2018 Top 10 Airline Ancillary Revenue Rankings

Issued 24 July 2019

CarTrawler-sponsored analysis shows ancillary revenue continues steady advance by every measure,

and asks the question, can too much of a good thing be a bad thing?

Contents

Introducing you to Nebeneinnahmen ................................................................................................... 4

Financial documents for top ancillary revenue producers were reviewed................................... 5

Banks boost revenue for big carriers .................................................................................................... 6

Viva Aerobus is tops for ancillary as a percent of revenue .............................................................. 8

Ryanair is finding its baggage groove ..................................................................................................... 9

The top ten list for ancillary revenue per passenger is a mix of airlines..................................... 12

Too much chocolate is not a good thing ........................................................................................... 14

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Issued by IdeaWorksCompany.com LLC

Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA

www.IdeaWorksCompany.com

About Jay Sorensen, Writer of the Report

Jay Sorensen’s research and reports have made him a leading authority on frequent flyer

programs and the ancillary revenue movement. He is a regular keynote speaker at the

annual MEGA Event, spoke at IATA Passenger Services Symposiums in Abu Dhabi and

Singapore, and has testified to the US Congress on ancillary revenue issues. His published

works are relied upon by airline executives throughout

the world and include first-ever guides on the topics of

ancillary revenue and loyalty marketing. He was

acknowledged by his peers when he received the Airline

Industry Achievement Award at the MEGA Event in 2011.

Mr. Sorensen is a veteran management professional with

35 years experience in product, partnership, and

marketing development. As president of the

IdeaWorksCompany consulting firm, he has enhanced the

generation of airline revenue, started loyalty programs

and co-branded credit cards, developed products in the

service sector, and helped start airlines and other travel

companies. His career includes 13 years at Midwest

Airlines where he was responsible for marketing, sales,

customer service, product development, operations,

planning, financial analysis and budgeting. His favorite activities are hiking, exploring and

camping in US national parks with his family.

About Eric Lucas, Editor of the Report

Eric Lucas is an international travel, culture and natural history

writer and editor whose work appears in Michelin travel guides,

Alaska Airlines Beyond Magazine, Westways and numerous other

publications. Founding editor of Midwest Airlines Magazine, he is

the author of eight books, including the 2017 Michelin Alaska

guide. Eric has followed and written about the travel industry for

more than 25 years. He lives on San Juan Island, Washington,

where he grows organic garlic, apples, beans and hay; visit him

online at TrailNot4Sissies.com.

Disclosure to Readers of this Report

IdeaWorksCompany makes every effort to ensure the quality of the information in this

report. Before relying on the information, you should obtain any appropriate professional

advice relevant to your particular circumstances. IdeaWorksCompany cannot guarantee,

and assumes no legal liability or responsibility for, the accuracy, currency or completeness of

the information. The views expressed in the report are the views of the author, and do not

represent the official view of CarTrawler.

Eric, at his favorite summer retreat, Steens Mountain, Oregon.

Jay, with son Aleksei and daughter

Annika, in North Cascades National

Park in Washington.

2018 Top 10 Ancillary Revenue Rankings

Introducing you to Nebeneinnahmen

“Nebeneinnahmen” is practically unpronounceable for many of us. But it has become a

term of endearment among German airline executives. It’s a German word for “ancillary

revenue” and its increased usage demonstrates how it has remade the business models of

the Lufthansa Group, the European airline industry, and the world.

Back in 2009, Lufthansa disclosed inflight sales and travel sales commissions representing

ancillary revenue of one percent of revenue. Since then, Lufthansa’s ancillary world has

grown to feature branded fares, seat-only fares within Europe and on transatlantic routes,

and a collection of low cost carriers with 38+ million passengers annually. The 2018

disclosure by Carsten Spore, CEO of Lufthansa Group, caps all of these achievements ―

ancillary revenue now equals 8 percent of revenue.

This is a giant stride from 2009.

Table 1: Top 10 Airlines – Total Ancillary Revenue (US dollars)

Annual Results – 2018

Approximate Sources of Revenue

Frequent

Flyer Program

A la Carte

Such As Bags

Travel Retail

Commissions

American

$7,245,000,000

77%

23%

United

$5,802,000,000

73%

27%

Delta

$5,570,000,000

74%

26%

Southwest

$4,049,000,000

84%

16%

Ryanair

$2,801,536,938

None

100%

Lufthansa Group

$2,628,328,912

32%*

68%*

Air France/KLM

$2,579,438,796*

21%*

79%*

easyJet

$1,597,900,258

None

100%

Spirit

$1,493,108,000

97%

Air Canada

$1,452,733,488

39%

61%

2018 carrier results were based upon recent 12-month financial period disclosures.

