Eddie Bell, chairman of OAG, needs no introduction for ABTN regulars. One of Britain”s most successful publishers, he has since joining OAG in August 2001, become what Flight International”s Roger Bacon would describe as ”a total aviation man”. Here he reflects on over two decades of air travel.
"1982 was the year the UK went to war over the Falklands, Laker Airways collapsed, Spielberg”s film ET hit the big screen and Italy beat West Germany in the World Cup final. It was also the first year of the Airline of the Year Awards, a modest affair held after work one evening at New Zealand House in central London. The world of civil aviation was a radically different world to the liberal free enterprise environment that airlines and airports operate in today.
The industry was totally regulated by international convention and by government to government bilaterals. State carriers were the norm not only in the developed, industrialised world but also in the developing world. Every new nation in Africa or the Far East, as a sign of national virility and independence, needed their own national carrier. The industry was heavily operational-led. Aircraft types for fleets were chosen by national aviation policy. International conferences under the auspices of IATA had tariff committees which set fares for the forthcoming year. In reality that meant the two state carriers from say country A and country B set fares of ”69.99 for country A state carrier and ”69.95 for country B state carrier. It was an international cartel of price fixing that paying customers today when they scan the internet to buy their business or holiday airline tickets could not have believed existed.
The Airline of the Year Awards were conceived by Executive Travel, a monthly magazine for frequent travellers which became part of OAG. To ensure all airlines, large and small, had an equal chance, the magazine approached the University of Surrey to devise a weighting system that created a level playing field. Traditionally, the awards took the form of a party ” a stand-up affair for the presentation, followed an informal buffet supper at a top London hotel, including Le M”ridien, Dorchester, Grosvenor House and Hyatt Carlton Tower. As the scope of the event expanded, it became a black tie dinner, reflecting its growing prestige.
Today, the Awards are voted for by a worldwide audience of business travellers who subscribe to, or use an OAG product or service. Results are no longer weighted. They are calculated using percentages that are directly comparable across airlines and airports, irrespective of size. In addition to the overall ”Airline of the Year” title, there are 16 regional and global categories ranging from Best International First Class through to Best No Frills Airline. Airports, which of course can really influence a traveller”s choice of route, are also honoured.
Over the years highlights have included a famous meeting between Lord King and Sir Richard Branson and moments of intense emotion as individuals received recognition for acts over and above the call of duty, including help for accident victims, hospital visits, and other exceptional deeds.
Last year we created the new special Life Time Award which was given to Lord Marshall for his contribution to the industry as chief executive and then chairman of British Airways. This year Maurice Flanagan, one of the great names in civil aviation, received the Award for the success story that was and is Emirates ” an airline that has been showered with awards for customer service and contrary to the popular wisdom that alliances are good, has refused to follow the trend of entering into a worldwide alliance.
Are Airline Awards just a bit of PR puff? Do they mean anything? Do they have a real value to the winners? As far as marketing and public relations opportunities are concerned, the sky really is the limit for winners of titles at the prestigious OAG Airline of the Year Awards. Apart from helping to raise public awareness of an airline's services, it has tremendous value in terms of staff morale. It is public recognition of a job well done and enables an airline to share its success with its employees. Never one to miss an opportunity, Richard Branson had certificates in all his aircraft cabins, badges, mugs and other items produced for staff when Virgin Atlantic won its first award in 1990, and in addition he took a huge advertising hoarding site at the end of the approach tunnel to the central terminals at Heathrow airport. When British Airways won the first ever title in 1982, its newly appointed advertising agents Saatchi & Saatchi seized this successful opportunity. Along with other accolades the airline was starting to pick up, the creative team came up with the slogan: ”The world”s favourite airline”.
British Airways, British Midland, Emirates, Swissair, Singapore Airlines and Continental Airlines have all used the awards extensively in advertising campaigns, including TV, around the world, while many of the winners have produced special stationery, decals for aircraft fuselages, tent cards for meal trays, overprinted menus, billboards and in-flight videos to celebrate and promote their successes. Others have used it in direct marketing campaigns; while Emirates and Swissair both mounted elaborate ticket office displays.
The OAG Awards will be bigger and better next year, and as we go to our Silver Anniversary 25th year in 2007, OAG intends to put on the best Airline of the Year Awards ever. As the industry has transformed so have we in OAG ” from being the large print directory sitting on the desk of every travel agent, we are now the modern supplier of capacity data to the industry ” airlines, airports and end customers. The print guides are still important but they are now complemented by the ever growing world of electronic data. OAG is privileged to own and manage the Awards in an industry where leisure, tourist and business travel continues to grow and prosper”.
Eddie Bell August 2005