Last week Air France announced the launch of a new airline aimed at millennials called Joon. Traditionally, airlines have fallen into the full service or low-cost categories, so brazenly appealing to a particular age group is new (to my knowledge, please share examples if you know of any). I've always believed that you cannot make assumptions about individuals, let alone groups, so it will be interesting to see what Joon will offer that differs from other carriers.
What does 'a millennial airline' even mean, anyway? Joon's website copy doesn't include the word millennial specifically, but says the carrier has been "designed for today's generation: spontaneous, keen on new experiences and absolutely digital" which "provides a complete, innovative and offbeat experience to those who believe travel extends beyond the aircraft". That's cool, but I'm pretty sure that's what a lot of people want from air travel, not just those aged 18-35. When you're thinking about a group's traits there is a danger that you think they fit into a 'typical' box, so travel managers need to consider traveller groups carefully when tailoring travel programmes.
In the case of Joon, I love that CNN asked if 40-year-olds would be allowed onboard. If the airline's marketing plan is going to target a particular group then others might feel alienated, or the paying passengers may expect a particular fellow traveller on the plane. Similarly, if you're treating traveller groups differently ie one gets more benefits than others, be prepared for comments if people start to talk.
Joon also runs the risk of trying too hard to be cool. In a way its corporate-style launch is already a bit of a disadvantage, describing uniforms as contemporary and trendy. New cool companies seem to appear from nowhere via an association with other brands or influencers and drip through our social media feeds instead. Targeted communication is absolutely the right thing to do but the delivery and tone are also essential.
Perhaps Air France feels it is not appealing to younger audiences with its legacy brand. It may be an example of how old thought processes slow down innovation; why can't Air France contain Joon's qualities and work for everyone?
This is a warning to travel buyers: it's easy to slip into stereotypes but don't fall into the trap. As Marketing Week's Mark Ritson wrote this week, we're moving past making gender assumptions in life and marketing; let's not do it for age and everything else too.