livious

I saw the new advertising campaign on SAS's homepage today and felt it was a bit corny. Now I have gotten an email from Rickard Gustafson thanking me for sticking with SAS in the recent times where they have struggled.

I am not sure what to make of the new campaign. I appreciate the contact and the optimism for the near future. The new planes and new routes should be nice. However, I am not sure how this campaign helps SAS find new customers or increase business. Am I wrong to expect that some other announcement is coming...preferably with some good news?

FlyerTalker01565

It's horrible.

First of all, having nice pictures with feel-good talk over it is usually a sign that an actual idea was missing.

Second, people on the tarmac like that signals 'trouble' when it comes to aviation. You don't want a bunch of people running around the aircraft - it looks disorderly and chaotic. Which is the absolute last thing you want to associated with.

Third, I appreciate SAS making a campaign about who they are to make them more relatable. But there are a million other ways to do that in an engaging and positively branding way.

They shouldn't have left the 'As Good As Home' campaign. That was - by far - the best piece of aviation advertising I've ever seen.

Mjoellnir

I think the email from Gustafson is positive though.. he promise improvements to the eurobonus programme and better advantages for elite members.

livious

Sure, but why not state what those improvements will be. Even better, announce the new route. I can live with the new campaign if they actually say something (particularly as this email seemed to target elite flyers).

MrCharming

I just watched the 1 minute campaign video and it doesn't make much sense to me.

Just loads of people around the airplane but the doors are closed - just a big herd of people.

Reminds me of a scene from walking dead.

CPH-Flyer

I have seen worse. But SAS has also done far better.

Jespersm

yeah, yeah, haven't we heard that before, an again when introducing the diamond level half a year ago. Now, we need action: exactly what and exactly when and not just warm air and good promises from the CEO.

Gnopps

I rather like the image on the homepage, didn't watch the video.

Funny that they chose US spelling ("Travelers") rather than UK spelling ("Travellers") for the UK campaign page: http://www.flysas.com/en/uk/wearetravelers/

raldat

After years of lurking and no posting I really thought I should step up and contribute. Having been at this flying game for many years now I cringe when I hear of frequent flyer program enhancements because generally what they mean is providing less for the customer to enhance the profitability of the program. As a gold flyer I am still awaiting the sting in the tail of the introduction of Diamond, i.e. what is taken away from gold to give to diamond and I think we are about to see it. The other thing I expect is the move to revenue based status accrual rather than mileage based. As someone whose company forces low fare economy on the ridiculous level of long haul flights I take each year I hope and pray that won’t occur.

But the purpose of this post… In the hope that someone from SAS is reading, here is what I want from a loyality program. I don’t want new ways to buy stuff, I don’t want gift shops and little presents. What I would like is the things that actually matter to travelers. I want:
• Upgrades when there are seats available for the highest level of frequent flyer (diamond) not just on the few occasions that it suits the airline (the rare op up).
• Upgrade vouchers for gold levels to allow them to access upgrades in the same way as above, i.e. whenever there is a seat avaiallbe
• Better access to paid (points) upgrades whenever there are seats available
• Access to the best economy seats. Why do I so often see non status flyers in the exit and bulkhead rows and why are these blocked when I try to access them
• Care taken when reallocating seats due to aircraft changes. On a recent flight to the US and return the dreaded LAN A340 was swapped onto and off my flight in both directions. In each case I lost my “better” seat to be shunted into a poor seat. Why?
• The good old soft block. Block that seat next to me and make it the last one filled. Give me (and the other high level flyers) the best chance possible of a free seat next to them.
• Make sure that if anything else goes wrong, I am looked after before others.

The above is what really matters to me. That is what makes me loyal. The rest is just irrelevant fluff. It takes me a lot of work in my work travel system to stay with SAS to build up enough points to be gold. It is not that far away from not being worth the trouble. Please please don’t downgrade any more.

FFlash

Welcome to FT, raldat!

Interestingly, while a bit OT´ish, your list of wishes is quite a match with Finnair´s AY program.

Or it was. There are reports and experiences that they have started to go wrong way with those key perks.

Passmethesickbag

The vacuity of that ad just beggars belief. It just makes it all too clear that they have nothing in the very least attractive to say about their service. People are different and travel for different reasons - who would have thunk? I guess the implicit message, if any, is that travelling with us is just like travelling on a bus, there is nothing pleasant, glamorous, fun, or exciting about it anymore. What matters is your destination and your reason for going there, and if you travel with us it's likely because we were cheaper or because you don't care much about your experience between check-in and arrival.

fassy

They should fix the current Diamond level before making bold announcements of great changes to come

- where is my Diamond SmartPass?
- where is my Diamond Amex?
- where is my Diamond recognition in the system and differentiation to EBG
- where is the increased availability of Awards (tbh, looking for available long haul C awards in the next year I have the feeling there are even less available than before, probably the reduced capacity in the new C)
- tbc...

MrCharming

Maybe because travellers often refer to gypsies in the UK? Just a guess.

nussle

Wow, I almost thought I had written this and not realized it. Yep, this gets my vote 100%, it is spot on accurate.

Passmethesickbag

If they don't care about the meaning of a single word used in the advert, why should they care about the spelling?