'The Gulf Air Traveller Was A Part Of Our Blueprint To Restructure Gulf Air'

John Anderson, manager - India, Gulf Air in conversation with Charmaine Fernz talks about the airline's all economy full service carrier Gulf Air Traveller and its plans in the Indian market…

The aviation scenario is booming with a number of carriers vying for the Indian skies. What are Gulf Air's plans for the new year?

Gulf Air took up the option of the open skies adding a further 21 flights per week to its existing 57. So now, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Kochi are daily flights, Delhi double daily, Mumbai five flights per day and Kolkata becomes three per week. Chennai remains status quo with five per week. Post March 31, 2005, we will revert to our usual schedule of 57 flights per week unless the government announces any further options.

Who is your target clientele and what is the strategy used to tap this segment?

We are keen to carry tourists, businessmen, people visiting families abroad as well as those going to work in the Gulf for the first time. The steps we are taking to improve our products are visible evidence of our desire to attract all customers. We aim to deliver a wide range of products and choices as well as great, consistently high levels of customer service that will satisfy both international jet setters and the first-time traveller.

Gulf Air launched its all economy full service carrier - Gulf Air Traveller this year. What are the airline's plans for India?

Since July 2003, we have operated a daily Gulf Traveller service from Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai. There are six Boeing B767 Gulf Traveller aircraft in our fleet, each with 257 economy seats with exactly the same level of service which we provide our economy customers on all our other aircraft. We anticipate no changes in this deployment during 2005.

How successful according to you is the concept of an 'all economy full service carrier'? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Gulf Traveller was a part of our blueprint to restructure Gulf Air. We saw an all economy class product as a great opportunity to give us greater flexibility. It is most definitely not a 'no-frills' airline. It is an 'all economy, full service' carrier and operates to markets where there is little demand for business class and logically appeals to the more price sensitive travellers - holiday makers, business travellers, groups and of course workers. With this product we are tailoring our offer to the needs of the community and market. The logic is to put the right product for routes that suits best.

Gulf Air in comparison to other Middle-Eastern carriers has been pretty low profile. What are the marketing strategies used to tap the Indian market?

Gulf Air has continued to grow in the Indian market and to this day remains the largest foreign carrier in terms of capacity. This has been predominantly achieved by working closely with the travel trade through regular contacts, a flexible approach and responsiveness. Our sales teams are considered by the trade to be professional, active and ready for business.

We have actually re-launched our company, changed our image, brand and the perception of what we are. We have introduced some really unique innovations - five-star chefs in our First and Business class cabins on board our Airbus A330 and A340 long-haul aircraft; 'Sky Nannies' on board for the Europe, Gulf and Australia routes. We've launched Gulf Air Holidays and it's up and running. A number of initiatives have been taken during in the recovery phase.

What is your take on the commission cuts that created an uproar in the travel fraternity?

Often such changes are started elsewhere and adopted as best industry practices. USA and Europe already operate on a nil commission basis and the Indian travel trade is aware of this. There, travel agents agree to a fee-based relationship with their regular business accounts. Also, many of the fares offered by international airlines in India are 'market' fares, sold on a net basis with no commission. The travel agent simply adds his mark up - being the cost of providing the service to his customer, plus usually a small profit margin. I see no difference.