* IdeaWorksCompany estimate based upon updated past disclosure and other sources.

Local currencies converted to US dollars at July 2018 rates of exchange.

Lufthansa Group 4th Quarter 2018 Investor Conference Call Transcript.

This top ten list has become a billionaire’s club, which of course includes Lufthansa Group

and five other global players. By comparison, only three of the top ten reached a billion

dollars of ancillary revenue in 2009. The group of ten represents ancillary revenue of $35.2

billion, which is far above the 2007 result of $2.1 billion. Table 1 indicates the club includes

members in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK and US. Total

ancillary revenue is one measure of ancillary revenue prowess. This report describes the

very best of ancillary results on the global stage, whether measured as total revenue, as

percent of revenue, or on a per passenger basis.

Ancillary revenue and a la carte revenue are terms which can be easily confused. Ancillary

revenue ― as defined below ― is not limited to fees for optional services. It also includes

other ways in which passengers generate revenue for an airline. The revenue produced by

frequent flyer programs represents a very meaningful 55 percent of the total revenue listed

in Table 1. But not for all carriers, as Ryanair and easyJet don’t yet offer loyalty benefits to

consumers. However, easyJet has announced plans to introduce a loyalty program, perhaps

to generate co-branded revenue and attract more business travelers.

Financial documents for top ancillary revenue producers were reviewed

Every year since 2007, IdeaWorksCompany searches for disclosures of financial results

which qualify as ancillary revenue for airlines all over the globe. Annual reports, investor

presentations, financial press releases, and quotes attributed to senior executives all qualify

as sources in the data collection process. Some airlines limit disclosure to a single item such

as duty-free sales or excess baggage fees, and this is normally associated with traditional

airlines. This report focuses on top performers, which provide robust description of

ancillary revenue activities to catch the attention of the investment community.

IdeaWorksCompany offers a definition of Ancillary Revenue

Revenue beyond the sale of tickets that is generated by direct sales to passengers, or

indirectly as a part of the travel experience.

IdeaWorksCompany further defines ancillary revenue using these categories:

1) a la carte features, 2) commission-based products, 3) frequent flyer activities,

4) miscellaneous sources such as advertising, and

5) the a la carte components associated with a fare or product bundle.

From this list, total airline revenue and ridership data were collected to determine the top

ten airlines in overall ancillary revenue, as a percentage of company revenue, and on a per

passenger basis. In the process of collecting data for this report, we make note when details

regarding the sources of ancillary revenue are identified. The collected data is reviewed and

this results in a few adjustments. For example, throughout the results in this report,

revenue from cargo and change fees was subtracted from results when possible. The results

for the complete list of 70+ disclosing airlines will be released in September 2019 as the

12th annual CarTrawler Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue by IdeaWorksCompany.

Banks boost revenue for big carriers

In Table 1, billion dollar ancillary revenue airlines are defined by two types: the world’s

largest low cost carriers and global network airlines with mature co-branded credit card

portfolios. All sales generated from these activities qualify as ancillary revenue. The US

market over the course of decades has become the land of revenue-rich card portfolios

courtesy of payments made by American Express, Barclays, Chase, and Citi banks to airline

frequent flyer programs.

Every time an airline cardholder makes a purchase, they accrue miles or points. These are

paid by the bank issuer of the card and the miles or points are then deposited to the

frequent flyer account of the cardholders. This is commerce on a grand scale. American

Express SkyMiles cardholder spending increased from $45.4 billion in 2012 to $94.7 billion

for 2018.

That’s more than double the entire revenue of $42.6 billion produced by Delta

Air Lines during 2018.

Table 2 contains a selected sample of 2018 results from our research. The results are

staggering, with the US carriers on the list representing revenue of more than $17.5 billion.

Caution is advised, because not all the revenue is generated by co-branded credit cards.

Frequent flyer programs have other sources too, such as miles sold direct to members, or

points sold to hotel, car hire, and retail partners. However, 90 percent of this revenue is

typically generated by relationships with bank partners.

