Press Releases

The latest from IdeaWorksCompany.

Listed below are the most recent posts to the website.  Click on any item title or button to access our latest reports, press releases, and news items.  Or use the menu to the right to browse news, reports, articles featuring IdeaWorksCompany research, and press releases.

US & Canada Airlines Register Larger Ancillary Revenue Share With More Than 37% of Global Total for 2021 – Press Release

February 8, 2022

CarTrawler sponsored research reveals better ancillary revenue results continue with 2021 3rd quarter per passenger receipts up 6.8% over the pre-pandemic year of 2019.  The US and Canada have reinforced their position as global “centers of gravity” for ancillary revenue during the pandemic. Earlier research from CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany showed US and Canada airlines led all regions with 33.5% of the world’s 2020 ancillary revenue dollars. Robust co-branded credit card activity, along with 2021 passenger traffic gains, brought even more ancillary revenue to US and Canada airlines, yielding a higher 37.1% global share. The Europe/Russia region was the global top performer prior to the pandemic; the region fell to the #3 position for 2021, with Asia/South Pacific moving up into the #2 position.

Click here to download the graphics from page one of the press release (free to use).

6 Ways the Airline Business Has Changed; Border Closures Pose the Greatest Risk – Press Release

November 30, 2021

The pandemic has taught us that competition does exist for the air travel spending by leisure and business travelers. Airline consumers identified alternatives during the pandemic and the best of these solutions will have staying power for the future. The Airline Industry Has Changed – Convenience and Predictability Are Missing is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today. This IdeaWorksCompany 15-page report describes how the industry has changed and provides ideas on how revenue can be increased and more traffic can be captured.  Airlines will face moments during 2022 that define whether they continue to struggle or return as robust providers of service to leisure and business travelers. The magic of surviving, and even thriving, is determined by how airlines adapt to what is new and maximize what will remain the same.

 

Airline Ancillary Revenue Begins Recovery with a 13% Increase to $65.8 Billion for 2021 – Press Release

November 9, 2021

CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems, and IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultant on ancillary revenue, project airline ancillary revenue will increase to $65.8 billion worldwide in 2021, compared to $58.1 billion in 2020. The CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue represents an increase built upon 2021 passenger traffic gains, with consumer support for a la carte services and co-branded credit cards holding steady. Earlier this year, CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany reported the ancillary revenue disclosed by 75 airlines for 2020. These statistics were applied to a larger list of 109 airlines to provide a truly global projection of ancillary revenue activity by the world’s airlines for 2021. This marks the 12th year IdeaWorksCompany has prepared a projection of ancillary revenue activity.

Click here to download the graphics from page one and two of the press release (free to use).

Allegiant, Spirit, Viva Aerobus, and Wizz Air Pass 50% Threshold for Ancillary Revenue in 2020 – Press Release

September 14, 2021

The 2021 edition of the CarTrawler Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue by IdeaWorksCompany, released today as a 136-page report, describes the 2020 ancillary revenue activities and results for 75 airlines. The pandemic sliced passenger traffic and revenue by more than 50% last year. Yet, most of the world’s airlines survived 2020, which is an amazing accomplishment. In a year of gloom, the positive performance of ancillary revenue provided desperately needed support. An assessment of these results indicates ancillary revenue was the only financial success for airlines in 2020.  This is the first year with Wizz Air in the #1 slot, which has traditionally been held by North American carriers such as Spirit, Viva Aerobus, and Allegiant. The 55.9% result for Wizz Air also represents a yearbook record; the prior record of 47.6% was established by Viva Aerobus for the 2018 period.

Click here to download a graphic of the top 20 airlines ranked by ancillary revenue as a % of total revenue.

Asian Carriers Dominated 2020 with China Southern Bumping American Airlines from Top Slot – Press Release

August 12, 2021

The new Datalex Big Book of Airline Data by IdeaWorksCompany offers passenger traffic, airline revenue, and frequent flyer info for 188 airlines from Aegean to Zhuhai.  Dublin, Ireland & Shorewood, Wisconsin, 12 August 2021: Datalex, a market leader in digital commerce for retail travel, and IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultant on ancillary revenue, have released the second edition of The Datalex Big Book of Airline Data by IdeaWorksCompany. The 2021 edition provides a world of airline industry data collated by alphabetical order, size, airline type, region, and alliance.

