It is indeed the season of brand wars among airlines in Nigeria, as many of them are attempting to attract both existing and potential patrons with different incentives for choosing their airlines above others for local flights.
While some airlines upgrade the tickets of their patrons from Economy to Business Class, others give surprise gifts like HMO cards to passengers on board. These loyalty programs have been introduced to boost the airlines’ revenues, as one of the survival strategies to surmount the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are some of the freebies that airlines are offering passengers onboard.
READ: How Air Peace, other airlines strategized to cut costs for survival
Air Peace
Air Peace launched its “random act of love” initiative in April 2021. The acclaimed biggest airline has been exciting its passengers with numerous gifts onboard. The campaign aims to put a smile on the faces of customers who choose Air Peace.
How it works
The airline places gift cards in random seat pockets. During the flight, passengers will be instructed to check the front seat pocket to see if they have won a gift.
Items won are thermos bottles, food flasks, diaries, umbrellas, notebook, remote organizers, and free Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) cards.
READ: Max Air, Aero Contractors attribute fare hike to current exchange rate
The spokesperson of the airline, Stanley Orisa, boasted of his company’s commitment to providing unparalleled flight experience and thanked all their customers for the continued patronage. He said, “This is an extension of the airline’s Random Love Act campaign, aimed at demonstrating a customer’s love for flying with the airline. Also with the card, you enjoy certain Business Class privileges when flying.”
Azman Air
Hot on the heels of Air Peace, is Azman Air which claims to have reduced airfares since the lifting of its ban by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the apex regulator of the aviation industry in Nigeria.
For instance, the cost of a flight from Lagos to Kano, which was N72,458, was dropped to N52,983. That is not all.
Last week, the airline also started rewarding its loyal passengers with free ticket upgrades from Economy to Business Class. One of the passengers took to Twitter to laud the airline’s effort when he tweeted:
“@AzmanAir is back and stronger. I also wish to thank you for the free upgrade to business class.”
READ: Aviation Minister says new National Carrier will take off by Q1 2022
https://twitter.com/DanBorno/status/1394613124355985419?s=19
Green Africa
The new entrant is not lagging behind its older peers in the industry. To attract as many passengers as possible, the airline, which took delivery of its second aircraft on Thursday, is offering potential customers (gFlyer Community) 10% off their first bookings.
The Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Green Africa, Babawande Afolabi, said:
“To mark this major milestone, we are offering the gFlyer Community 10% off their first booking with us. We are crafting a network plan that will afford more customers the opportunity to pursue their economic interests or simply spend more time with family & friends.”
READ: Why Airlines fail in Nigeria
How it works
A unique code to claim the offer will be shared with each gFlyer. All patrons need to do is to fill a form on the airline’s website and join to enjoy exclusive benefits like these and more.
Visit https://t.co/C0ZqHgpE3j now to join and enjoy exclusive benefits like these and more.#CloserToYourDreams #goGreen2021
— Green Africa (@greenafrica) May 20, 2021
Bottomline
The loyalty campaigns listed above are very important tools in customer retention and if executed well, they can eliminate the risk of losing customers to competitors amid the COVID-19 challenges.
Customers are motivated to spend more when they feel rewarded for every action. Every purchase paves way for more purchases and such will boost airlines’ revenues.
Let them adherre to safety standards or according to POH.