Table 2: Key Frequent Flyer Revenue Disclosures (US dollars)

Airline

Program Name

FFP Revenue per

Network Passenger

Total Revenue (or

Billings) From Program

Qantas Group

Frequent Flyer

$37.51

$1,144,803,233

American

AAdvantage

$27.34

$5,571,000,000

United

MileagePlus

$26.71

$4,229,000,000

Southwest

Rapid Rewards

$25.26

$3,407,000,000

Delta

SkyMiles

$21.35

$4,110,000,000

Hawaiian

HawaiianMiles

$18.50

$219,000,000

Aeromexico

Club Premier

$11.44

$250,253,456

Air Canada

Aeroplan

$11.22

$571,366,391

Virgin Australia

Velocity

$11.08

$275,463,650

Azul

TudoAzul

$10.95

$253,132,391

GOL

SMILES

$6.95

$232,294,093

2018 carrier results were based upon recent 12-month financial period disclosures.

Local currencies converted to US dollars at July 2018 rates of exchange.

Revenue or billing amounts benefitting the airline either as wholly/partially owned entity or as a partner.

American Express 2018 Annual Report.

Delta Air Lines Form 10-K for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Per passenger results can also be stunning. Qantas believes 35% of credit card spend in

Australia is on Qantas co-branded credit cards.

That type of number should catch the

attention of Australia’s secretary to the treasury. It’s easy to see why these are popular

products for airlines operating in countries where consumers eagerly use credit and

merchant credit fees are lightly- or un-regulated. The latter is used by banks to fund the

purchase of miles and points from airlines.

Air Canada, operating in an economy similar to the US, should be enjoying the $20+ per

passenger revenues of its US airline brethren. But Aeroplan operated during 2018 as an

independently owned entity. The results listed in Table 2 represent sales of reward tickets

to the program operator Aimia. The airline

doesn’t directly benefit from Aeroplan’s co-

branded credit cards beyond this ticket

revenue. That’s one of the reasons why the

airline chose to buy back the program from

Aimia during 2019.

Canadian banks are eager to continue the

relationship with Air Canada and are paying

huge amounts of cash to sweeten the Aeroplan

deal. TD Bank and the Canadian Imperial Bank

of Commerce have already made total

payments of CAD 1.222 billion ($913.4 million)

linked to card marketing relationships and the

pre-purchase of Aeroplan miles.

In addition,

more payments tied to co-branded cards will be made by Visa and American Express. It’s a

windfall of cash that greatly exceeds the CAD 497 million ($371.5 million) the airline paid to

Aimia to buy the Aeroplan program back.

The co-branded credit card business also appeals to smaller carriers. Here are some

additional findings from our ancillary revenue research:

 Allegiant in the US has recognized approximately $33 million in third party product

revenue from its co-brand credit card program since its introduction in 2016.

 Avianca in Colombia has a portfolio of 680,000 co-branded credit cards associated

with its LifeMiles program. This cardholder base represents nearly 8 percent of its 8.9

million program members.

 Volaris in Mexico has 235,000 co-branded cardholders, who generated revenue of

$13.5 million for 2018.

The airline does not have a frequent flyer program.

Qantas FY 2018 Results Presentation

“Air Canada Completes Acquisition of Aeroplan Loyalty Business” press release dated 10 January 2019 at

AirCanada.com.

Allegiant Travel Company Annual Report Form 10-K for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Avianca Holdings 2018 Annual Report.

Volaris Aviation Holding Company SEC Form 20-F for 2018.

Westjet opportunity? Banks are paying millions to

ensure Air Canada and its frequent flyer program

members remain loyal to their credit cards as the

program changes ownership back to the airline.

Viva Aerobus is tops for ancillary as a percent of revenue

Viva Aerobus jumped Spirit this year with a record 47.6% of revenue. Table 3 below lists

the top ten airlines for ancillary revenue as a percentage of total revenue. It’s a stable

collection of airlines that generally realize higher percentages year-over-year.

The big change to the 2018 list is the disappearance of WOW air which posted a 28.5%

result for 2017. The airline became insolvent in early 2019 and did not share its 2018

results. Eight of the ten airlines achieved higher results when compared to 2017. Joining

the top ten list for 2018 is AirAsia which had a dramatic increase from 17.3 percent to 29.0

percent for 2018. This was largely due to an overall 11 percent increase and better

disclosure of the group’s results.

