How is easyJet faring after its 20th anniversary?
Sébastien Calmejane - That's just fine. In 20 years, the airline has grown from two to 250 aircraft and is now Europe's fourth-largest airline, with 68 million passengers. We serve a total of 137 airports in 31 countries. This year, the increase in traffic is from 6 % to 7 % in Europe and 5 % in France. France, where easyJet has become a real alternative to scheduled airlines on medium-haul routes, is our second-largest market behind the UK. We operate 190 routes from 19 airports, including five bases at Paris-CDG, Paris-Orly, Lyon, Nice and Toulouse. We regularly add frequencies on our major routes such as Paris-Nice and Paris-Toulouse, but easyJet is also strong on cross-border routes, with services such as Lille-Toulouse and Nantes-Lyon. New routes are being considered. There is still plenty of room for improvement, because while the low-cost market share is 45 % in Europe, it is still only 25 % in France.
Are business customers key for you?
S. C. - Yes, easyJet will continue to invest to develop and provide more services for business travellers. This clientele represents 20 % of our passengers in Europe, and even 24 % in France. We recorded double-digit growth in 2015 thanks to our partnerships with specialist agencies such as Carlson Wagonlit, American Express Business Travel, HRG, BCD and Egencia, as well as with networks such as Selectour Afat and Manor. EasyJet has also signed over 200 agreements with companies to help them make savings on their travel budgets.
What is your strength in this market?
S. C. - Our strength? It's the simplicity of our three offers, with a Standard ticket at the best price including cabin baggage, an Inclusive fare via the GDS with the addition of hold baggage, a choice of seat, and free payment and management fees by credit card. Lastly, the Flexi fare offers a maximum number of services, such as priority boarding, rapid passage through security checks, change of name up to two hours before departure and change of flight if your meeting was shorter or took longer.
What new services have been launched for business passengers?
S. C. - In early 2016, easyJet will launch Flight Club, a loyalty programme aimed at frequent flyers, particularly business passengers. Flight Club will offer real benefits such as access to a dedicated call centre, the possibility of unlimited free ticket exchanges and the ability to change a passenger's name up to five times a year. The programme also guarantees the lowest price, with the airline refunding the difference if the price is lower. However, the easyJet Plus programme, which has proved its worth since 2008, will continue to operate, with customers benefiting from free seat allocation, free hold baggage and free boarding.
Are there any other projects in the pipeline?
S. C. - Our application, which has been downloaded 14 million times, is set to evolve following tests carried out at London's Gatwick airport. Up to 60 % of our customers use mobile boarding passes. The passenger experience is very important to easyJet.
What will easyJet do with its record profits?
S. C. - Continue to develop its network by opening new bases, the latest being Hamburg, Porto and Amsterdam; invest in 100 A320neo aircraft, delivered from June 2017, in order to have an efficient fleet, guaranteeing ever more competitive fares. The low-cost model will remain, even if we add other services. It's in easyJet's DNA, and it's working, given our results!
Key dates
2001
Graduated with a Master's degree in Marketing Management Communication from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) in Toulouse.
2006
Sales Director for HRS (Hotel Restauration Service).
2010
Sales Director at American Express Business Travel.
2011
Sébastien Calmejane joins easyJet as Sales Director France.
