Possible Ideas for an Airlines SWOT
Airline face many challenges in today’s marketing environment. In particular, their costs are variable due to oil and staff conditions in different countries. International travel is impacted by economic conditions, seasonality, and safety concerns in destinations.
Obviously, airlines are high cost operators, given the cost of planes, maintenance, airport fees, and of course staff. They also challenged by the shift from purchases by travel agents to online comparison sites, making a price decision more important to the consumer in many cases.
Here are some possible ideas that could feed into an SWOT for an airline.
Strengths for an Airline
| Well regarded in the industry |
| Established strategic alliances |
| Lots of social media likes/followers |
| High ratings on review websites |
| Strong international brand |
| Positive attitudes to the brand |
| Clear positioning |
| Strong relationships with influencers |
| Operating in growing markets |
| Good local market knowledge |
| Clearly defined and successful strategy |
| Strong share-of-customer |
| Good understanding of the customer journey |
| Effective CRM program |
| Attracting many new customers |
| Good corporate culture |
| Solid financial reserves |
| Beneficial economies of scale |
| High service levels |
| Access to a customer database |
Weaknesses for an Airline
| Strong existing competitors |
| Significant price-based competition |
| Cost disadvantage |
| Poorly regarded in the industry |
| Poor/no outsourcing partnerships |
| Poor social media engagement |
| Poor ratings on review websites |
| Perceived as a me-too player |
| Many negative attitudes to the brand |
| Operating in markets with fluctuating prices |
| Cannot access emerging market segments |
| No distinct product features |
| Reducing customer lifetime values |
| No structured CRM program |
| Low levels of customer satisfaction |
| High level of customer turnover |
| Poor service levels |
| Tight profit margins |
| High cost structure |
| Poor service levels |
Opportunities for an Airline
| Promote an “environmentally-aware” corporate image |
| Introduce new, modern technology and/or systems |
| Government de/regulation |
| Work closer with key channel partners |
| Expand our use of social media platforms |
| Position our brand as the market leader |
| Increase our corporate social responsibility image |
| Build our brand internationally |
| Build relationships with influencers |
| Broaden our geographic reach |
| Add increased product augmentation |
| Improve offering to increase net promoter scores |
| Develop and implement a loyalty program |
| Develop and implement a CRM program |
| Attract new customers through special offers |
| Work to generate cost efficiencies |
| Develop a customer relationship culture |
| Leverage our big data |
| Create appropriate outsourcing partnerships |
Threats for an Airline
| Declining economic conditions |
| Foreign exchange risk |
| Oil/energy costs |
| Terrorism and impact |
| Competitors providing more “value add” |
| Being under-priced by more efficient competitors |
| Increase in supplier costs |
| Poor brand fit to international markets |
| Negative attitudes to the brand |
| Poor ratings on review websites |
| Key competitors gaining market share |
| Expensive CRM program |
| Weakening customer relationships |
| Consumers becoming more price sensitive |
| Rising fixed costs |
| High debt levels reducing profit potential |
| Poor service culture |
Summary SWOT Ideas for an Airline