Table 3: Top 10 Airlines – Ancillary Revenue as a % of Total Revenue

Annual Results – 2018

Notable Ancillary Revenue Activities

47.6%

Viva Aerobus

The airline improved the performance of its 3 branded fares.

44.9%

Spirit

Dynamic pricing for seat and bag fees was emphasized.

42.8%

Frontier

Frequent flyer program was relaunched with new elite tiers.

41.2%

Allegiant

Allegiant started offering a discount for roundtrip itineraries.

41.1%

Wizz Air

Fast track and lounge access added as mobile app functions.

34.8%

Volotea

Inflight entertainment via mobile app for €1.99 added.

32.3%

Volaris

Dynamic pricing for seat and bag fees was emphasized.

31.7%

Ryanair

Ryanair introduced priority boarding with carry-on bag benefit.

31.1%

Jet2.com

Airline employs 600+ customer helpers at resort locations.

29.0%

AirAsia Group

Onboard catering features more ASEAN-based SME vendors.

2018 carrier results and activities based upon 12-month financial period disclosures.

Ancillary revenue as a portion of total revenue appears to have reached a ceiling of 50

percent. It’s easier for a non-global airline to achieve this high rate because the underlying

passenger fares are lower for short- and medium-haul travel. Every year the ancillary

revenue percentage for the bottom entry on the top ten list tends to nudge upward; two

years ago it was 22 percent and last year it is 27.6 percent.

The right side column in Table 3 lists notable 2018 activities that contributed to each

carrier’s results. Dynamic pricing of a la carte services is referenced twice, for Spirit and

Volaris. It’s a phrase that is unreliably defined in the airline industry and we believe technical

capabilities are sometimes exaggerated. Volaris did reveal its method relies upon multiple

variables: season, route, customer attributes, time before purchase, type of market, time of

purchase, and type of flight.

Essentially, this applies revenue management techniques to the

pricing of a la carte services. Look for more of this because it works so very well.

AirAsia 2018 Annual Report.

Volaris Investor Day Presentation, 13 September 2017,

For some airlines, such as JetBlue and Spirit, disclosures from financial filings provide a

rather complete picture of their ancillary revenue. The following pie charts feature red

shading for baggage revenue, purple for loyalty, and blue for seating products.

Low Cost Carrier Examples

Red dominates the two pie charts, which indicates the importance of revenue from baggage

fees. Spirit generates a strong $21.15 per passenger from baggage fees.

The carrier has an

assertive baggage policy which includes fees for medium-sized carry-on bags. JetBlue

disclosed average baggage revenue of $7.70 which demonstrates the results of a more

relaxed carry-on policy.

Assigned seating has earned a strong 2

or 3

place in ancillary

revenue pies, and this holds true for both LCCs and traditional airlines.

Ryanair is finding its baggage groove

But boy oh boy, it’s a complicated story. Let’s begin with a little history on the subject.

Ryanair may have labeled 2018 as “annus horribilis,” borrowing a phrase used by Queen

Elizabeth to describe a horrible year experienced during her reign. Ryanair made more than

one attempt to create a bag policy balancing smooth airport operations, compliant

customers, and attractive revenue. The need for change was identified by Ryanair in 2013,

when its CEO Michael O’Leary confessed, “We should try to eliminate things that unnecessarily

piss people off.”

Baggage was one of the problem areas.

Ryanair finally implemented a policy in November 2018 that found the balance identified

above. The policy is best explained by an article from CNN Travel, “Under the new policy,

non-priority boarding passengers are still allowed to bring a personal bag into the cabin free

of charge, but there will be a fee of €8 ($9) to check in a small suitcase weighing up to 10

kilograms (22 pounds). Passengers who purchase priority boarding will still be allowed to

bring a personal bag and a small suitcase onto the plane.”

Michael O’Leary’s desire to

eliminate the expense of handling customer bags has always eluded him. But with this

policy, he has lightened the load by encouraging travelers to carry their own . . . and in an

orderly manner.

Spirit Airlines 2018 Form 10-K.

JetBlue Investor Day 2018 Presentation dated 02 October 2018.

“Ryanair unveils new strategy: be nice to customers” article dated 20 September 2013 at Reuters.com.

“Ryanair changes hand luggage rules – again” article dated 01 November 2018 at CNN.com.

