Aeroméxico launches promotion to compete with Interjet market

With discounts of 25%, the airline takes advantage of the moment of crisis of its competitor. Not everything is lost for Interjet

Thousands of travelers are angry with Interjet. On Saturday, the airline acknowledged that it has canceled 34 flights to the detriment of 5,467 passengers. Social networks were flooded with complaints and negative comments against the company. And while the company was trying to give them a solution, its competitor did not take long to act: that same day, Aeromexico offered those affected a 25% discount for 19 international flights and all national flights.

The response was immediate and effective, experts agree. “There are people who have not traveled with Aeroméxico and now the company has the opportunity to capture them,” says Rafael Gárate, president of the Mexican Association of Public Relations Professionals. “Although that also affects the airline, because if you thought to sell those flights at a normal price now you are selling them with promotion.”

Aeromexico has not mentioned how many customers have taken the offer. His first tweet has caused a positive impact: he has received more than 160 likes and 80 retweets. In contrast, Interjet’s brand positioning has been affected.

Last September, Interjet launched its new communication strategy called ‘Inspire to travel’. With it he sought to highlight the experience of traveling on the airline rather than the low price. The objective was to position the message that quality is not at odds with cost.

“The idea and the concept were good, because there is no need to look for customers by price and earn them for service”, recognizes Gárate. “But it must have had a plan B in case the crew started to fail or if the pilots started missing, especially when the holiday period approaches.”

The affectation may be temporary, according to Rosario Ancheita, a specialist at the Business School of La Salle University. “You can let the crisis pass a little, make a statement informing what really happened together with a brand strategy focused on a price policy with a promotion that offers added value to its customers,” adds the academic.

For now, the objective should be to solve the problem, bet on transparent communication and offer added value, experts agree. “People feel that they are not being advised correctly and in that part Interjet is failing a little,” says Gárate. “There is very little information for users. They had done a good job with the campaign and now they are falling. ”

Source: Expansion

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