Financial analysis of an airline company - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 18 Words: 5402 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Level High school Did you like this example? Fictional airline Company Tryanair Glossary Executive Summary Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Executive Summary The issues facing Tryanair in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s highly competitive industry environment represent serious competitive facets impacting the battle for customers in the face of fierce competition, operating costs and security concerns. It includes new aspects that have been bubbling just below the surface and have come to the forefront which must be addressed to turn disadvantages into advantages. The company has recently come under pressure from the major carriers utilizing the legal system to contest its arrangements with smaller airports, as well as the growing pressures to levy a tax in response to environmental issues regarding the increased level of CO2 emissions and the elimination of short haul flights. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Financial analysis of an airline company" essay for you Create order The preceding, is in addition to the highly competitive state of the industry, represent areas that need to be addressed as part of a Public Relations Campaign that is in consort with broader business related strategies and policies. Since the company is engaged in the business of the transport of customers, public opinion represents an important part of the our image, and as such can be utilized to help mitigate the potential impact of the foregoing as well as aid in garnering support from opposition groups, the general public and the media through the utilization of a coordinated Public Relations Campaign to bring Tryanair into contact with: varied environmental groups, community groups, local authorities The foregoing Campaign will be developed with the understanding that its implementation will also have to be mindful as well as adhere to the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s corporate social responsibility mandates, as well as the interests of our stakeholders and shareholders. A pro-active stance on these issues is important to bring the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s side of these issues into the public arena to not only balance the facts, but the arguments as well for these measures which is presenting facets from their perspective. In keeping with the aforementioned, varied studies and passenger feed back has alerted the P.R. Department that the following are issues as well: The charging of fees to wheelchair passengers Customer handling procedures after flight cancellations Flight schedule changes whereby our passengers are not properly informed or compensated when applicable Practices of some competitors in providing better customer relations while charging marginally higher fare rates Rather than view the preceding as disadvantages, the view of the Public Relations Department is that these areas represent areas of opportunity which can be utilized to enhance Tryanairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s image and well as mitigate the potential for negative legislation and other proposals. What is called for are Public Relations measures that coordinate with the overall strategic plans for the company to achieve growth as well as solidify its position within the industry for the future. These aspects call for a forward looking approach that build upon itself. The P.R. Department has been provided with a budget of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100,000, which excludes internal staff costs, to develop and implement an effective campaign to mitigate the negative potentials of the foregoing. This document shall detail the Departmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plan to achieve that result. The Public Relations Department has prepared a campaign to address the indicated issues within the contexts as outli ned in the Executive Summary, and will expound upon them in this segment to provide background information which has been utilized to design said campaign. To re-cap again, these areas are: The proposal to levy an Emissions Tax concerning environmental issues To eliminate aspects of beneficial arrangements at smaller airports The elimination of Short Haul Flights The charging of fees to wheelchair passengers Customer handling procedures after flight cancellations Flight schedule changes whereby our passengers are not properly informed or compensated when applicable Practices of some competitors in providing better customer relations while charging marginally higher fare rates The approach to these areas has been formulated utilizing an analysis of our competitors to assess the present day factors to consider in the adoption of a comprehensive as well as effective methodology. The preceding has been crafted with the consideration that it is the objective of Tryanair to become the industry leader in terms of passenger traffic by our twentieth anniversary in 2012. Said Campaign will establish foundational strengths from which successive Public Relations plans can be built upon to assist the company in the attainment of that objective. In order to arrive at that goal, the Public Relations Department conducted a competitive analysis in order to provide a clear picture of the environment Tryanair operates in, as well as where we stand in relationship to the industry. Competitive Analysis Through the utilization of a SWOT (Grant, 2005, p. 13) and PEST Analysis (Williamson et al, 2003 , pp. 85-86), in conjunction with Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces (Christensen et al, 2004, pp. 30-49), we were able to determine the following: SWOT Analysis Strengths Tryanair does not have any significant or distinct competitive strengths that are not already present within the industry in some form or another. Easyjet, and Ryanair both operate within our industry segment as United Kingdom based carriers, offering similar fares, routes, and services. Weaknesses The weakness that Tryanair has in the market is that Easyjet and Ryanair are both established for a longer period and have larger financial resources as well as more destinations they fly to. And while Tryanair also faces competition from other domestically based