WHEN EXTRA FEES RUIN A TRIP

Posted on 12/23/2015

Southwest Airline launched a new promotional campaign last week. They were giving out gift cards to customers who complained about ancillary fees. Except Southwest doesn’t charge their passengers for luggage (up to two pieces) and they allow tickets to be changed without penalty.

So in a bold move, they presented the gift cards to passengers who were complaining about other airlines, giving away dozens of gift cards to passengers of other airlines who complained about fees on social media. The Dallas-based carrier wants travellers to know that they are different from their competition, and they are different; they even make up their own words. Case in point their campaign called Transfarency, a word that means “we don’t dream up ways we can trick you into paying more.” The Transfarency publicity campaign was launched in October. Kevin Krone, Southwest's chief marketing officer described a participant in a Southwest focus group who spoke of paying US $500 in extra fees (baggage, seat assignment and reservation change) for a flight from LA to Las Vegas.

"There's no reason to ruin a family trip because of that,” he said. The 15 week ad campaign including exposure on TV (during NFL Football broadcasts), in print and digitally is intended to show customers how much they don’t pay by flying Southwest. Last week they launched a promotion called Fees Don’t Fly where they point out the charges their competitors impose that they do not. Their website has a game called Fee or Fake, and guests are welcome to test their “knowledge on other airlines’ ridiculous fees with an eight question quiz”.

There is a video image of a pilot hosting the quiz. He encourages visitors to start playing and if they hesitate in going to the next question he checks his watch, if they stall longer he participates in a wide and lengthy yawn. Questions answered correctly get a high five or the opening of champagne bottle that blows out confetti.