Today there are numerous issues passengers have come to anticipate of airways. For low-cost carriers, (and even many full-service carriers) there’s the expectation that you simply’ll should pay to decide on your seat. Flying long-haul enterprise class with a full-service airline comes with the expectation of a lie-flat mattress – or at the very least one thing that has a very good quantity of recline!
However what concerning the little issues that make airways distinctive and totally different from the remainder? At this time, we take a look at six airways and the particular issues they do to set themselves aside from the competitors.
With the lots of of airways working world wide, we are able to’t be 100% sure that these are actually distinctive traits of only one airline. We can make sure, nonetheless, that these are rarities within the trade. Moreover, this listing is nowhere close to exhaustive, and so should you can consider one thing equally as attention-grabbing, be happy to depart it down within the feedback part!
Southwest Airways: Open seating
The second factor we’ll look at is Southwest Airlines’ open seating coverage. Lengthy-story brief, this US service has open seating fairly than pre-selected or assigned seats. As famous by the airline on its web site, as soon as onboard, “merely select any obtainable seat and stow your carryon gadgets within the overhead bin or beneath the seat in entrance of you. There’s slightly extra nuance to this free-for-all model, nonetheless.
Upon checking in, passengers flying on a Southwest-operated flight will probably be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and a place. This distinctive group and place mixture (for instance: A35) is displayed on the boarding pass and represents a reserved spot within the boarding group on the gate.
Numbered posts set-up at terminal gate areas will point out the place passengers ought to line up. Then, when the boarding group known as, passengers can rise up to seek out their designated place in line and board the plane in numerical order with their boarding group.
There are just a few methods to get right into a getting boarding group to extend your probabilities of getting your most well-liked seat.
- Passengers have the power to buy an upgraded boarding place beginning 24-hours earlier than the flight. For a charge, they will safe a place between A1 and A15, relying on availability.
- Moreover, passengers reserving or upgrading to a quote-unquote ‘enterprise choose fare’ are assured A1-A15 boarding.
- And, whereas it would not assure an “A” boarding place, checking-in early locations passengers in a greater boarding group.
As View from the Wing notes, Southwest frequent flyers know the system and do what they will do ‘recreation’ it.
Vacationers flying in teams might need one individual board first to save lots of seats for the others, whereas others have give you extra attention-grabbing methods to get what they need. For many who are hoping for additional area within the type of an empty seat subsequent to them, some passengers will quote-unquote “unfold out”. The trick is to make it seem like anybody who takes a center seat subsequent to them will probably be uncomfortable. Crumpling up tissues and putting them on an adjoining seat to make it look undesirable is outwardly one other tactic.
Picture: Jeramey Lende | Shutterstock.
After all, if it’s going to be a full flight, then having an empty adjoining seat is not going to be doable. So apparently there’s the tactic of selecting more desirable passengers – ideally somebody small who received’t encroach in your area. That is executed by making the adjoining seat seem much less fascinating till somebody supreme approaches. Then, it’s time to sit up and clear off these crumpled up tissues! It’s unlucky, but in addition not shocking, that creepy males will use this tactic within the hopes of a beautiful lady will probably be sitting subsequent to them.
We may in all probability make a complete long-form video about Southwest Airways’ open seating and the methods passengers have give you to recreation the system nevertheless it’s time to maneuver on to our subsequent airline quirk!
KLM: Gin-filled ceramic miniature homes
On the opposite finish of the air journey spectrum we’ve KLM’s long-haul enterprise class and the unique collectible miniature houses distributed to passengers. KLM notes that these distinctive presents have been round because the Fifties and are a quote-unquote true collector’s merchandise!
In accordance with the web site Studio Slip, airways have been as soon as regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Board, who prohibited incentivising prospects with any type of tangible presents with a financial worth to make sure an equal taking part in discipline.
KLM got here up with a loophole marketing campaign to provide their prospects slightly ceramic Dutch home crammed with gin. Why gin? Apparently, when confronted about breaking the foundations, the airline replied “Is there a regulation that tells us drinks should be served in a glass?”
Picture: KLM
Whereas the Civil Aeronautics Board is not any extra, the Delft home custom continues. Passengers obtain one in every of these miniatures when touring in Enterprise Class on an intercontinental route and, on the time of publication, there are 103 totally different homes to gather. Every home has a singular story behind it and KLM has even developed a smartphone app for passengers to maintain monitor of their collections.
