ABSTRACT
Marketing is certainly one of the most important activities in any company, and the airlines are no different. The carriers’ marketing history before World War II was considerably different from what goes on today. Unfortunately, the airlines have been plagued with excess capacity ever since the introduction of the wide-bodies in the early 1970s. Quite frequently, airline marketing analysts discuss the product differentiation that exists in the industry. Promotion is the communication between carrier and customer. Introduction of wide-body service in the early 1970s marked the climax of the production-sales orientation in the air transportation industry. Market research became a vital component of the marketing mix during the 1970s and has provided the foundation for the planning and execution of marketing programs to the present day. Travel agents provide an important service to consumers, especially since deregulation, by supplying efficient access to a complex array of travel options.