budget and discount carriers, their relative newness to the market is basically on a par with our own. The negative publicity the company has received concerning our charging a fee to wheelchair bound passengers, as well as some of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s practices with canceled and delayed flights are areas that have impacted our public image and need to be addressed. Ryanair represents more direct competition than easyJet as Ryanair flies to the same airports, secondary, to control costs (Edgar, 2006). EasyJetà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business model emphasizes the business and leisure class segment (easyJet.com, 2003). There are approximately fifty carriers operating in our segment of the industry (Wikitravel, 2006). Opportunities As is the case with all of our competitors, opportunities exist in the expansion to foreign destinations, as well as the adoption of a more progressive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"frequent flier programà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ patterns after Southwest Airlines, which is termed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Rapid Rewardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (Southwest Airline, 2006). Ryanairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s (2006) internet web site does not indicate they have such a program, frequent flier, nor does easyJet (2006). Industry airline travel growth forecasts indicate a rise in passenger traffic to 125 million individuals by 2015 (Britt, 2003). Threats The potential threats facing Tryanair are the entry into the market of more discount and budget based airlines, particularly from the major carriers who have the financial resources as well as administrative and industry connections to delve into the low fare battle. The threat of entry by a new carrier is also a possibility, however Tryanairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s established operations provide an edge in that these type of circumstance. PEST Analysis Political Factors The governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s proposal under the Civil Aviation Bill (Department for Transport, 2005) proposes that airports be provided with the powers to set charges to carriers based upon emissions, supported by the Secretary of State. The preceding represents the most pressing of legislation Tryanair and the industry is faced with. The other political legislation and or issues active at present represent aircraft noise, contributions to the Aviation Health Unit, and route licensing cases. Economic Factors Fuel represents the major expenditure in the industry, representing 15% to 40% of operating costs (Ray, 2005) with oil prices spiraling, and thus cutting into operating margins, the prospect of additional charges, such as the emissions levy, would force Tryanair as well as other carriers to raise fares to offset the expense. Economic forecasts do not indicate a recession or other event in the future, however, the costs associated with security are an additional cost since September 11th. Social Factors The airlineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s external image with the public has undertaken a negative turn with the publicizing of the feeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s we charge wheelchair passengers, as well as the policies regarding flight cancellations, delays and schedule changes. The state of our customer relations is behind our two main competitors, easyJet and Ryanair. Technological Factors In this category Tryanair ranks on an equal footing with our rivals in airframe age, check in procedures, IT structure, ticketing and other external as well as internal functions. Porterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Five Forces Supplier Power The area where Tryanair could potentially suffer in the future is in airport arrangements for expansion of services as well as current destinations as a result of closer governmental scrutiny over subsidies and emissions policies. Our internal suppliers of various services, and equipment do not represent any threat to operations as there are numerous suitable replacement choices. Barriers to Entry Given the high costs of equipment and logistical factors as well as the tight operating margins and high number of carriers in the industry, the barriers to entry for completely new carriers are high and should remain so over the foreseeable future. However, such costs are within the financial capabilities of major carriers who have the planes, staffing and administrative systems. The potential for additional entrants from that quarter are relatively mild to high as a result of the industry market shares the discount and budget airlines are achieving. Threat of Substitutes The threat of substitutes is relatively high from full service carriers seeking entry into the discount / budget segment of the market as a result of the high traffic patterns and yearly increases in revenue miles. As price represents the key reason most customer select one carrier over another the levels of competition leave little distinction between each other in customer minds (Appendix 1, AvantGo, 2003) (Appendix 2, Wessels, 2004, p. 9). Buyer Power Buyer power is high in that they have the option to select a carrier in this segment, discount/budget, based upon offers available and price (Appendix 2, Wessels, 2004, p.9). Rivalry The competition in the discount/budget segment of the market is intense as it is based upon price with little brand loyalty. Campaign Recommendations The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Competitive Analysisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ has pointed out some areas of potential opportunity open to Tryanair, based upon a Public Relations campaign in consort with internal strategic plans to aggressively attack the following areas: Emissions Levy Small Airports Wheelchair passengers Changes in flight schedules Flight delays and cancellations Customer Service The following summarizes the key issues and components of these areas: Emissions Levy The European Unionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an eight percent in keeping with the Kyoto Protocol commitment period of 2008 through 2012 affects the United Kingdom and the airline industry in that all member states must adopt a National Allocation Plan (defra, 2006). The Emissions Trading Scheme represents the U.K.