus is the first frequent flyer programme established. Approximately over two million world-wide are its members. To get Status Tiers, a member has to earn miles to get facilities in the respective tier.

Each factor offered in the Royal Orchid Plus needs critical analysis as to how far it is effective so that a passenger traveling in the Airways should feel satisfied and be rewarded. Managing own Account A person becomes more confidant if he can manage his own account just like operating a Debit or Credit card. He can update his record after completing his journey. Every time he feels that he is gaining miles, he will try to travel more and preferably in the same airlines In case he needs any clarification he himself can do without any difficulty. He becomes his own account holder.

Once a passenger becomes independent in maintaining his account, it is a positive sign of functioning of the programme. Order Qualifiers Status and Benefits At any given time the member is able to know the mileage accrued and the benefits he is likely to get. It is the human tendency to know the profits he is likely to gain especially when the airways is having such a scheme existing. In the status report in case he feels there is some shortage to reach a particular target, immediately he can reassess himself and can make some changes in his future programme. The scheme offered by the airways is very flexible as the members can fluctuate and decide accordingly. System of Earning Miles: Getting Awards is fast and not so difficult when there are so many ways open to gain miles with Royal Orchid Plus. In flight, on the ground and during everyday spending, all the miles one earns can be redeemed for any Award.

Two types of miles which a passenger can earn to Royal Orchid Plus account 1. Eligible Qualifying Miles (EQM). This can be earned while flying on: When actual miles are flown it is termed as Qualifying Miles and when traveling on Star or airlines, then additional class of service miles are added. Miles are earned on the basis of paid class of travel and subject to eligible booking class codes of the airline availed. 2. When the services of non –airline partners are availed, for example hotels, then Partner Miles are added.

Q 4 The Corporate Mission of Southwest Airlines is “ Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride and Company Spirit”

(a) What is the Southwest’s Distinctive Competence? (b) What is the Operations Mission; The programme has been made in such a way that all members, whether entry grade member, Silver or Gold, each is awarded as per the gain in the category. There are various categories like Air awards from, Star alliance and partners, Upgrade Awards with Star alliance Hotel awards, shop awards and sometimes promotional awards. The very plus point of the scheme is that besides the members, the member’s nominees can also avail the awards.

Each member can nominate five nominees and changes if any can be made instantly. When a member feels that there are not sufficient miles in his account to get any award, to cover up the deficit, the member can purchase the miles subject to limitation. Some selected awards and air awards in US can be redeemed instantly online and can update the nominee list also. There is a tie up of various category of hotels located at the destination stations throughout the world. Members availing the facilities can avail the facilities and additional mile will be added to get awards in the particular slot. It has its own periodicals and Star Alliance has also their newsletters so that all the members are fully informed about the ongoing developments and the new schemes launched for the benefit of the members. Feed back data is collected and replies are posted in the newsletters to improve functioning of the airways. Newsletters are normally very much informative giving the developments made during the last period, any policy changes, new purchases and timing changes etc.

Additional facilities being provided to new members and also to existing members is placed in detail in the newsletter, the social works being done and also the welfare measures in the pipeline is mentioned. Any government policy changes are mentioned at the proper place for easy readability. A member need not worry to clear any of his doubts sitting at any corner of the world. With a click of a button he can get any information e. g., reservation status, flight position, hotel reservation and weather condition at the destination station. The member can reset his programme as per the situation prevailing. He can update himself to his requirement. With the introduction of this specialized programme members may avail a number of facilities just sitting at one place. The public relation programme has tried to help each and every member in whatever capacity he holds the membership. Q 5 Schroeder identifies four Operational Objectives: Cost, Quality, Delivery and Flexibility.

Rank these in order of importance to Southwest Airlines and discuss how it achieves each of the objectives. South West Airlines have developed their own public relation programme to give the passengers maximum facilities without compromising on quality and services. In some of the programmes, the passenger can carry forward the benefits accrued to future dates. Similarly one can get free tickets on getting bonus points. In some schemes one can get rebate in hotel accommodation.

In the present scenario it is varying from airlines to airlines. Besides offering such incentives, to survive in this competitive field the airlines have to be cost effective in all sectors like manpower, fuel cost, maintenance, airport rent and future modernization programme. With so much of better incentives available, air travel these days is within the reach of a common man.