High oil prices? An inflection point in the airline industry? Online marketing?

Published in the Southern Air journal

Oil price fuse

135 dollars a barrel, this number is choking global airlines collectively. The reason for this suffocation is that major airlines do not know how to deal with this stunning rise again. The industry crisis caused by the rise in oil prices has more than once caused panic among airlines, or it can be said that airlines have been struggling in the shadow of rising international oil prices in recent years.

Dilemma Change

The dilemma is a common dilemma, summed up in a popular phrase: Oil prices rise again, the plane will fly. Even the oil price soared to 200 dollars. Airline companies face such a huge volume of passenger traffic, simple reduction of flights, grounded. can only be temporary. More aviation companies are beginning to consider how to compress operating costs in other sectors.

This kind of adjustment in international oil prices soared to 135 of dollars, can no longer be confined to simple restructuring and compromise. Also, as of May 22, Jean-Cyril, chairman of Air France-KLM FRANCE-KLM. "After the business portfolio, the best working units will emerge stronger than ever," Spaander said in a speech to the company's year-end results report. When the entire company emerges from this phase, it will become an aviation company with a good balance sheet, a new fleet and a reasonable cost. "At this time, the development of network marketing platform, so that airlines in the control of air tickets Low-cost sales channel expansion has a new field."

The trend of Network direct marketing

Airlines feel that in the past, relying on travel agencies and ticket agents to sell the model, has gradually produced a market on the network, and the trading model is maturing. At the same time, the full launch of the paper ticket market, the popularization of electronic tickets will greatly promote the growth of Chinese airlines sales share.

The two industry giants, Air China and Southern Airlines, have apparently developed a set of online marketing strategies. Air China places the most price-competitive air tickets on its website, while the products offered by Southern Airlines are clearly more appealing to subscribers who have booked more than 15 days ahead of schedule. These initiatives have effectively attracted more users to the network of direct marketing.

Sichuan Airlines in domestic airlines, the market development of this trend is particularly sensitive. Even by the earthquake and oil prices of the double blow, Chuan Airlines still do not stop the pace of network direct marketing. In April this year, Chuan Airlines launched its own business website, and plans to work with China's largest travel search engine "where" (qunar.com) to expand the depth of cooperation, the air ticket electronic direct sales to the wider market. This means that in the future users can directly in the "where" platform to search for the advantages of Chuan airlines information, and synchronization to achieve network booking.

The power of tourism search engines

And we have to admit, compared with foreign countries, the current domestic e-commerce environment still has a considerable gap. Domestic consumers through the Internet to complete the proportion of air ticket orders far behind the foreign level. In this context, the aviation industry needs to think about how to let more consumers know its established E-commerce platform, or how airlines let consumers buy the cheapest ticket. It is a key to use the way to promote marketing.

This market demand has spawned a tourism search engine platform such as "Where To Go" (qunar.com). Through several years of development, "where to" representative of this form of tourism search has been gradually recognized and accepted by passengers. It through the advanced search engine technology, the Internet ticket information gathered together, so that visitors build a rapid search for their own tourism products platform. In addition, it ensures the authenticity and reliability of the information by partnering with the travel product suppliers and online distributors. At present, the tourism search engine has begun to assist domestic airlines to establish a more sophisticated e-commerce operation and development. The "Where to" travel search, which has 22 million of the monthly user volume, undoubtedly provides an unobstructed direct route between the airline and the traveler. In the industrial sales chain, the airlines gradually get rid of the control of airline ticket agents, to establish a more unimpeded ticket marketing channels.

Search + Media

An obvious result, for air ticket business, because the use of tourism search engine Internet users almost 100% is a willingness to buy tickets tourists, these users from "visitors" to "consumers" conversion rate than Google, Baidu and other general-purpose search is much higher. For airlines that want to make a big difference in their online direct sales, using a travel search engine to get tickets online is no doubt a convenient way. And more significant is that the airline can not only from the tourism search engine to get more ticket sales business, but also to provide targeted marketing value. When your airline name with the ticket search results, again and again presented in front of the user, who can say this is not a more ingenious way of marketing?

From this perspective, tourism vertical search engine while completing the search task, driving travelers to change their travel plans, a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the information provided by suppliers, obviously more new media platform significance. So what airlines need to think about is just the choice to work with a more powerful travel search engine that will boost the company's performance in the future.