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plan to control emissions by setting limits by industry (airapparent, 2006). In consort with the public and national clamor over emissions, the following groups represent areas that will be targeted for P.R. activities through direct communications as well as information dissemination; Friends of the Earth This organization states that the United Kingdom generates 2.3% of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CO2 (Friends of the Earth, 2006) and supports airline payment per flight to pay for emissions controls as well as a reduction in flights. AirApparent, represents an organization of concerned citizens that opposes the Emissions Trading Scheme fearing that the airline industry will take a disproportionate share of the allocation in emissions reductions achieved by other industries (airapparent, 2006). National Society for Clean Air This organization advocates the taxation of airline flights (National Society for Clean Air, 2006). Green Skies This organization is an information network representing environmental organizations and welds considerable influence on a national scale (GreenSkies, 2006). Assistance with the preceding will be cultivated through meetings and associations with private as well as governmental groups and associations to broaden the exposure of campaign parameters as well as gain support for our approach. Forum for the Future This organization is a charity working in conjunction with the public sector, business and other groups to accomplish the objective of building a sustainable future (form for the future, 2006). Local Authorities / Regional Airports These represent the regional airports Tryanair utilizes which are under fire from environmental groups as well as the government regarding the possible use of emission levies and reduced traffic. The last issue they share in common with the airline industry as the new flight traffic has increased their revenues and local business as a result of the additional passengers. These airports are also under fire regarding noise emissions, as well as additional road traffic in their locales, the following Table shows their growth record over a three year period: Table 1 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Regional Airports (BBC News, 2003) Airport Growth Bournemouth 63.6% London City 59.9% Southend 50% Kent International 50% Luton 33.6% Inverness 33% Wheelchair passengers Through a change in our policies for wheelchair bound passengers, Tryanair can mitigate the negative publicity through contact and suggestions from wheelchair bound passengers on things they would like to see on flights. Getting these groups involved gets the word out and creates inside à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"buzzà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ on Tryanairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s active stance. This aspect of the campaign activities would cover the following organizations (Edmond.com, 2006): British Paralympic Association British Wheelchair Sports Foundation Calvert Trust Changes in flight schedules The varied external forces impacting our industry, such as weather, security, and equipment can necessitate changes in flight schedules as a result of unforeseen events. Recognizing this as an aspect of our business and including it in a program that encompasses other unforeseen variables would help to create better customer relations when these instances arise. Flight delays and cancellations This represents the second business / passenger area that is based upon unforeseen occurrences, and will be a part of the program developed for schedule changes to simplify customer understandings and internal administration. Customer Service The last two areas as well as the normal functions of customer service represent a means to increase Tryanairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s bond with customers so that those who have flown with the airline will tend to think of us first in their next travel plans, rather than continue price shopping. Remembering that almost all of our passengers have flown with another airline is an opportunity to gain a semblance of loyalty through heightened customer service and interaction. The approach to meshing these seemingly diverse issues and areas into a comprehensible Public Relations Campaign that the public will grasp in the face of extensive media clutter, will be based upon the application of some well founded theories. Our function as the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Public Relations Department, in keeping with established principles as set forth by the Arthur W. Page Society (2006), an organization of select senior public relations / corporate communications officers, which espouses that the P.R. operation is a function in the sphere of executive management and that it is a key component in the success of corporate strategies and planning. The Arthur W. Page Society (2006) advises that through telling the truth, the company lets the public know what is occurring and helps to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ provide an accurate picture of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s character, ideals and practicesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Arthur W. Page Society, 2005) and sets forth the following methodology to accomplish an effective and believable campaign: Tell the truth Prove it with action According to the Arthur W. Page Society (2006), the publicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perception of a company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is determined 90 percent by what it does and ten percent by talkingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Listen to the customer Understanding what the public wants and needs represent a cornerstone of reaching them through programs and actions they understand. Manage for tomorrow Understanding issues, trends and events that are shaping themselves aids in pre-planning and generates goodwill through the ability to anticipate and plan for these variables in advance. Conduct Public Relations as if the whole company depends on it All of the actions and strategies of the company have an impact in their image and standing with the public, thus