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“The overarching objective for our team in the coming year is simple, straightforward and supports our vision of ‘Making Customers Feel Special’.“ |
Alan Hayes, Inflight Commercial Performance Manager, Thomson Airways |
UK. UK airline Thomson Airways has announced a number of changes to its inflight organisation and team following a review of its business.
The Inflight Retail function will be renamed Inflight Commercial Performance to reflect a change in responsibilities, said Thomson Airways Inflight Commercial Performance Manager Alan Hayes. The new inflight retail structure will also encompass inflight entertainment and cargo performance.
In an e-mail message to the airline’s suppliers and customers, Hayes began: “Over the past couple of months we have been working through how we need to organise ourselves so that we can be really focused on the delivery of a great airline experience. The overarching objective for our team in the coming year is simple, straightforward and supports our vision of ‘Making Customers Feel Special’.
“On top of the Inflight Retail operation, my team will now assume responsibility for the inflight entertainment function and cargo financial performance delivery”¦ encompassing the vision that all significant commercial outputs and profit delivery streams are managed under one umbrella. The transition is gradual, and I anticipate having the full handover to be completed inside the next two months,” he said.
Changes to inflight retail team
In related team changes, Natasha Reynolds has returned to Thomson Airways following maternity leave on a job-share basis, and will assume accountability for the fragrance and cosmetics categories product nomination, negotiation and performance.
“A full commercial review will be shortly undertaken with regards to supplier performance and contribution as we shape our fragrance and cosmetics category strategy moving forward,” said Hayes.
Janice Hockenhull will assume commercial accountability for the Bar & Consumable products along with the liquor and tobacco categories.
“One of Janice’s early objectives will be to oversee a detailed project in relation to launching a totally regionalised tobacco operation from Winter 2010,” he continued. “She will work very closely with myself and the tobacco suppliers to ensure that this project is delivered in the most seamless manner with the objective of delivering improved commercial performance within this category.”
As part of the airline’s business evolution, Hockenhull and Reynolds will both carry the title of Inflight Commercial Performance Executive as they will also assume responsibility for the selection, delivery, commercial performance and marketing of the inflight entertainment function. This will include audio, short-programming, gaming and movies.
Hayes added that the company was finalising who would be assuming responsibility for the gifting, children’s gifts and fashion categories, and an announcement would be made soon.
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In a further team change, Vikkii Belk left Thomson Airways on 30 April 2010. Belk assumed the seconded role covering Reynolds’ maternity leave just over a year ago, assuming responsibility for the tobacco, gifting, children’s gifts and fashion categories.
“Vikkii came into the role bringing with her a wealth of experience from other angles of the tour operator business including Tour Operator Travel Advisor and Senior Cabin Crew within our business. This insight into our frontline people helped us shape some great communications methods and information sharing to effectively drive the business performance forward,” said Hayes.
“In her time in the Inflight Retail Product Executive role, Vikkii worked hard to take the fashion category in a different direction over the past year, bringing some new product and brand innovations to refresh and revamp away from the traditional offerings. This has been a very successful approach, with fabulous year on year improvements realised.
“I am confident that Vikkii’s selections for Summer 2010 will support and enhance the terrific achievements that she has already helped up deliver. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Vikkii for all of her efforts and success and I am sure you will all join me in wishing her well in the future.”
Thanking his customers for their continued support of Thomson Airways, Hayes concluded: “Our attention has now moved away from the recent operational disruption experienced from the impact of the volcanic eruption and back to delivering a seamless launch to our Summer 2010 Inflight Retail product collection.
“Once again, I thank you for your support in arranging product delivery efficiently and thank you for your continued support throughout the season. We are working on some terrific projects at our end, that are close coming to fruition and all augers well for an exciting second half of 2010.”
Thomson Airways named World’s Best Leisure Airline
In other news, Thomson Airways has been named the World’s Best Leisure Airline at the 2010 World Airline Awards, ahead of Monarch and Tuifly. The award was collected in Hamburg by Carl Gissing, Director of Customer Services.
Gissing said: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious international award which is particularly meaningful as it is based on votes from air travellers around the world. It is a great result and a real tribute to our team for all their hard work and dedication in ensuring that our customers are placed at the heart of everything we do.”
More than 40 airlines from around the world assembled to receive their accolades, which were handed out by Skytrax Chairman Edward Plaisted. Award winners are selected by the airline industry’s most important audience, its customers.
Over 17.9 million air travellers from 100 nationalities took part in the 10-month survey, between July 2009 and April 2010. The awards are recognised around the world for being the only truly global, independent passenger survey of airline standards.
Commenting on the award, Plaisted said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Thomson Airways to have been named the World’s Best Leisure Airline, where they were judged against airlines across the globe. The award is recognition of the front-line product and service Thomson Airways are delivering to their customers, and is a particularly competitive category spurred by the fact that leisure travellers can often be the most demanding customers. Winning this award under the survey slogan of ‘The Passenger’s Choice’ underlines the fact that Thomson Airways are satisfying the hardest critics – their users.”
About the awards
The World Airline Awards were established 1999, and based on the annual World Airline Survey. The 2009/2010 Survey included over 200 airlines, from the largest international airlines to domestic carriers. The survey measures over 38 items of customer satisfaction for each airline’s product and service standards, from check-in to boarding. While onboard, the customers rate seat comfort, cabin cleanliness, food and beverages, inflight entertainment and staff service.
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