New refrigerators filled with food for purchase at various admirals clubs
Apr 21, 2021, 10:13 pm
#77
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,314
Perhaps with many leasing agreements with airports then AA would have to share some of the revenue from the vending with the airport, If it's at the gate... Versus within the admirals club.
Apr 22, 2021, 9:43 am
#78
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Location: DCA
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I don't agree. This is what happens when you let bean counters make decisions without having a Customer Experience, Strategy or Sales guy involved.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
The sole judgment for AA is net revenue, not revenue. If there are people who will migrate to another carrier or stick with AA, but drop their AC membership, then that is a cost-benefit to the revenue derived from people who are both pleased by the choice and thus include it in their overall AA experience as a net positive, not to mention whatever revenue AA derives from the machine vendor contract itself.
I don't have access to AA's market research on this and perhaps it is malarkey. Perhaps not.
Last edited by Often1; Apr 22, 2021 at 10:52 am
Apr 22, 2021, 9:52 am
#79
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,314
I don't agree. This is what happens when you let bean counters make decisions without having a Customer Experience, Strategy or Sales guy involved.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
Apr 22, 2021, 10:07 am
#80
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Yikes. I thought the SP proved in the late 1960s that automats and long distance travel just don't go together.
Apr 22, 2021, 10:12 am
#81
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: United Plat, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Club, Hyatt Discoverist, Hertz President, Avis President
Posts: 64
I don't agree. This is what happens when you let bean counters make decisions without having a Customer Experience, Strategy or Sales guy involved.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
I see this constantly at clients. In a narrow way, this may make revenue, but it completely ignores the experience and brand being offered.
There's a reason that the Four Seasons doesn't have coin operated vending machines in the lobby.
Apr 22, 2021, 10:44 am
#82
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
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Posts: 4,893
Whether purchased or not, I do expect US lounges to offer more food and drinks to go. My fiancé remarked that she in a way preferred lounge service during the pandemic because everything is individually wrapped and easily packaged for takeaway. Drinks and snacks in the terminal are expensive and often unhealthy. Who knows when economy service will come back, and if first class service will be permanently cut. Being able to take out a bottle of water and half a sandwich onto the flight is a competitive advantage (whether you pay out of pocket or not is another question)
Apr 22, 2021, 10:54 am
#83
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This is all about attitudes towards service. Those who believe that self-serve machines are down-market and those who are thrilled that they never have to talk to someone to get a sandwich.
Apr 22, 2021, 11:02 am
#84
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I saw one at DFW A Tuesday. I think it looks tacky and cheap. Whether you agree or disagree about the convenience of buying something there rather than Hudson News to me at least is moot. To me it says "wow AA you have cut out just about everything from this club now you're adding food and drink vending machines??".
Apr 22, 2021, 11:10 am
#85
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While the Admirals Club isn't as exclusive as it once supposedly was, you're still charging people 500 bucks a year to go there. If it's going to feel like a Hudson News, then why bother paying? Just go next door.
Apr 22, 2021, 11:14 am
#86
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i mean none of us really know if there was someone involved from Customer Experience, Strategy, or sales. I don't think the AC is trying to be the 4 Seasons, either. Not defending their decision to put them in, but just saying their presence doesn't automatically imply an "oops" happened here.
In my professional experience, I have seen these sort of decisions being made repeatedly and almost all of them are because one silo is making a P&L decision without looking at the bigger picture.
Apr 22, 2021, 11:56 am
#87
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Tacky yes, but we've long passed "low rent"/"tacky" in the airline industry. It's just that the AC is the Wal Mart Neighborhood store (nicer floors, more check out lanes, better merchandise displays) while the terminal is the Wal Mart Super Center.
Apr 22, 2021, 2:06 pm
#89
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Apr 22, 2021, 3:02 pm
#90
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