policymaking and planning needs to be weaved into other company functions to create seamless external views of consistency, as the publicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perception is based upon 90% of what we do. Remain calm, patient and good-humored The benefits that can be achieved through well planned and coordinated public relations activities are founded in a consistent approach to contacts and information dissemination. The age old adage that cooler heads prevail, remains true in this case. The preceding has been included as a reminder that as a high profile company dealing with sensitive and important issues, Tryanair is subject to intense scrutiny by our rivals, the media, concerned organizations and the public. The recognition of being consistently under the microscope and acting in a manner that eliminates negative feedback from P.R. and corporate actions is a critical component to increase public trust and believability. The preceding factors will thus make statements, policies, programs and promotions that much more effective. Strategy In order to achieve results with the varied issues and concerns facing Tryanair: Emissions levy, Regional airports, Short Haul flights, Wheelchair Passengers, Flight schedule changes, Flight delays and cancellations, Customer Service, the company needs a recognizable and memorable theme which will provide recall as well as consistency for the varied objectives and individual components under the overall campaign. The slogan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“You Fly, We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  is based upon the preceding as well as the important principles of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"customer centricà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ operations which states (Bosworth et al, p. 2): Traditional Approach Customer Centric Approach Make presentations Converse situation ally Offer opinions Ask relevant questions Focus on relationship Focus on solution Gravitate toward users Target customer profiles Rely on product Relate product usage Attempt to sell by Empower customers to convincing/persuading achieve their objectives handle objections solve problems overcome resistance satisfy needs The slogan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"You Fly, We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ is a shortened version of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"You Fly, BECAUSE We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ â„ ¢. The subtle change is to make the slogan flow better as well as to place the suggestion in customer minds through reinforcement as well as actions that Tryanair does listen and act upon what we hear. In implementing this in the Public relations campaign, Tryanair will utilize the following processes and steps in each segment of the overall campaign strategy: Emissions Levy The P.R. Department will prepare a topic agenda consisting of data on CO2 emissions utilizing the latest statistics. Defra (2005a): Table 2 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Region Total emissions (million tones carbon dioxide) Region Industrial commercial Domestic Road transport Total North East 22.3 7.0 4.7 34.5 North West 29.3 18.6 14.4 62.8 Yorkshire Humber 31.5 13.9 11.2 57.8 East Midlands 16.9 12.0 10.8 41.5 West Midlands 15.5 14.5 12.3 43.1 East of England 18.2 15.7 13.4 49.7 Greater London 21.7 18.9 10.1 50.8 South East 28.0 22.5 19.3 71.1 South West 14.8 13.4 11.3 41.0 England 198.2 136.6 107.5 452.4 Defraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s (2005a) information advised that the typical ranges for emissions by category in a local authority range between the following spreads: Industrial and commercial 29 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 43% Domestic 27 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 38% Road Transport 19 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 32% Of the preceding emissions breakdowns, defra (2005b) reported that 44% of the emissions in local authority areas are from industrial and commercial sources, with 29% attributed to the domestic segment and 23% attributed to transport, consisting of vehicles, trucks and cars, and airplanes. The following survey, as conducted by Accenture (2005) provides information on findings, as well as an analysis of travel preferences by UK respondents. The survey found that: approximately one-third of respondents indicated they expected to increase their travel over the flowing six month period. Four of five respondents indicated that they had taken à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ flight during the last six months Low cost airlines were utilized for personal use rather than business (46% to 35% respectively) Price represents the number one reason people elect to travel via low cost carriers, after that is was schedules The survey indicated that 52% of respondents utilized their cars for business trips inside of the UK, 30% used air transportation, 16% traveled by train, with 2% indicating other. The preceding data was correlated for business trips exceeding 300 miles. Surveys have found that transport via vehicle, usually with one individual, is the highest CO2 emission generator. In conversing with opposition groups, having detailed information on such areas, reminding them that we are in a customer business that is dictated by customer wants and needs. Additionally that we as a carrier are here to service the needs of the public, and through competition prices are lowered which serves the public interest. Communicating that Tryanair is also concerned about CO2 emissions as the company is comprised of people who like them live in the UK, and is tackling the problem through orders for the latest fuel and emissions efficient airframes shall be aspects included in these discussions, along with o ther areas The point of the active dialogue and information exchange is that these environmental groups do not get any interaction or communications on a one to one friendly basis. The object of the approach is not so much to change their minds, but to get public exposure of the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interest on the issues and a willingness to meet with groups for discussions and dialogue. The objective is to steal the thunder from any other carriers who might see the