Baggage

41%

Assigned Seats

12%

Passenger Use

Fee *

36%

Loyalty

Program

Other Activities

Spirit

2018 Ancillary Revenue Sources

Based upon company disclosures

* Use fee (for online bookings) is considered to qualify as ancillary revenue

only because it can be avoided by buying tickets at the airport.

Baggage

30%

Loyalty

Program

31%

Even More

(seating and

priority

services)

25%

Other Activities

Holiday

Packages

JetBlue

2018 Ancillary Revenue Sources

Based upon company disclosures

I watched the “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags” policy in action during travels to Dublin earlier this

year. I observed a number of flights, counted bags and passengers, and had impromptu

conversations with ramp staff and gate agents on the concourse. Of course this being

Dublin (the primary hub of Ryanair) passengers are well practiced in the carrier’s passenger

processes. This may have influenced the overall result ― which was found to be

exceptionally smooth and orderly. Gone were the public displays of agony that can

accompany the boarding of Ryanair flights.

Operational staff had the following to say about the Priority & 2 Cabin Bags process: “It’s

better than the policies we had during 2018 in terms of delays. Generally the boarding process is

smooth, though families can cause issues. This occurs when a parent buys priority boarding for

some family members (likely the parents) and not for the kids. They are upset when the kids are

not allowed to board with the parents. Often gate staff will allow kids to board with the parents.

Out of Dublin, we see shorter haul flights with about 10 to 15 bags in the hold, with the rest carried

by passengers into the cabin. For longer haul flights, 60 checked bags is a good average quantity.

The priority boarding is capped at 80 passengers.”

Observations and conversations from the Dublin airport visit are reflected in the Table 4

data and calculations. Ryanair does use variable pricing for a la carte services, such as

priority boarding. Assumptions were made on the distribution of Priority & 2 Cabin Bags

pricing for the Birmingham and Alicante flights; this information was not gathered from

airport staff. Based upon a review of the booking path for the two city pairs, Ryanair

appears to offer Priority & 2 Cabin Bags at €6, €9, and €12 per passenger. Prices increase

as a flight books up with passengers.

Table 4: Comparing Typical Ryanair Bag Activity

City pair

Dublin - Birmingham

Dublin – Alicante

Flight duration

About 1 hour

About 3 hours

Aircraft capacity

189 economy seats

Priority & 2 Cabin Bags sales

(includes 10 kg cabin bag)

30 passengers @ €6 = €180

50 passengers @ €12 = €600

30 passengers @ €9 = €270

50 passengers @ €12 = €600

Bags checked at counter

(assume basic 20 kg bag)

15 bags @ €15 = €225

60 bags @ €25 = €1,500

Bag exceptions handled

at the gate with fee applied

2 bags @ €25 each = €50

3 bags @ €25 each = €75

Total ancillary revenue

€1,055 ($1,184)

€2,445 ($2,744)

Baggage activity is based upon observations and discussions with operations staff at Dublin Airport during early 2019.

Assumes standard fares, with “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags” prices increasing as a flight fills.

This policy is a stroke of genius because it combines two things passengers adore: early

boarding and the certainty of stowing a roll-on bag. Ryanair obviously did the math and

found its overhead bins comfortably fill up with the carry-on bags of the first 80 passengers.

It’s an intuitive offer for consumers. Plus non-priority passengers spend many minutes at

the gate observing the benefit of the Priority & 2 Cabin Bags option. Then these non-

priority passengers board afterwards and are checked by gate agents for non-compliant

carry-on bags. These passengers are pulled aside and their bag is checked for a €25 fee.

Ryanair appears to be using Priority & 2 Cabins Bags as a revenue platform upon which to

test new services and refine how baggage is merchandised. The carrier’s booking path is

complex and uses every opportunity (and screen space) to sell baggage services and assigned

seating. At times the distinction between early boarding, baggage, and seating becomes a

blur of pop-up boxes and interruptions. It all has the feeling of being unstructured and

experimental ― which probably reflects the involvement of the Ryanair Labs group.

After selecting a flight, the consumer chooses from three branded fares: Standard, Plus, and

Flexi Plus. Standard does not include a checked bag, while Plus includes a checked 20 kg

bag, but the higher priced Flexi Plus does not. Seat assignment is promoted next courtesy

of a pop-up display in the website booking path. Baggage choices are offered later on; the

baggage retail presentation varies according to the fare purchased.