As soon as seated in what you are promoting class seat, a flight attendant (sooner or later within the flight) will come to you with a number of homes. For those who’re a collector, you’ll then have the chance to decide on one thing that’s new and distinctive to your set.
For those who don’t have the time or cash to fly KLM’s intercontinental enterprise class, then web sites KLMhouses.com and KLMDutchesHouses.com promote these miniature homes instantly. You’ll additionally see these being offered on eBay and Etsy. KLMHouses.com, which might be not affiliated with the airline, is at present promoting the whole set of 103 miniature homes for 2000 euros (~$2,200)! Whilst you’ll miss out on the enjoyment of touring, at the very least it’s cheaper and quicker than flying KLM long-haul to get your homes the standard means!
Saudia: Onboard prayer rooms
Staying with a full-service airline, our subsequent attention-grabbing trait comes from Saudia with its onboard prayer rooms. Because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, it’s no shock that its nationwide airline is hyper targeted on offering service that caters to the wants of muslims. This ranges from the meals being ready to the prohibition of alcohol. And, as we noted in a previous article covering the Saudia fleet, this service is essentially the most outstanding airline to characteristic a prayer area.
This prayer facility is current within the rear of all Saudia widebody plane with some areas massive sufficient to accommodate as much as 10 passengers. The particular area is made doable with the absence of a bit of financial system seats forward of the final galley within the middle space. It’s additionally famous that a few of the airline’s jets additionally characteristic a show that factors to seek out the Qibla, which is the route of prayer for that second. These carpeted areas additionally characteristic curtains for privateness.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways does create a section for prayers on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380s, however in contrast to Saudia, the area will not be totally devoted to being a prayer room. The airline designates an space close to the door that may be curtained off to hope. In the identical space is a display screen that mentions the route towards Mecca, much like Saudia.
airBaltic: NFTs with advantages
Fascinating-feature quantity 4 comes from airBaltic with its non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Whereas many individuals at the moment are bored with listening to about cryptocurrency and the blockchain, airBaltic’s digital collectibles really provide a tangible profit to their holders.
At the very least for the following yr or so, airBaltic loyalty program members who buy an airBaltic ‘Planie’ NFT, and hyperlink it to their account, will obtain frequent flyer factors each day, only for holding these collectible graphics. For each Planie linked to a passenger’s airBaltic Membership account, 20 factors per day are supplied. Moreover, after every 10 flights flown, a passenger in possession of a Planie will get a free improve to Enterprise class.
Picture: airBaltic
For those who’re daring (or rich) sufficient to scoop up 25 planies, then you’ll be able to at present attain airBaltic Membership VIP member standing, which permits Quick Observe safety screening, airport lounge entry, and a beneficiant baggage allowance. You’d additionally get 500 factors per day to redeem totally free flights. After all, with Planies at present costing $155 to 200 US {dollars}, this particular standing doesn’t come low-cost!
Ryanair: The on-time ‘jingle’
And eventually, we’ve to say the well-known – and in addition notorious – Ryanair jingle. This can be a brief recording that the European funds airline performs each time the flight arrives on time. These jingles have all the time been some type of trumpet-based fanfare, and have developed a number of occasions through the years. Its newest iteration will be heard with the embedded video under.
The addition of a scripted portion is attention-grabbing, as one has to marvel if the “final yr, over 90% of our flights arrived on time,” portion is up to date yearly, or has remained unchanged since first being recorded.
Many vacationers hate it and a few have even taken to the web to specific their displeasure in listening to it. Nevertheless, as others have acknowledged on Twitter (notably after having a flight severely delayed) the desire would definitely be to place up with the blaring jingle and have an on-time arrival!
Bonus quirk: Virgin Australia’s ‘Center Seat Lottery’
Launched in October 2022, Virgin Australia has been incentivizing passengers to e book a center seat (while additionally signing as much as be a frequent flyer member). Getting into the Center Seat Lottery (and being seated in a center seat to be eligible) has resulted in a single fortunate winner each week being awarded some type of prize – which seems to sometimes take the type of a tour/journey/vacation package deal.
This ‘characteristic’ from Virgin Australia may have made the right listing, nevertheless it’s unclear if the airline will probably be ending the promotion sooner or later. Whereas one of many airline’s webpages famous that this promotion was ending on April twenty third, 2023, it is clear that the airline continues to increase this program a little bit at a time.
So there’s our brief listing of attention-grabbing airline quirks! Once more, you probably have something that matches into this class that we missed, please do depart it within the feedback part!
Sources: View from the Wing, Studio Slip, One Mile At A Time