overall positive benefits from such an approach. In addition to hearing the other side of the story, suggestions and ideas could be solicited and discussed with said groups and internally we can then seek potential solutions were fiscally feasible, with feedback provided to the public and through joint press releases. Ignoring these environmental groups is not the answer as their strength and public voices have become increasing larger, and with the power of the Internet as well as the recent attention that has been focused on this matter, their influence is such that ignoring them could prove disastrous. The suggestion of donation contributions to plant trees in emission areas represents another proactive stance which is cost effective in actually doing something concerning the problem, rather than just talk. Under a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOW Greenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ program the company could set up a fund for these donations that selected environmental groups can access to places trees where they elect, rather than where the company decides. This releasing of conditions into their own hands gives these groups greater input and should translate into at least a climate of cooperation rather than the present adversarial environment. Friends of the Earth AirApparent represents an organization of concerned citizens that National Society for Clean Air Green Skies Forum for the Future Local Authorities / Regional Airports Wheelchair passengers The P.R. Department, as in the prior case, feels a proactive stance is the preferable strategy in addressing the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lack of vision concerning the handling of its wheelchair passengers. It is recommended that all flights and personnel are properly trained on the handling of wheelchair bound individuals. In addition it is recommended that the company actively support, through sponsorships, athletics events conducted by the following associations. British Paralympic Association British Wheelchair Sports Foundation Calvert Trust In addition, the company should actively seek out prior wheelchair bound passengers to survey their experiences and solicit ideas and suggestions, offering any dissatisfied respondents 50% off on their next flight. The preceding with generate ideas from this segment of the population as well as aid in repairing poor relationships as well as providing press release opportunities. Changes in flight schedules It is obvious that the company needs to improve its system for notifying customers of fight changes to improve customer satisfaction. This can be achieved through telephone notifications as well as emails. The company should implement a policy similar to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, calling it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Tryanair Now Rewardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ refers to passengers receiving faster points for more reasons. A flight change whereby the passenger does not have the option of changing to a new flight within six hours would carry a reward point equal to 1/3rd of the ticket price. This means the passenger has a reason to stick with Tryanair for points build up and sooner reward utilization. Flight delays and cancellations The same methodology should also accompany flight delays and cancellations. The fact that customer will be unhappy is mitigated through awarding points to retain them in the future, with customers able to use their reward points at any time, meaning if they have 10% of a flightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cost in reward points they can redeem them NOW, hence the term. The P.R. benefits are obvious, as are the benefits to passengers who realize they do not have to make a long list of flights before they qualify. The preceding should pull more customers to Tryanair. Customer Service The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“You Fly, We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  slogan and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rewards program have a consistent theme in that the company does à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. This platform needs to be a part of Customer Service whereby agents have discretionary power to issue on the spot reward points up to 20% for highly dissatisfied customers as well as circumstance meeting certain criteria. The aforementioned standard rewards for flight changes and cancellations are within those parameters. The preceding is part of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ aspect of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  slogan to make the message take shape in actions, as emphasized by the Arthur W. Page Society (2006): Tell the truth Prove it with action Listen to the customer Manage for tomorrow Conduct Public Relations as if the whole company depends on it Remain calm, patient and good-humored These foundations are the cornerstones of the new slogan and rewards program. Tactics The discount / budget airline travel segment is highly price conscious. However, as a company, Tryanair can not view its relationship with the general public as well as passengers from the price shopping perspective, otherwise it runs the risk of developing a brand franchise is primarily comprised of customers that utilize the airline only when price suits them. Tryanair needs to go further than simply price, it needs to actively engage in a relationship with the customer that is now based, meaning when they think of Tryanair the will be presented with the idea that we care about them à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and see to their needs, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Given all the choices customers have for air travel, now represents their state of mind, which should be reflected by the manner in which the company works in a customer centric mindset. Generating the preceding programs is estimated in terms of man hours, press releases and meetings under the à ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‹Å"NOW Greenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, wheelchair sponsorships and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rewards will constitute the utilization of the à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬100,000 with the costs of administering