Most people who know me agree that I value products or services that thoroughly satisfy my needs. A product or service that somewhat satisfies my needs yet includes costly features I don’t value or use frustrates me until I can find a replacement. Products or services excite me if they satisfy my needs and offer great value or fantastic customer service. Do you want me to rave about something? Give me great value, fantastic customer service plus a product or service that’s elegant in its simplicity. It’s why I still love my iPod. And, why I love Southwest Airlines.
With air travel, my needs are fairly simple: safety, on-time arrival, cleanliness and reasonable comfort. Reasonable comfort really depends on the duration of the flight. Nine times out of ten, a window seat is really all the comfort I need. The FAA sets safety standards so airline carriers should be on a completely level playing field. Most airlines seem to do fine in the area of cleanliness. The average traveler wouldn’t have much tolerance for a filthy flight. All in all, I think these are pretty attainable expectations.
Here’s where Southwest stands above the rest – it’s in the rest of the product offering. I’m constantly reminded of the friendliness of the flight crew. Flying can be a hassle. My mom feared flying so she was always anxious. For me, its typically job related so its a “necessary evil”, yet Southwest makes the experience seem fun for all passengers.
I have this tendency to over pack for trips. When I travel from Fort Lauderdale to Milwaukee to San Francisco to Phoenix, through four different time zones and four different climates, there’s one unique factor among the major carriers that makes the airline selection a no-brainer.
Bags fly free.
Southwest used to highlight this in their commercials. They were funny yet they had the same effect as a joke in Chris Rock’s stand-up routine. You laugh for a moment before realizing that the observation is spot-on. With Southwest, you save $35 per flight destination (for the first bag, as much as $75 for two bags). Bags fly free. This is a product differentiation message and a cost savings message wrapped inside a 3-word tagline. Elegant in its simplicity.
Maybe Southwest leaves a bit of money on the table. Maybe there are innovative ways for them to squeeze a bit more revenue out of their passengers. But overall, Southwest has been positioned as an enjoyable experience. In their words, “Luv”. The product satisfies my elementary needs – safety, on-time arrival, cleanliness and reasonable comfort. In addition, the product offers a pleasant overall experience and a good overall value. And when you really think about it, leaving a bit of money on the table is better than leaving it all.
What products or services absolutely delight you?