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The
Mega Event 2010 Profitability
Beyond Baggage Fees: The Sustainable Airline
Business Model The
Airline Profitability Summit is a must-attend event
for airline industry leaders Montreal,
Canada, August 17, 2010 -
The Mega Event 2010, the airline industry's largest
event dedicated to ancillary revenues and loyalty,
will be held in Montreal, Canada, from October
12-14. This year's gathering, which combines
the premier ancillary revenue conference (ARAC)
with the FFP loyalty conference, adds for the first
time a third track, the Co-Brand Partnership
Conference. Together under a single banner,
the three-track conference is destined to be one of
the most important airline events of 2010, focused
on the most important theme for airlines today:
profitability. And it
couldn't come at a better time. The airline
industry, finally starting to shake off
demand-depressing effects of the Great Recession,
is facing a new round of skepticism over its fees
and other ancillary revenue streams. The 'new
normal' of consumer spending habits is forcing more
carriers to compete on price. Emerging
markets like Latin America and Asia are grappling
with ways to sustainably grow their regional air
transit business while avoiding the mistakes made
by more mature markets. Reversing
the cycle of commoditization That is
one of the hot topics that host Airline Information
and official co-host ATPCO will be examining at the
3-day conference as they bring together executives
from the world's foremost airlines, thought leaders
and innovators in ancillary revenue development and
loyalty fields, as well as experts in the payment,
marketing and branding arenas at the Mega Event
2010. This
year's keynote speakers include: Tony
Fernandes, Founder & CEO,
AirAsia; Rupert
Duchesne, President & CEO, Groupe
Aeroplan; Simon
Hickey, CEO, Qantas Frequent Flier; Líbano Barroso,
CEO, TAM Airlines; Patrick
Murphy, former chairman, Ryanair. Beyond the
baggage fees The
ancillary revenue track (ARAC) will feature
speakers addressing significant topics such as
merchandising of onboard retail offerings, bundling
options & services with airfares versus
unbundling and cross-industry best practices.
Ancillary revenues have proven to be a crucially
important aspect of airline operations, but they
are also an aspect that is still undergoing much
evolution and controversy. The ARAC track will
emphasize sustainability - versus simply charging
fees - and new, innovative ways forward, as well as
how best to optimize existing ancillary revenue
programs. Loyalty: a
recession-proof business model The Mega
Event will also address the importance of loyalty
programs as a source of airline profitability.
As consumers increasingly book with little
regard to airline brands, an effective loyalty
program is more important than ever. The
sustainable sale of miles to partners such as
co-branded credit card banks is also a key part of
an ancillary revenue program. The loyalty track
will feature sessions examining how the recession
impacted loyalty initiatives, whether independent
travel rewards programs pose a threat to
proprietary loyalty programs and what effects new
accounting rules may have on program
revenues. To
co-brand or not to co-brand? The newest
track, Co-Brand Partnership, examines co-branded
credit cards in the airline and travel industries.
Co-branded credit card programs are a huge
revenue generator for airlines, but this source of
revenue is under assault from a lack of "free"
seats, new financial regulations and new
competition from hotel, cash-back and bank reward
cards. This event is a must-attend for airlines
looking to maintain and increase co-branded credit
card revenues. Being held
at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Montreal, more than
400 airline industry executives and travel managers
will be attending the three-track conference to
find out what commercial trends will improve the
bottom line of the airline industry. To view the
Mega Event 2010 agenda or to register, please visit
http://www.airlineinformation.org/AI_conferences/MegaEvent2010/index.html. To request
a media pass, or to schedule interviews with
attending airlines and keynote speakers, please
contact Vanessa Horwell or Jennifer Rodrigues at
305.749.5342 ext. 232/234 or vanessa@thinkinkpr.com
/ jrodrigues@thinkinkpr.com. |