these two programs managed under advertising and promotions. Records regarding the number of customers using the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rewards program will provide a gauge for its effectiveness, remembering that rarely is a flight filled to capacity, thus providing the means to fly these passengers and in reality aid in the fuel efficiency. Conclusion The nuances of the highly competitive discount / budget segment of the airline industry create a unique environment in terms of customer relationships as it is based primarily on price. This à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"cash and carryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ mentality permeates the industry segment with budget airlines garnering 54%, easyJet, 54%, Buzz, regarding the passenger who had flown with the airline who would recommend it (Gua rdian Unlimited, 2003). These are important figures, as a brand franchise is only as valuable as the customer who recognize and use it. The underlying aim behind the Public Relations Campaign is to: mend fences, where possible, with opposition groups concerning emissions, regional airport use and less flights through meetings and discussions. Tryanair is in the customer service business, and its customers are the ones traveling more as a result of the downward pressures on ticket prices. While opposition groups do have their agenda, they need to also be mindful of the publicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s desire and trends that dictate airline carrier courses of action, not the other way around. The preceding is a complex variable that needs to be slowly cultivated with those in opposition through first establishing a framework of discussion that takes their suggestions and works with these groups for practical solutions, where possible. The program in this area does not seek result, it seeks contact. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOW Greenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ program is an active component in this process. Repair damage to the companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s public image as created by the mishandling of wheelchair passengers, through reaching out to these groups via sponsorships and an active call program. Since the number of wheelchair passengers is relatively small such efforts are not costly, and the P.R. benefits can yield huge returns via word of mouth, in addition to press releases. The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ rewards program that lets passenger accumulate points for flights taken, as well as receive compensation for delayed, cancelled or re-scheduled flights is an active program designed to change customer dissatisfaction at any level about their initial impression. The program can not and does not seek to turn every customer into a happy one, just to make them more satisfied than they were before some incident. For customers having no incident, the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ program is designed to retain them for future flights. Registration is based either on their email or phone number and can be completed automatically when tickets are purchased and customer informed of their enrollment. The proactive approach and the handling out of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"NOWà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ reward program benefits in an easy to read format goes after customer loyalty, which must be earned. The Public Relations campaign themes, programs, approaches and direction indicated in this report are crafted to put Tryanair into contact with adversaries, as well as satisfied, dissatisfied and all levels in between of passenger who use the airline. The utilization of proactive measures will communicate the message that Tryanair does something about problems, because à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We Listenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Appendix Appendix 1. AvantGo à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Passenger Survey Question Response Number Percent What drives your Airline purchase decision? Price Schedule Convenience FF Miles Customer Service N/A 651 162 94 95 16 40 62% 15% 9% 9% 2% 4% For personal trips, how do You generally buy travel? Online Phone Travel Agent Other N/A 785 63 130 23 57 74% 6% 12% 2% 5% Appendix 2. Wessels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Why Passengers Select an Airline 5 is the Scoring Scale (Wessels, 2004, p-9) Category Score Price 4.7 Safety 4.2 Scheduling convenience 3.9 Non-stop flights 3.8 Reservation convenience 3.75 Baggage handling 3.7 On time arrival 3.6 Bibliography Accenture (2005) UK Travel Survey: Finding and Analysis. March 2005. https://www.accenture.com/NR/rdonlyres/39C882FB-08CA-4E1E-AB08-502CA932EAD0/0/uk_travel.pdf Airapparent (2006) Airlines Must Lose Their Right to Pollute the Skies. https://www.airapparent.ca/library/full_text/airlines_must_lose_rights_to _pollute.htm Arthur W. Page Society. (2006) About the Society. https://www.awpagesociety.com/about/index.asp Arthur W. Page Society (2005) Case Writing Competition in Corporate Communications. https://www.nd.edu/~fanning/page/APcase.pdf#search=function%20of%20corporate%20public%20relations AvantGo. (2003.) Consumer Travel Preferences. www.avantgo.com BBC News (2003) Small airports take off. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/business/74405.stm Bosworth, M., Holland, J. (2003) Customer Centric Selling. First Edition. McGraw Hill. ISBN: 0071425454 Britt, S. (2003) Analysis of Discount Airlines. https://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~sb176799/esp/fd.htm Christe nsen, C., Roth, E., Anthony, S. (2004) Seeing Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN: 1591391857 Department of Transport (2005) Civil Aviation Bill. https://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_aviation/documents/pdf/dft_aviation_pdf_039655.pdf Defra (2006) An Operatorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Guide to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. https://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/trading/eu/intro/euets-guide.pdf Defra (2005) Experimental Statistics on carbon dioxide emissions at Local Authority and Regional Level. https://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/globatmos/regionalrpt/localghgdefrasum20051021.pdf Defra (2005b) Statistical release. https://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/051021a.htm EasyJet.com (2003) Directorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s report and consolidated financial statements. 