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With all the post-Sept. 11 focus on airport/airline security, it feels like airlines have forgotten what business they are in.
Their objective should be to enable people to travel long distances in the shortest possible time, at the lowest possible cost. Customers care about the total time -- from when they leave home/office to when they arrive at the final destination. Time spent in ground transport to and from the airport and time spent at the airport, and time spent on the runway are just as important as the time spent in the air. Likewise, travellers focus on the total cost of travel, not just on the price of the ticket. For business travellers, that cost includes the cost of ground transportation, and also the business cost of time in which no productive work can be done, and the time lost in recuperation at the destination because the trip left the traveller exhausted and stressed, and also the cost of accommodations when transportation schedules make it so they can't return or move on to their next stop on the same day.
If airlines are suffering today, it is not because people are afraid to travel. Rather, it is because the total cost of air travel in time and money has risen to the point where, in many instances, it no longer makes sense. So people find alternative means of transportation, or learn to interact online instead of always depending on face-to-face meetings, or they cancel the meeting because its potential value simply doesn't justify the cost.
Last issue, I suggested that an airline that handled people only and not luggage could be very attractive to business travellers. That approach would greatly reduce security risks and hence security-related delays. And it would also free up space and reduce weight, enabling an aircraft to use less fuel and/or to carry more people per flight (having redesigned the interior to take advantage of what used to be cargo space.)
Similarly, it would make sense for airports to have separate terminals for people and for goods. For instance, one terminal could handle cargo of all kinds, including traveler luggage. And another terminal could handle passengers only -- with no carry-ons. The most dangerous and hard-to-handle security situations appear to arise from the combination of passengers and luggage. Separating them and carrying them on separate planes should simplify matters, lowering costs and speeding the check-in process. NB -- one cargo plane (designed to handle cargo and only cargo) could carry the luggage associated with several different passenger flights. Passengers could have the option of picking up their luggage at the cargo terminal of the destination airport or (for a price) having it delivered to their hotel or residence.
If they followed this scheme, airlines could also make good use of the additional available space on their passenger flights -- not just to add more seats, but to organize the space available in ways that help business people be more productive -- enabling them to do their work and to meet with one another, or at the very least making the trip as comfortable as possible so they arrive rested, refreshed, and alert.
Likewise, the airlines could and should make close partnerships with ground transportation companies, to do everything possible to minimize the time wasted going to and from airports. Ideally, you should be able to catch a van at a downtown terminal. The van driver should be qualified and equipped (with wireless computer) to check passengers in, to label their luggage (for delivery to the cargo terminal), and deliver the people close to their departure gates, where they undergo a quick but thorough and effective security check of their persons (no luggage of any kind being allowed inside the passenger terminal). At the other end, vans should be waiting (for those willing to pay for this service) which deliver passengers to downtown terminals and/or destination hotels, where their luggage can later be delivered.
In other words, arilines, to stay in business, need to take responsibility for the whole job -- need to make the entire travel experience as quick, as inexpensive, as hassle-free, and as business-effective as possible.
Of course, not all travelers are business travelers. People going on vacation want to relax and enjoy. They want the trip to involve a minimum of hassle. They might prefer for their luggage to arrive well before they do, so they don't have to think about it. And they, also, may want to begin enjoying themselves right away, rather than waiting until they reach their destinations. For flights to places like Orlando and Carribean resorts, airlines could make travel itself vacation-like, with in-airport, and in-flight entertainment (not just movies). Passengers might want to book a particular flight not just for price and schedule, but for the unique experience that it provides.
Online stores should look at their businesses in the same way -- considering the total cost and the total time and the total shopping experience. The fact that the store ships the goods within 24 or 48 hours of placement of the order doesn't mean a thing to the customer. What matters is the time that passes before the goods arrive at their destination. Wishlists are great -- where friends and family can see what you'd like to get and when they buy something it gets removed from the list, eliminating the chance of duplication. But such lists would be far more effective if they were shared among many stores. Package tracking apps (at UPS and FedEx) are great; but it would be better (reducing anxiety) if the sender and (on request) the recipient received daily automatic email updates.
Basically, online stores need to remember that they aren't just in the
business of "selling" -- they are in the business of helping people find
what they want, make
purchase decisions, pay for the goods, and receive them. Sometimes
some people will windowshop one day, make up their mind another day, and
pay for the goods when their paycheck clears. Sometimes they want/need
the merchandise ASAP and would be happy to drive a few miles to pick it
up right away. Other times, the delivery date is not important to them.
Stores also could and should distinguish between business (no nonsense)
shoppers and social shoppers and strive to meet their very different needs
and preferences, and optimize the overall shopping experience for all.
Whatever your business, your goal must be to serve customers, meeting
their needs and expectations -- not just to do the things that are easiest
to do or most profitable. When you go out of business, you make no profit
at all.
This site is Published by B&R Samizdat Express, 33 Gould St., West Roxbury, MA 02132. (617) 469-2269. seltzer@samizdat.com
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