Standard fare passengers can consider a new “10 kg Check-in Bag & 1 Small Bag” which

removes the priority boarding benefit and restricts travelers to the smaller carry-on. The

added sales almost don’t matter, as the carrier has found a strong revenue base with the

Priority & 2 Cabin Bags offer. We imagine this service is the defacto choice for most

consumers and sells out for almost every flight. It’s the no-hassle way to fly Ryanair and

doesn’t cost more than €12. We anticipate the top end of this fee will increase.

Finding the operational, customer service, and revenue balance is difficult for airlines. Wizz

Air continued in 2018 to see declining revenue from years of baggage policy changes. For

FY 2019 it was €5.30 per passenger, which represents a decline from €8.10 for FY 2018,

and €10.10 for FY 2017.

Fortunately for investors, the airline has increased ancillary

revenue from other areas. As of November 2018, Wizz Air has a baggage policy similar to

Ryanair. The first carry-on bag is free for all passengers; buying the Wizz Priority option

adds a medium-size carry-on bag. Wizz Air management says the new policy has created

more efficient operations and improved on-time performance. During a recent investor call,

Iain Wetherall, Wizz Air CFO, said Priority was generating average revenue of more than

€1 per passenger.

On an annual basis, that would be more than €34 million.

Wizz Air FY 2019 and FY 2018 Results Presentations.

Wizz Air FY 2019 3rd Quarter Investor Call.

It’s true, it’s true! Ryanair’s former small bag limit was 35 x 20 x 20 cm. And yes, Priority is the most popular

product, and yes it does sell out as indicated by the shaded imaging and text in the center.

The top ten list for ancillary revenue per passenger is a mix of airlines

The top performing airlines in this list were once dominated by low cost carriers, but

traditional airlines are now more numerous (Table 5 below). The definition of ancillary

revenue includes the results produced by a carrier’s frequent flyer program and provides a

substantial per-passenger revenue boost for global airlines such as Qantas and United.

Table 5: Top 10 Airlines – Ancillary Revenue per Passenger

Annual Results – 2018

(in US dollars)

Ancillary

Source

2008 Comparison

(in US dollars and % increase above 2008)

$50.94

Spirit

Various

$18.61

174%

$50.01

Allegiant

Various

$26.66

88%

$47.62*

Frontier

Various

$3.70

1187%

$43.91

Jet2.com

Various

$19.04

131%

$41.15

Qantas Airways

FFP

$15.83

160%

$36.64

United

Various

$22.86

60%

$35.56

American

Various

$19.67

81%

$34.74

Virgin Australia

Various

Not available

$34.28

AirAsia X

Various

Not available

$32.70

Hawaiian

Various

Not available

2018 and 2008 carrier results were based upon 12-month financial period disclosures.

* IdeaWorksCompany estimate based upon past disclosure and updated for current report.

Local currencies converted to US dollars at July 2018 and July 2008 rates of exchange.

Hawaiian appears on this top ten list for the first time. The ancillary revenue identified for

the carrier includes the sale of frequent flyer miles, baggage fees, and its Extra Comfort

seating. The service provides more leg room, fast track screening (7 airports), early

boarding, at-seat power, and on select flights, expanded IFE choices, and an amenity kit.

Traditional airlines, like Hawaiian, have quickly moved to expand revenue opportunities

associated with seating. Extra leg room seats, premium economy, and the basic element of

assigned seating have become surprisingly routine for this airline category.

The arrival of basic economy fares has opened

the door for traditional airlines to experiment

with an ever-expanding list of a la carte fees.

These are indeed interesting times with

unexpected outcomes. It’s true, these fares

allow carriers like Delta, British Airways, and

Air France to compete with low cost carriers

like Frontier, Norwegian, and easyJet. One

can forgive consumers who are confused by

the dizzying array of choices, and also

confused by how this relates to the inherent

promise of a global airline brand.

British Airways with “Seats for two” borrowed an idea

from KLM which is called “Seats in a row of 2.”

Image: From BA.com booking path

We took the opportunity to further examine seat-related fees. The highly competitive New

York – London market is a good choice, notably because low cost Norwegian has a

significant presence. In this unscientific exercise, the lowest priced departure was chosen

and we looked at the assigned seating options available to consumers booking a basic

economy fare. The comparison in Table 6 simply displays fees for assigned seating and

doesn’t consider how the price of fares might make one airline a solid choice over another

for best value. A date far into the future was chosen to reduce the influence heavily booked

flights might have on the pricing of fees.