30 September 2003. https://www.easyjet.com/en/news/1999-2000results.pdf#search=easyjet%20strategy Edgar (2006) RyanAir Holdings PLC. https://sec.edgar-online.com/2004/09/29/0001191638-04-001674/section5.asp Edmond.com (2006) Disabled and Wheelchair Sports Links. https://www.edmond-wheelchair.com/wheelchair_sports_links.htm Forum for the future (2006) Home Page. https://www.forumforthefuture.org.uk/index.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/news/page.aspx Friends of the Herat (2006) Climate Change. https://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/climate_change/index.html Grant, R. (2005) Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Concepts, Techniques, Applications. 5th Edition. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN: 1405119993 GreenSkies (2006) Welcome to GreenSkies. https://www.greenskies.org/ Guardian Unlimited (2003) Budget airlines fly high in satisfaction survey. 11 March 2003. https://www.guardian.co.uk/airlines/story/0,1371,911568,00.html National Society for Clean Air (2006) Costs and Taxation. https://www.nsca.org.uk/pages/topics_and_issues/aviation.cfm Ray, S. (2005) Fuel costs increasing gl obal airlinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ losses. 30 May 2005. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600137709,00.html Ryanair.com (2006) Ryanair.com. https://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/dests.php?flash=chk easyJet.com (2006) easyJet.com Southwest Airlines (2006) Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards. https://www.southwest.com/rapid_rewards/rapid_rewards.html Wessels, D. (2004) Consumer Loyalty in the Airline Industry. Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania Wikitravel (2006) Discount Airlines in Europe. https://wikitravel.org/en/Discount_airlines_in_Europe Williamson, D., Cooke, P., Jenkins, W., Moreton, K. (2003) Strategic Management and Business Analysis. Butterworth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Heinemann. ISBN: 0750642955

Mental Health Refore What It Would Really Take Essay

Mental Health Reform: What It Would Really Take In today’s society there is a greater awareness of mental illnesses. With this greater awareness one might assume that there would be a substantial increase in government involvement or funding in the area of mental illness treatment. Unfortunately this isn’t the case in the U.S. today. There are hundreds of thousands of people with mental illness that go untreated. These potential patients go untreated for many reasons. These reasons are discussed in the Time article â€Å"Mental Health Reform: What Would it Really Take. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The article gives some examples of what has happened to people that have not received mental treatment due to lack of government funding. These†¦show more content†¦She is advocating an increase in government funding to improve access to care for others. She would also like employers to help by providing equal insurance coverage for mental and physical health. Currently insurance plans can charge higher co-payments for psychaitric visits than for other medical care. I feel that even if the proposals become law it’s only the first step to fixing this problem. The article discusses some promises made by Kennedy in 1963 to subsidize mental-health services in every community. Kennedy signed a bill to create as many as 2000 community health centers, there are just 740 today. The insurance companies might feel a little better about supporting mental-health if they were presented with some comparisons of successful treatment between psychiatry and physical medicine. One such comparison given in the article is that 60% of those treated for schizophrenia can be successfully treated, while just 41% of those that have angioplasty can recover fully. There is a huge number of mentally ill that are homeless because they’ve gone untreated. They often turn to illegal drugs to ease there pain and confusion. In my opinion this problem should be addressed quickly. There are confused mentally ill people that have been forgotten about by society that a re roaming the streets. These people can un-knowingly commit horrific crimes such as the man discussed earlier that pushed the women to her death in the New York subway. The

Lord of the Flies Persuasive Letter free essay sample

This is Jack Merridew. It has been many years since we last saw each other, and so much has happened since then. I’m sure you’re a very different person now, as am I. I am not that same boy you knew, fifteen years can really change a person. Ten years ago, you sent me a letter blaming me for Simon and Piggy’s deaths, and everything else that happened on the island. I didn’t respond back then because I was in the Seminary and was trying to worship god and put all that happened on the island behind me. I’m writing you this letter now because I am about to become a priest and I feel that I need to clear things up as a last act before I start my new life. This way I can start out with a clean slate. In your letter you blamed me for what happened on that night of the big feast, what happened to Simon I mean, and I must tell you that it was not my fault. