Chi va piano va sano e va lontano... That's how Vueling's strategy could be summed up, as it slowly but surely gains ground not only in the Italian market, but also in France and Europe as a whole. Less flashy than Ryanair, more discreet than easyJet - its two low-cost rivals now openly targeting business travel - Vueling already boasts almost 40% business travellers. The presentation on Tuesday in Barcelona of the new Priority and Excellence should help it to think bigger. While the first of these, located from rows two to four, is similar to a premium class, Excellence claims to be a business class, the first of its kind on a European low-cost airline. In addition to the extra space traditionally offered on this first row of the aircraft, Excellence passengers will have access to a hot meal. In addition, these two new cabins, differentiated from the rest of the aircraft by a bluish light and a "Priority" panel that is more discreet than the traditional curtain, will enable business travellers to recharge their electrical appliances. Power sockets and USB ports will be installed under each of the seats in the first four rows: a must at a time when the capacity of smartphones is often inversely proportional to their importance to passengers, especially corporate passengers...
An original model
Such upgrades have a cost, even if their development will be spread over time (60 aircraft will be involved over five years). We do not know the amount of the investment involved in this move upmarket, but we do know the strategy adopted to limit the impact. Vueling preferred to involve a "sponsor" - Pepsi, in this case, whose logo was prominently displayed during the event, including on the A320 presented to the media - to cover at least part of the cost of these installations. Vueling's aim is to improve the flying experience without increasing the cost to the passenger: a complex equation, but one that does not frighten its CEO. "Our ambition is to become the airline offering the best service in Europe", warns Alex Cruz, aware that "it will take time, but we'll take as much time as it takes". And the CEO adds: "We don't just want to offer a service as good as this or that airline: we want to do much better, especially as traditional carriers are tending to cut corners".
Next step for the subsidiary of the IAG group (British Airways, Iberia): theintegration of in-flight Wi-Fi. The Spanish airline seems to have made so much progress on this issue that it is already preparing a special event before the end of the year. It's only a short step from there to imagining a new partnership that would enable business travellers to stay connected without seeing fares take off...
