On what products are you price sensitive? For the most part Kipp would have its head turned by a cheaper price on almost any product, with the exception of surgical procedures and wine. What about the cost of an airline ticket?
The journey takes the same amount of time; no matter which airline you choose, economy class food is much of a muchness, as is legroom and inflight entertainment. If the flights leave around the same time, surely this is a straight price fight?
Possibly not. British Airways has a three-day Sale on flights from the UAE to the UK and US. It promises return fares to London for 1,000 dirhams, around one third of the price of Emirates. After the chaotic opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, lost baggage and a series of strikes, the airline has to work hard to have travelers see it in a favorable light. Cheap flights can tempt travelers to stick with/return to BA, or win new custom.
Unfortunately, this offer is not the answer.
On closer examination, the desired flights, with taxes, come to more than 3,500 dirhams, still cheaper than Emirates, but no bargain. With no confidence the mistakes that led to the Terminal 5 chaos won’t be repeated, or that strike action will be avoided, the price will need to a whole lot lower to make BA a good bet.
It doesn’t help the brand’s damaged reputation when visitors go looking for a 1,000 dirham fare, only to find a 3,5000 dirham one. It is another let down. Why not be clear and say all prices are, say, 1,800 dirhams? As it is, this offer looks cheap, and not in a good way.
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