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies Persuasive Letter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even though it happened fifteen years ago, I can still remember it like it happened yesterday. It was a terrible dark and rainy night and we were all dancing about like a bunch of crazed savages, chanting our pig-slaughtering chant, even you were. As we started getting caught up in the chant I saw a shadowy figure crawling out of the forest. I thought it was the beast, I really did, everyone else thought so too. Everyone, even you. I know we all saw him at the same time because I was not the only one who shouted out that he was the beast, you thought he was too, you and Piggy and Sam and Eric and everyone else, we all thought he was the beast. It wasn’t me who said â€Å"let’s kill him†, it wasn’t only my idea, it was a mutual idea that everyone took part in. We were all to blame, not just me. And how was I supposed to know that the â€Å"real beast† was only a dead parachutist? For all any of us knew, the beast could have been a terrible vicious wild animal that would have devoured us all. When I saw Simon crawling out of the forest I thought he was the beast and I took action, as did everyone else, after all we were just a pack of young boys living alone on a desert island with nothing but fruit and half-raw pig o eat. We were all caught up in the delirium of that stupid dance and no one knew what they were doing, it was a stupid and terrible mistake. However, I think that you are just as much to blame for what happened that night as I am or any one else is, you took part in that dance just like the rest of us. It wasn’t murder because it was not intentional, I had good intentions as did the rest of the boys I’m sure. Is it fair to still blame only me? I behaved in ways that I wish I had not, but in my defense I was not myself on the island. Something came over me, I was not used to living without meat, without anything. What did I know anyway? I was only thirteen and people do stupid things. I now see that what happened on that island was insanity. It was madness, all of it. The conch, the assemblies, the tribes the killing, and especially Piggy’s death. I know at the time I didn’t show any remorse, but I have truly come to regret it. I am sorry that you lost your friend and that I was not kinder to him while he was alive. But, how can you blame me for his death when I didn’t even throw the boulder that killed him?. We were all caught up that foolish fight, it was as if he was killed in battle, no one should be assigned the blame for that. We were stuck on that island for far too long and we were all beginning to go mad, it’s a wonder we even survived long enough to be rescued. I know I did some stupid things, but so did you, the point is that it was not all my fault. I want to live the rest of my life guilt-free and exonerate myself from any bad feelings still left over, I hope that you can now see my point. Father Jack Merridew

Journey Of The Magi Essays - Literature, Gospel Of Matthew, Poetry

Journey Of The Magi The Magi are a class of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Media and Persia. The three Magi are traveling to Bethlehem to pay homage to Jesus Christ. As they make their way toward the saviour they begin to learn that the world around them has become full of corruption. Slowly, after time, the wise men realize that a death from this materialistic world is the only way to be born into the Kingdom of paradise. In his poem "Journey of the Magi," T.S. Eliot takes us, the reader, on a physical and spiritual journey by the use of several poetic devices; form and structure, the use of sound, engagement of the senses and figurative language. Eliot uses the form and structure of the poem to enforce the mythic construct of a physical and spiritual journey. He separates the poem into three sections or stanzas. First innocence: Spiritually and physically, the Magi have no idea of the hardships that a journey to praise the baby Jesus, will entail. To their alarm they begin to see the disgusting state that their world is in. Second the fall: The wise men separate themselves from the rest of their society. However, they have high expectations that the birth of Christ will be grandeur and when they arrive, they do not expect the birth to be so humble. Thirdly, there is redemption: One of the wise men seems to be reflecting on the events that passed. The Magus is finally able to understand the paradox that one must leave this world in order to be born into true utopia. This structure of a classical journey strengthens Eliot's spiritual and physical journey of the Magi. The use of sound is quite effectively employed by Eliot. By using assonance and repetition he produces an emotional moving poem. There are no harsh sounding lines. They all flow softly together. "The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, / And the silken girls bring sherbet" (9-10). This is just one example of assonance. The poem is full of soft slurred sentences. The flowing of the poem is in accordance with the structure of the poem as a journey being continuous. The third section is especially full of repetition which creates a bit of a choppy effect and leads to the Magus realizing the moral of the poem. And I would do it again, but set down This set down This: were we led all that way for Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly, We had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death. (33-39) The repetition of the words ?set down', birth and death, emphasizes the meaning behind those words and how they apply to the journey of the Magi. Being in the redemption stanza, this helps bring the whole journey into perspective spiritually. A poet can evoke certain emotions just by using a skilled combination of words. T.S. Eliot uses the engagement of the senses to help us experience the physical journey of the wise men. He employs a great deal of synesthesia to make his poem more compelling. "And the silken girls bringing sherbet" (10). He combines the senses of tactile and gustatory. The ?silken girls' give a feeling of soft, smooth fabrics and the ?sherbet' a cold drink after long, arduous day. "Then the camel men cursing and grumbling/ And running away, and wanting their liquor and women" (11-12). He combines the auditory and visual senses. He wants the reader to be able to hear the crude camel men spewing vulgarities and the visual image of the immoral men and women. "Then we came to a tavern with vine leaves over the lintel, / Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver, / And the feet kicking the empty wine-skins" (26-28). There is a visual image of leaves over the lintel and also a visual image of all the drinking and gambling taking place. He definitely creates a kinesthetic feeling with the ?hands dicing' and the motion of ?feet kicking'. By using synesthesia Eliot produces a vivid understanding of the wise men's journey. Finally Eliot uses figurative language to help us experience the spiritual journey the wise men take. He utilizes biblical allusions and symbolism to make the experience more meaningful. "And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow" (25). This use of symbolism can be interpreted in various different ways. The horse