There are many effective ways to improve our efficiency as we never lagged behind operationally and technically.
First of all we have to reinforce that flights for which marketing has been done on local basis by Station Managers and they are recommending for additional flight for years. Practically it has been seen that the flight which were recommended by our Station Managers are in the long run being operated by the Private airlines where as we are being denied repeatedly. Denial of flight is either on the basis that the aircraft is not available or crew. Argument of denial is debatable.
We have to be very clear in this regard; whether we want Air India to survive or we want it to die a slow death.
Since last 3 years, the much advertised and talked upon phrase of Turn around has not yield any results in reality. If at all we are honest enough for its revival, we have to take few steps which are reverse in process:-
Each transit station must be economically viable.
Station managers must be given a monthly target of selling seats of 70 to 75% of seats per flight .Further additional Incentives of commercial to be paid based upon the seats being sold at that station. Keep on increasing the sell target on quarterly basis. Merit rate the station and reward those who achieve the sell target.
This is of moving from micro to macro level, Transit to Metro stations. Decide the performance based upon selling of seats per flight.
Approach the prospective travellers in person.
Sales boys/girls should be given opportunity on the basis of commission on volume of sales. They should directly approach to the local businessmen, Universities, Offices and corporate houses etc and give them lucrative and innovative scheme so that they and their employees can be brought to our carrier.
User friendly internet site
Our internet site must be very user friendly. Any one must be in a position to book the ticket without any last moment hassles of creating of log in address. Take care of the payment mode. Identity of a person is to be taken from the mode of payment i.e credit card, Debit card or net banking.
Cancellation charges must be considerably high and/ or comparatively equal to those of other carriers
This will prevent an incident of seat blocking in our flight and then last moment cancellation for the benefit of other airlines by sales agent in the market. This can be achieved by increasing the commission marginally over or equal to other airlines. Doing this will retard their interest of promoting business/selling tickets instead ours.
Adopt an aggressive marketing technique (Both by print and electronic media)
Aggressive advertisement in local market(apart from doing it on national level)by advertising in local media/news papers, FM channels as traveller spectrum is being spread at the increasing rate of 15% even in small town.
Breaking the nexus of those employees within, who are directly or indirectly helping/or related to a sales agent.
Scheduling/non scheduling of new routes
Management must be in a position to take decision promptly for scheduling /non scheduling of a new route based upon its own market demand (Local area marketing managers/SMs).We must stop flights to those routes where passengers are much below the break even and introduce new routes where we have the demand.
Immediate stoppage of the Hub and Scope flights
Most of the hub and scope flights have proven to be the not viable financially. It is better to fly point to point
Offcourse, the above can be achieved by curtailing an unnecessary expenditure on every level from aam admi to khas aadmi.