What China’s business class flyers really want
The brief
The national airline of a European country wanted to understand its business class passengers in China, and why others chose competitors. It wanted to know what pleases and disappoints them, what they expect, which parts of the service need an upgrade, and what “prestige” means to them, among its own frequent flyers and among members of rival programmes.
Why it was hard
Frequent business class travellers are senior, busy and often out of the country, which makes them hard to get into a room at a fixed time. Competitor flyers had no reason to help this airline, and a group of high-status professionals can easily turn into polite agreement.
How we did it
We recruited regular business class flyers on routes the airline serves, from our own database and through travel agent networks, and scheduled the groups around their travel. We ran four focus groups in Shanghai: two with the airline’s own business class passengers and two with people who fly competitors.
Our moderators explored their first associations with the airline, their expectations of business class, which airlines they prefer and why, and every part of the experience, from catering and entertainment to lounges and seats. Respondents described their ideal airline, then turned to the client’s brand and to what prestige really means to them.
What the client got
A full report on the experiences and motivations of business class travellers, what wins and loses them, and recommendations for the strategic decisions ahead.
What it shows
We can find and bring together high-value travellers, including those loyal to competitors, and get them talking honestly.
Services: focus groups ยท hard-to-reach recruitment