• Asia & South Pacific airlines had the largest share of world traffic at 40.9%, which represents a distinct increase above 34.6% for 2019.
• The big 4 airlines of China (Air China Group, China Eastern Group, China Southern Group, and Hainan Airlines Group), posted a 41.4% traffic drop, which was significantly below the global weighted average of 54.9%.
• US & Canada airlines had the largest year-over-year revenue drop of 63%, which was higher than the global weighted average of 55.8%.

Click here to download a graphic of world airline traffic from the Big Book.

The 78-page “Big Book” is available free of charge via download at Datalex.com and IdeaworksCompany.com.

80% of Leading Network Airlines Rely on a la Carte Fees from Standard Seat Assignments – Press Release

June 8, 2021

For many airlines, revenue from seat assignment sales has moved up the income statement from a minor presence to a strong #2 spot. For some, this can be a billion-dollar result, and for every other airline it’s a multi-million-dollar business. Seat Assignment Fees Firmly on Airline Radars is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today. The IdeaWorksCompany 16-page analysis describes the methods deployed by airlines to encourage consumer acceptance and recommends four tools to maximize seat assignment revenue.

American, Delta, easyJet, Emirates, and IATA Provide Examples of How to Save the Airline Industry – Press Release

May 18, 2021

Innovation can create the consistency sought by consumers and the revenue needed by airlines.  CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany continue the “Transformation 2021” series of reports with a second installment to guide the airline and travel industries to the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.  Transformation 2021: Consistency and Innovation Will Save the Airline Industry is sponsored by global B2B travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today.  The IdeaWorksCompany 16-page analysis describes the many methods deployed by airlines to boost traffic and revenue during the recovery.  The report also includes examples of ancillary revenue innovation by Austrian, Lufthansa, and SWISS, along with a table summarizing the methodology and features for the primary two types of health passports. The full report is available for download on the Reports page.

Survey of 25 Leading Airlines Identifies Global Use of Four Strategies to Support COVID-19 Recovery – Press Release

March 16, 2021

CarTrawler-sponsored research finds that guidance for travel restrictions and Covid-19 testing is now provided by most airlines.  Airlines are recognizing the need to expand Covid-19 care beyond physical safety measures to new areas such as providing more online information and service features. Face masks and disinfected aircraft have become standard consumer expectations. The recovery phase of the pandemic requires an expansion of these efforts.  The following describes the key recovery-supporting features identified at airline websites during March 2021:

• Travel Restriction Info Provided: Airlines are posting information on the requirements travelers must fulfill before boarding an aircraft or entering a country.
• Testing Info Provided: Travelers now face the hurdle of getting tested shortly before departure. Airlines are taking responsibility for identifying local and mail-in testing options, and negotiating discounts.
• Key Covid Protection Included with Trip Insurance: Consumers are curious about buying protection against financial losses due to Covid-19 travel uncertainties. Airlines can advise consumers how the coverage sold at their websites protects (or does not protect) from Covid-19 risks.
• Change Fees Waived for New Bookings: Consumers hope for flexibility during these uncertain times. Most airlines helpfully continue to waive change fees to encourage confidence (and ticket sales).airlin

Consumers Will Return to the Skies in Large Numbers When the Reward of Travel is Greater Than the Risk & Hassle – Press Release

February 16, 2021

CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany introduce the “Transformation 2021” series of reports as a yearlong effort to guide the airline and travel industries to the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Transformation 2021: How Airlines and Travelers Will Adapt as the Pandemic Recedes is sponsored by global travel tech provider CarTrawler and was released today. The IdeaWorksCompany 17-page analysis evaluates how airlines are affected by vaccines, Covid-19 testing, and health passports and how consumer perception of everyday threats likely plays a large role in the return of travel.

Click here to download the graphic from page 15 of the report.

US & Canada Airlines Dominate Ancillary Revenue With More Than 33% of Global Total for 2020 – Press Release

January 26, 2021

New research from CarTrawler and IdeaWorksCompany has shown that US and Canada airlines dominate global ancillary revenue, accounting for more than a third of the market’s total value of $58.2 billion. This assessment comes against the backdrop of rare good news for the airline industry. Ancillary revenue actually increased during the depths of the pandemic when measured on a per passenger basis. In a 3rd quarter 2020 survey of 20 airlines, the per passenger average was $26.91, which is a 13.1% increase above the $23.36 result for 3rd quarter 2019.

Click here to download the graphic from page one of the press release.

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