A revolution. But more in terms of marketing than strategy. That's how we might describe Joon's arrival on the French market next December. " Reinventing air travel with a company that we want to be comfortable, chic, flexible, digital, environmentally friendly and offering attractive fares. ". This is how Franck Terner, Chief Executive Officer of Air Francedescribes the latest addition to the group: Joon.
There's a lot of marketing behind this new name, which is primarily aimed at attracting a younger clientele attracted by new technologies. "Millenials Geek. Air France has slightly revised its communication, probably realising that it was de facto excluding other groups by profiling itself as the exclusive airline for a certain market segment.
a veritable experimental laboratory
Joon, Air France's new hybrid brand, aims to attract passengers with its original positioning. " We have created a company that will be a real laboratory for experimentation. We're going to launch and test products on this company and see how customers react. Somewhat like a start-up "explained Jean Michel Mathieu, CEO of Joon.
In flight, Joon will offer a two-class product in Europe and a three-class product on long-haul routes with special seats. On board, passengers will enjoy a free drink on European flights and meals on long-haul routes. However, other services will be optional: tapas, sandwiches or vitamin-enriched fresh fruit juices - some sixty delicacies (including 20% labelled organic) - will complete the gastronomic offer. in-flight streaming will be offered free of charge, allowing passengers to watch films and series on their apps or tablets. On business, Joon will even be offering a virtual reality headset.
However, despite this new image positioning, Joon will not yet have a life of its own. The new carrier will be exclusively chartered for Air France. " Joon is primarily designed for consolidating and strengthening the Air France network and the airline's hub at Roissy. It's also a guarantee of quality, because we'll benefit from all the Air France quality and services that go with it. Visit lounges or access Skypriority will be offered to Joon business or premium passengers "said Jean-Michel Mathieu. " Joon could, however, fly under its own code in the future and this could start with occasional charters with tour operators, for example. "added Franck Terner.
By 2020, Joon's fleet will comprise 28 aircraft, 18 medium-haul and 10 long-haul. The aircraft will be Airbus A320s and A340s, the latter to be replaced in 2019 by Airbus A350s. This winter, the network will include flights to Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon and Porto, with the following destinations to be added this spring Fortaleza, Brazil (two flights a week) and Mahé in the Seychelles (three flights a week). " In Europe, Joon will replace Air France on these routes. "said Jean-Michel Mathieu. In the long term, the airline should recover a number of destinations with low revenue/passengers due to low-cost competition or competition from Gulf carriers. Franck Terner does not reject the idea that Joon could serve the United States. The resumption of the Bangkok route by Joon, due to the destination's low yield, as well as the potential reopening of Kuala Lumpur, are also mentioned.
