Marketing of Virgin Atlantic

American airline industry is steadily growing at an extremely strong rate. This growth comes with a number economic and social advantage. This contributes a great deal to the international inventory. The US airline industry is a major economic aspect in both the outcome on other related industries like tourism and manufacturing of aircraft and its own terms of operation. The airline industry is receiving massive media attention unlike other industries through participating and making of government policies. As Hoffman and Bateson (2011) show the major competitors include Southwest Airlines, Delta Airline, and United Airline.

1. There are a few trends in the US airline industry. One is consolidation, wherein existing players merge in an attempt to lower their costs and generate operating synergies. The most recent major merger was the United Continental merger, which is still an ongoing affair, but has created the largest airline in the United States by market share (Martin, 2012). Another trend is towards low-cost carriers. In the US, Southwest has been a long-running success and JetBlue a strong new competitor, but in other countries this business model has proven exceptionally successful. The third major trend is the upward trend in jet fuel prices, and the increasing importance that this puts on hedging fuel prices and capacity management (Hinton, 2011).

Virgin Australia which was formerly called Virgin Blue is the Australia’s second largest airline. The airline was started in 2000 by British business tycoon Sir Richard Branson and former Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey. The airlines started as low-cost carrier, but went on to become a “new-world carrier” (Virgin Blue media release, 2011). This low cost airline went on to become a full-service airline by 2012 with the name of Virgin Australia. Since the year 2000 the airlines grew rapidly and posed threat to Qantas airline and over the years Virgin Blue looking at the marketing trends and characteristics of the aviation industry grew into a Full Service Airline and is considered a four star airline by research consultancy firm Skytrax.

Oil price instability in 2008 resulted in sky rocketed airline tickets. Together with global economic crisis, airlines were in the next in line of collapsed list. Qantas survived by slashed numbers of its employee, but numerous worlds’ major airlines were not so lucky.

Since deregulation, the most influential driver of profit in the airline industry has been the control of ticket distribution (Shaw, 2013). Spirit Airlines, the leading ultra-low-cost, no-frills

This research report provides an analysis of two popular airlines in Australia; Jetstar and Virgin Blue, both whom are competing in the airline business. Jetstar and Virgin Blue can both compete and be highly profitable within the business, leisure and family market but however, it will ultimately be the service companies, and their associated marketing strategies and techniques which, will establish the difference between the market ‘leader’ and the market ‘loser’. This analysis will detail potential solutions to a number of major strategic issues confronting the companies to maintain its position and protect its profitability in its core domestic market.

Virgin Atlantic Airways (VAA) was set up in 1984 to provide a competitive alternative for business and leisure passengers on long-haul routes between the UK and major destinations. It was founded by Virgin group management and in few decades time it became prominent figure in UK airline business. It has grown steadily over past 25 years and now serves 30 destinations in US, Africa, Asia from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow (Palmer, 2012). Currently Virgin Atlantic is managed by Singapore Airlines and Virgin group. In 2004, VAA introduced revolutionary upper class suite which was longest and most cosy fleet bed and seat in business class which was totally innovative and new idea for airline business. VAA also was

In July 2017, news headlines hit the airwaves and the internet regarding Sir Richard Branson giving up control of the 33 years old airline, Virgin Atlantic (Bkaskara, 2017). Apparently, the air carrier industry has experienced increased competitiveness. Low cost rivals are putting pressure on traditional transatlantic carriers, which has made Virgin Atlantic, once a trailblazing carrier, to struggle. In 2012, Delta Air Lines came to the rescue of the carrier in a joint venture, taking up 49 percent of the company (Stothard, 2017). Even so, in the July 2017 alliance, Branson, according to Stothard (2017) gave up his control as a part of a wide-ranging disturbance of the airline carrier industry that will see Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM, and China Eastern intensify their alliances. The aim of the airline is ‘to embrace the human spirit and let it fly’ (Virgin Atlantic, 2016). Its main focus has been on services such as safety and security, for its 5.4 million customers flown in 2016 (Virgin Atlantic, 2016). To enhance its efficiency, Virgin Atlantic has implemented various strategic management practices to achieve competitive advantage and growth.

A drop in fares has been the best result of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. It has been the impetus for the increase in the number of flights, which in turn has spurred a drive for greater safety in airlines. But with the current airline market, this development has given us one negative. Since ticket prices have dropped to new lows, the realities of an industry which operates on such economies of scale dictates that only a few competitors have the capacity to operate within the market. This is not the desired effect of either political side on this issue, but it is an economic necessity with the environment that has been created, very similar to that of public utilities and phone companies.

1) Introduction to airline industry 2) Drivers of globalisation using yip’s model 2.1 Market globalisation 2.2 Cost globalisation 2.3 Globalisation of government policies 2.4 Globalisation of competition 3) Localisation- arguments against globalisation 4) Pestle Analysis 5) Porter’s 5 forces analysis and their application to Airline industry 5.1 Rivalry amongst Existing Firms 5.2 Threat of substitution 5.3 Threat of new entrants 5.4 Power of customers 5.5 Power of buyers 6) Opportunities and Threats of Airline industry 7) Internal analysis of Virgin Airlines: Strengths and Weakness 8) Financial Statics of Virgin Atlantic Airline 9) Strategic Changes of Virgin

The airline industry has been a major factor in the globalization of the world economy. It connects the sellers and the buyers as well as transports goods across countries. It also breaks the time and distance barriers. In the past, air travel was considered a luxury but it is now a common necessity.

The primary purpose of this report is to demonstrate the decision-making process for the chosen aviation company Virgin Atlantic Airline owned by Sir Richard Branson, which was established in 1984 and how they influence their customers to purchase their products and use their services. Virgin Atlantic offers many services such as

In the past few years, the commercial air carriers have formed strategic alliances with each other which were not possible before this due to the previous regulations.

In less than twenty years, the global industry has gone through tremendous change. Several airlines had gone out of business that had been on top of the industry for years. One of the remarkable changes had been airline alliances. The case focuses on the airline industry and how airlines are forming alliances and joint ventures. It then introduces the partner firms Air France KLM , and Delta . Air France KLM had over 25 collaborative agreements with other carriers and was a founding member of Skyteam, one of the leading airline groups. Air France KLM and Delta Airlines formed revenue

There are three options to price the new Virgin Mobile line in the US. The first option involves setting prices at the same level as the competition. The benefit of this option is the ease of implementation, but the drawback is the lack of differentiation. Virgin Mobile will not be setting itself apart from other companies, by