1. Low-Cost Airline Industry
Media Analysis
(Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia)
Jun 2016 – Feb 2017

2. Methodology 3 5 6 7 8 12 15 19 21 24 Executive summary Bulgaria Serbia
Analysed period: –
The study encompasses all mentions of the three biggest low-cost airlines Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet in Serbian, Croatian and Bulgarian online media for the period between June 2016 and February 2017.
Media channels: Traditional Media, Blogs, Forums, Facebook*, Twitter 5
Bulgaria 6
Serbia 7
Croatia 8
Ryanair - Sentiment 12
Ryanair – Key Media Stories
All coverage harvested via Perceptica’s own Media Analytics tool
*Only publicly available Facebook profiles and official Facebook pages are taken into consideration 15
Wizz Air - Sentiment 19
Wizz Air – Key Media Stories 21
easyJet - Sentiment 24
easyJet – Key Media Stories

3. Bulgaria Serbia Croatia
Executive summary
Bulgaria
Serbia
Croatia
During the monitored period, Ryanair and Wizz Air were the undisputed leaders in terms of Share of Voice in the low-cost air traffic market in the Balkan region. However the Croatian market was dominated by Ryanair and easyJet (56% vs. 34%).
Ryanair entered the Bulgarian market in 2010, commencing flights from the country’s second largest city of Plovdiv to London Stansted. It took the company 6 years to expand operations and to open a new base in Sofia. Now the company is quickly catching up with Wizz Air in terms of media coverage, taking 39% of the overall Share of Voice. The third most popular low-cost airline in Bulgaria is easyJet, operating flights from Bourgas, Varna, and Sofia. EasyJet was the second most mentioned company during the first three months of the monitored period, but following news of Ryanair’s Sofia base opening and Wizz Air’s increased marketing efforts, the number of the media publications about easyJet decreased significantly.
The low-cost market in Serbia can still be considered a developing one. Wizz Air came in first in terms of Share of Voice in Bulgaria, but was overtaken by Ryanair thanks to the numerous comments about the latter’s Nis routes. Although Wizz is the de facto Serbian low-cost leader in terms of carried passengers, Ryanair managed to score higher when it comes to media coverage in the country it entered just last year. Ryanair also does not serve Serbia’s capital Belgrade. The low prices Ryanair offered from Nis Airport primarily helped the carrier attain the largest amount of the overall media coverage.
Ryanair and EasyJet were the leading low-cost carriers in Croatia, taking 90% of the media conversation. That leaves the Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings (ex Germanwings) with 10%. The sheer amount of coverage came from the announcement of new routes from Croatia’s Dubrovnik and Split.

4. Executive summary Overall Sentiment
Ryanair scored the most positive attitude on Social and Traditional Media (15% of the overall sentiment).
The sentiment towards the most used low-cost carrier in Bulgaria and Serbia Wizz Air remained mostly neutral (83%). However, the positive attitude dominated the negative one (11% vs 6%). The two major contributors to the Wizz Air’s positive online image were the Promotions and Awards themes.
In October, various news outlets reported that Wizz Air had received the low cost airline of the year award from CAPA, which prompted favourable media coverage. Wizz Air was distinguished by media outlets as the low cost airline that “has been the biggest standout strategically during the year, has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry, has established itself as a leader, and provided a benchmark for others to follow”.
During a discussion on “How the low-cost airlines change the tourist search and offers” Bulgarian tourism minister Stela Baltova noted that the lost-cost carrier had significantly contributed to the country’s rise of tourists in That news alone was responsible for almost half of the positive tone towards Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet.
While Prices was the most positive driver for Ryanair, users criticized Wizz Air’s high ticket prices on some destinations. News that EasyJet removed a woman off a flight after she suffered an epileptic seizure despite paramedics declaring her fit to fly notably contributed to its negative sentiment.
Overall Sentiment

5. Bulgaria
September 2016 – Wizz Air announced new Sofia-Kutaisi route and the reintroduction of domestic flights from Bulgaria’s capital to seaside resort Varna.
December Wizz Air announced it would connect Varna, on the Black Sea coast, with Dortmund and Munich Memmingen in Germany, Eindhoven in The Netherlands, Larnaca in Cyprus and Milan Bergamo in Italy.
January 2017 – Ryanair moved to Sofia Airport’s Terminal 2.

6. Serbia
September 2016 – Ryanair entered the Serbian market with flights from Nis Airport to Berlin (SFX), Weeze, Bratislava, and Milan Bergamo.
August Wizz Air announced a $100 mln investment in expansion of Serbian operations, adding a second aircraft at Belgrade’s base and launching flights to Friedrichshafen, Hanover and Nuremberg in Germany and Malta.
January Wizz Air passenger traffic in Serbia increased by 19%.

