British Airways Business Class subsidiary, OpenSkies, is introducing a money back guarantee to encourage new people to try their services between Newark/Washington D.C. and Paris.  Since their internal customer satisfaction surveys indicated that more than 96% of respondents would recommend OpenSkies, this seems like a rather safe bet to be making.

Offering such a thing is a relatively unheard of act in the airline business and it is a hint at the fact that airlines still need to attract customers, particularly business customers, in a rather innovative way.  It’s a rather satisfying guarantee because by its very nature, it’s unusual.  I suspect it will get some people to notice them and, perhaps, pay attention to them.  Especially if current Oneworld members are permitted to earn frequent flier miles on these flights.  I presume this will be possible since OpenSkies participates in BA’s Executive Club program.

But at the end of the day, OpenSkies is a tiny airline serving just two routes and this money back guarantee is unlikely to spread among larger airlines.  If they were serving more routes, it is possible that other airlines would match it on some limited basis. 

What would be nicer to see among airlines is a money back guarantee on the so called “services” that are now requiring extra fees such as the baggage fees or priority seat fees, etc.  Sadly, there is no sign of that developing at any airline.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax