Were you surprised by the results of the study Transavia has just published on bleisure?
Hervé Kozar - Yes, we were surprised by these results, which are full of lessons to be learned. Business travellers from small companies and start-ups behaved differently. By mentioning bleisureI was thinking of extending a business trip into a weekend. Finally, it also concerns the day of the meeting itself: one traveller in two is going to take advantage of it to enjoy the local gastronomy, visit a museum, discover the nightlife... This is a major trend among this type of customer working in small companies, and I think it will also progress in large companies, albeit more slowly. What's also astonishing is that 78% of them have no problem talking to their employer about it, mainly because it also works the other way round: work emails are consulted during holidays, or in the evening at home.
How much of a new trend is this? Business travellers were already experimenting with local gastronomy ten years ago...
H. K. - Personally, for example, I enjoy it much more than I used to. Business trips to Europe are on the increase, and we have to make them less painful than they used to be. It's relatively new to enjoy them in this way, through bleisure, without feeling guilty about it. I think the trend is becoming more pronounced, with the boundary between the private and the professional becoming increasingly blurred. I used not to read my e-mails on holiday, for example. Now, when I get back from holiday, my emails are pretty much up to date!
What do you think has encouraged the emergence of bleisure? The sharing economy? New technologies? Low-cost airlines?
H. K. - These are just some of the factors. The use of smartphones has a lot to do with it. The fall in the cost of " roaming "Applying abroad contributes to this: you read your e-mails and continue to work from abroad. Low-cost fares have also broken down the barrier of price and the travel budget. There is also, of course, videoconferencing technology. But there's no substitute for face-to-face meetings.
In the study, you mention the new issues facing employers: what are they?
H. K. - Many large companies refuse to allow their business travellers to take a room via Airbnb, for example, because this could pose a problem in terms of security in these large structures, which have very strict procedures. We're going to have to deal with this kind of incompatibility.
The other lesson to be learnt from the study is also to be found in booking habits...
H. K. - Yes: in most cases, travellers book their own travel, whether it's their hotel room or their plane ticket. Their choice criteria are clear: the price, with no surprises, the convenience of the timetable and airport, and the flexibility of the service. This confirms our positioning, and in particular our 'Basic', 'Plus' and 'Max' fare structure. This last fare offers all the advantages for business customers, with flexibility right up to the day of departure, a queue cutter and two pieces of baggage in the cabin. These services streamline the experience on the ground and on board the aircraft. They help passengers to save time and avoid being held up or stressed during their journey to and from the airport. We also have the great advantage of being based at Orly, an airport that business travellers love because it's simple and close to Paris: it's not a factory...
What is the share of business customers on your flights, and how far do you hope to grow in this segment?
H. K. - In 2016 we already achieved the target of 15% that we had set ourselves in terms of business travellers. This still represents an increase of 50% on the previous year. We're on the right track, and we don't intend to stop there. We haven't yet set a target for 2017, and we're waiting in particular for the figures for September, to see what the trend will be as we head back to work.
What services are you planning to launch for business travellers?
H. K. - Other things will come in 2017. We're not ready to announce them yet, but we're continuing to work on fluidity and efficiency on the ground, and on digital services. We launched our new responsive website last year and we will be investing further in this area. Today, mobile phones account for 20% of sales and 50% of searches at Transavia. It was essential to offer a platform that works on all media. The conversion rate has improved significantly.
Isn't it difficult for a low-cost airline to target business travellers without losing its identity?
H. K. - It's not a contradiction in terms, either for us or for our customers. For a two-hour flight in Europe, the customer is looking above all for price and efficiency. The low-cost airline is therefore totally relevant, insofar as it takes off on time, from a main airport, with fairly dense flight frequencies.
Could you eventually emulate Vueling and its business class with power sockets and USB ports?
H. K. - Our ambition is not to recreate a business class. We don't see this kind of expectation among our customers. It may be different elsewhere.
