It's not a bad response... but surely very, very basic route development is development nonetheless?
We give low-costs too much credit. Have you been to some of the airports low-costs have opened up? They're one, two hours outside the destination. I'm sorry, but that's not 'route development'.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Barrass hits back at the 'low-costs develop routes' theory
I spoke too soon on John Grant's session - here comes a bit of bristling. In the next session XL Leisure Group director Steve Barrass, to whom we have to give kudos for stepping in at five minutes' notice, says:
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1 comments:
An interesting perspective Steve, but you have to ask why these "no frills" (we call them low cost due to the low cost base which they operate from rather than "low price") airlines fly to these destinations. Of course, it is because there are markets to be served (both directions) and the customers are prepared to pay the prices to travel on these routes.
It's just interesting that it is the no frills carriers which are the pioneers and are opening up these new routes. Surely, the tour operators which in many cases have the client relationship (the airlines rarely do and the airports certainly don't) should be the one's who have their finger more closely on the pulse of the travel needs and requirements of the customers. And yet, except for a small handful, tour operators are not involved in the route development process.
I just think that this needs to be discussed and should be on the tour operator's agenda more these days.
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