Interview: Virgin Atlantic CEO on Loyalty and Low-Cost Competition
Photo Credit: Virgin Atlantic CEO Craig Kreeger has led the airline into tighter relationships with carriers that were once its competitors. He is pictured here at an event to celebrate new 787 Dreamliner service to Atlanta in 2014. Virgin Atlantic
Skift Take
Virgin Atlantic has a strong brand, but for years it has lagged far behind British Airways in most categories. The upstart has just been too small to be a bona fide competitor. But Virgin Atlantic is finally taking action to ensure it will be more nimble going forward.
Future of Passenger Experience
To better understand the challenges facing airlines in an age of fluctuating oil prices, rapid growth, and changing passenger expectations, our Future of Passenger Experience series will allow leaders in the industry to explain their best practices and insights.A little more than 30 years ago, a young, brash British entrepreneur named Richard Branson set out to create a fun, irreverent airline that would disrupt the established players — namely British Airways — and make air travel fun again.
By many metrics, he has succeeded. Virgin Atlantic is still around, and passengers tend to like it, awarding it relatively high marks for service and cabin innovation. In part because of Branson's tireless willingness to promote his companies, Virgin Atlantic has a respected brand — perhaps stronger than British Airways.
But a brand can only take an airline so far. Travelers might love to criticize British Airways, but it has two attributes Virgin Atlantic does not: a strong frequent flyer program and a route network that can take passengers nearly everywhere. If British Airways doesn't fly to a destination, its partners probably do.
For a long time — perhaps longer than was prudent — Virgin Atlantic hewed