Table 6: Assigned Seating Comparison

New York – London, travel on 01 October 2019, one way

Airline

American

British

Airways

Delta

Norwegian

United

Virgin

Atlantic

City pair

JFK-LHR

JFK-Gatwick

Newark-LHR

JFK-LHR

Fare type

Basic

Economy

Basic

Economy

Light *

Economy

Low Fare

Basic

Economy *

Economy

Light *

Flight

example

AA #100

6:15 p.m.

BA #112

6:30 p.m.

DL #1

7:30 p.m.

DI #7018

10:10 p.m.

UA #110

6:00 p.m.

VS #4

6:00 p.m.

Free advance

assignment?

Seat Assignment Options – Lowest Fees Found

Standard

$11

$32

Seat

assignment

only allowed

after

check-in

$45

$20

$25

Preferred –

front of cabin

$75

$60

$45

$49

$25

Extra leg

room

$103

$91

$45

Seats not

noted in map

Not sold to

Basic

Economy

$62

Joint venture

AA/BA

DL/VS

None

None on route

DL/VS

*Airline requires roundtrip booking to qualify for basic economy fare. VS fees are approximate due to £ conversion.

The results are surprising because of the price variance in the economy cabin, between

airlines, and within joint ventures such as American and British Airways. Assigned seating

fees for the American flight ranged from $11 to $103. Surprisingly every seat on Norwegian

has the same $45 fee, and this includes extra leg room seats. These are unmarked in

Norwegian’s booking path; consumers must rely upon another source such as

SeatGuru.com to find these hidden values. Delta and Virgin Atlantic, partners in a joint

venture, indicate free seat assignments for basic economy fares are only available at the time

of check-in. However, Virgin Atlantic sells assigned seating later in the booking path, while

Delta does not offer any seat assignment in the booking path for basic economy.

There’s no economic need for airlines to strive for consistency when setting prices for

assigned seats and extra leg room seating. Quite to the contrary, the trend for all a la carte

fees points to more variation as airlines apply revenue management concepts to create

variable prices. Whether intentional or not, this complexity certainly provides challenges

for distribution intermediaries, such as Expedia and Google Flights. The outcome at present

is truly baffling for many consumers. But this is an unfortunate though expected effect when

companies are reworking how products are sold and priced in the marketplace.

Too much chocolate is not a good thing

The ancillary revenue revolution is now in its 12

year. The marching orders given by top

airline executives to ancillary revenue managers have been “onward and upward.” The

numbers tallied by IdeaWorksCompany since 2007 have been ever-increasing and each new

year provides record results. When measured by financial outcomes, ancillary revenue has

become one of the most solid and durable successes of the modern airline industry. But

will this revolution eventually fail due to this success?

During my high school years I made pizzas at a chain restaurant called Pizza Inn. One of the

many managers who passed through the place cautioned me on adding too many ingredients

to the pizzas. He was not only worried about food cost, he was also concerned about taste.

He told me, “Jay, if you

keep adding chocolate

powder to a milkshake, at

some extreme point it

becomes inedible.” This

was another way of

saying, too much of a

good thing, is not a good

thing.

The pop-up box displayed

on this page is from

American’s booking path.

This box appears when a

consumer selects a basic

economy fare. The

question posed at the top

― Are you sure? ―

reminds me of the lesson learned at the Pizza Inn. Too much eagerness to build ancillary

revenue can be a bad thing. If an airline feels compelled to make this effort to warn a

customer against buying a product . . . then they should really reexamine what their brand

means to the customer.

American Airlines is merely an example among many, and is not unique in this regard. All

revolutions involve actions which are someday regretted, and the ancillary revenue

revolution is not immune to this. Traditional airlines are copying LCCs in almost every

regard, and LCCs can be accused of stretching too far to woo high flying business travelers.

The question to ask is, “What is your brand and does it matter?” Almost every airline is

branded by behavior, and not through rigorous intention. Ancillary revenue is best when it

aligns with and supports the brand of an airline. Adding chocolate can be good up to a

point, but the best results occur when you have a recipe.

Please note: CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany will release a 100+ page compilation of results and

overall rankings from the 70+ disclosing airlines during September 2019. A companion report, scheduled for

November 2019, will use these results to extrapolate the total ancillary revenue generated by a global list

which exceeds 180 airlines.

The need to ensure consumers understand their choice is completely

understandable. But is the desire to promote or dissuade?