Keeping the Brand Alive
Sometimes called ‘boomerang flights’, a number of well known airlines have marketed flights over the past year which take off from and land back at the same airport, generating plenty of publicity for the airline. These flights play into the desire among many travellers to take to the skies again at the same time as being a potent means to keep people talking about the airline and the experience of flying while widespread travel restrictions remain in place. These ‘flights to nowhere’ have also been called ‘desperate’, ‘a gimmick’, ‘escapism’, ‘freedom’ and ‘dumb’ but how widespread is the practice?
These flights may appear to be all about frivolity and fun but they also serve a purpose. Aside from generating some revenue, albeit a relatively small amount, for the airline they have been used as opportunities for duty free sales as planes circle outside national airspace, but more importantly they provide a talking point for the…