What Comes Next?

The landscape in the airline business is changing very quickly these days, with seemingly each day bringing forecasts that are more optimistic than those made just days before.

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For US airlines, domestic travel has rebounded strongly, with airlines adding back flights faster than they can publish schedules. On the international front, Iceland became (I think) the first country to fully open their borders to vaccinated travellers, while others continue to build towards expanded testing regimes as the key to reopening.

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As far as the onboard experience goes, there are signs of life, but also persistent headwinds. In the US, where the recovery is arguably furthest along, each of our sources has shared highlights of the various airlines’ strategies for restarting catering at shuttered locations around the country. Many of which have seen little business in the last year, and have seen major changes to staffing and leadership. Similarly, the airlines themselves find themselves in positions of diminished capacity- with senior leaders pushing for aggressive changes that have teams jumping from project to project as priorities shift.

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So, what does this mean for the customer?

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In the near term, our sense is that not a lot changes for most travellers. Airlines will almost certainly return amenities, but these efforts will likely be met by resistance from the cabin crews, so look for changes to occur on only “select” flights for a bit. Eventually, customer demand and sentiment will no doubt win out, but that doesn't necessarily mean a return to the good ole’ days of pre-covid meals. Some US carriers are touting the “modern” or “new” approach to dining, which might not be much to write home about.

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Stay tuned!

 

-Dan