Comment on OzJet

Fledgling business class operator OzJet has taken a bold step by increasing commissions and giving away seats in it’s latest promotion to entice customers. While business travelers have been slow to take up the product offering so far, surely the timing of a pre-Xmas launch has not helped.

Chief Executive Hans van Pelt admits that the numbers have not been where they would have liked and said the new deal was an attempt to get passengers on board before the full return of business traffic in the first week of next month, and that the special deal will let more people experience OzJet’s unique new service at affordable prices.

“What is coming out loud and clear is that people aren’t fully understanding the product, so we want people to come and experience what it is like to fly with us,” Mr van Pelt said.

“You can put the ads in the newspapers and on TV but we want people to come on board, because once they do the feedback we have had is that they are very quickly converted.”

As we move back into the normal day to day business cycle, there should be no reason for corporate types not to at least sample the service and decide for themselves. Or are travel policies, dictated by the commercial realities of rebates and overides, stopping them?Or is it the old mates club, not wanting to forego the lounges and free beer?

What about the MICE market? Shouldn’t every conference organiser worth their salt be doing a deal with OzJet to fly their attendees in their own private jet?

Why are the leisure travellers not taking the opportunity of a free upgrade? Every traveler secretly wants to sit up the front, so why are they not making the switch? And now they can take a friend for free!

Is it beacuse of perceptions that you have to be in a suit and carrying a laptop bag to fly on OzJet? Are they flying the right routes to attract those sort of customers?

Why has the concept not taken off (pardon the pun)? We would like to hear from you. Give us your feedback.

The Mole would love to see OzJet be successful and urges all travel industry professionals to support the concept. For years we’ve decried the two airline duopoly. For years regular business passengers have complained that they can’t get up the front.

For years,economy passengers have complained they can’t get an upgrade.

Well, here it is, Just what they asked for and more.  And you get 10% for selling it to them.