7. Croatia
July EasyJet reached 1 mln passengers to/from Croatia's Dubrovnik, plans to expand service.
September 2016 – Ryanair announced Zadar – Glasgow route.
November 2016 – Ryanair announced Zadar – Copenhagen route.
December easyJet unveiled major Croatian expansion.

8. Ryanair
Sentiment
The Ryanair’s media coverage analysis helped draw a clear picture of their customers’ needs and preferences. Ticket prices and promotions were amongst the top priorities for them and the main reason they chose Ryanair.
The third most popular theme was Luggage although the sentiment towards Ryanair’s carry-on policies was mainly neutral (87%).
Social Media users praised Ryanair’s marketing initiatives, acknowledging them as interesting and innovative (the ads featuring Donald Trump and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton), but said its website needed serious improvements (also adding to the negative comments in the Customer Service category).
The two carry-on bags rule was always pointed out as the main advantage Ryanair had over Wizz Air as the latter allows only one (smaller) bag on board the aircraft for free. The negative attitude came after some senior company executives made public comments suggesting Ryanair was considering a ban on the second bag travellers can carry on board.
Consumers were most critical towards client service and two main points of it in particular. One concerned the timeframe for online check-in that was reduced to just four days prior to the flight. Problems with online reservations were the other major concern. Consumers were discontent with the frequent crashes Ryanair's website experienced when the company launched promotional offers.

9. USERS CRITICISING WEBSITE USABILITY POPULAR VLOGGER BASHING RYANAIR
RYANAIR DECISION TO CUT CHECK-IN DEADLINE TO FOUR DAYS WAS MET WITH PUBLIC OUTRAGE

10. Ryanair
CZECH COUPLE WENT ON A VACATION IN FRENCH NICE BUT ENDED IN SERBIAN NIS
THE LAUNCH OF THE BERLIN-NIS ROUTE IN SERBIA

11. Ryanair
THE PRICES AND PROMOTIONS THEMES GENERATED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE POSITIVE COVERAGE

12. Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
Ryanair
Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Themes
Ryanair to add 19 flights to Bulgaria next summer
SeeNews.com
Bulgaria
New Routes
Ryanair files a complaint with EC against Bulgaria Air
OFFNews.bg
Corporate Environment
Ryanair launches huge EUR 2.00 flight sale
Money.bg
Promotions
Ryanair cuts check-in deadline to four days
Bloombergtv.bg
Policy Changes
EU orders Ryanair to repay illegal Austrian airport aid
Dnes.bg
Fines
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary reveals Ryanair plan to offer free flights
Economic.bg
Promotions, Corporate Strategy

13. Key Media Stories in Croatia
Ryanair
Key Media Stories in Croatia
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
Ryanair to add Bristol-Zadar route from end-March 2017
SeeNews.com
Croatia
New Routes
Ryanair suspends Osijek-London Stansted service - report
Routes Suspension
Ryanair plans to carry 200m passengers annually by 2024
Poslovni.hr
Corporate Strategy
Ryanair Launches Copenhagen to Zadar for Summer 2017
Total-Croatia-news.com

14. Key Media Stories in Serbia
Ryanair
Key Media Stories in Serbia
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
Passenger traffic soars at Serbia's Nis airport
SeeNews.com
Serbia
Traffic Figures
Ryanair airplane diverted from Nis to Sofia due to bad weather
Blic.rs
Flight Operations
Lufthansa overtaken by Ryanair in passenger numbers in 2016
Tanjug
Ryanair wants to make flights free
Rts.rs
Promotions, Corporate Strategy
Czech couple went on a vacation in French Nice but ended in Serbian Niš
Rtv.rs
General News

15. Wizz Air
During the analysed period Wizz Air came in first in terms of Share of Voice, generating 48% of the online media content (in Bulgaria).
The airline was mostly compared to the newcomer on the Bulgarian market – Ryanair - described as Wizz Air’s biggest competitor within the sector, launching the same routes at competitive low prices. 

Some of the most shared news stories concerned the launches of the Catania – Sofia and Kutaisi - Sofia routes as well as the reintroduction of domestic flights from Sofia to Varna.
The most discussed theme related to Wizz Air was the customer service, which also registered most of the negative comments (30%). Negative sentiment stemmed mainly from mentions of serious flight delays and the poor usability of the company’s new website. Low ticket prices drove positive mentions, thus helping the favourable tone surpass the negative one.
After Ryanair’s base opening in Sofia, the Hungarian low-cost airline started a mass advertising campaign, but it did not improve its Marketing&Advertising publication volumes. On the contrary – the frequent promotions prompted Social Media users’ comments that the prices of certain tickets and routes were in fact higher after the promotion’s launch, implying the discounts were not real.
Sentiment

16. Wizz Air DELAYED FLIGHT TO MILAN BERGAMO NEGATIVE MEDIA COVERAGE
COMPLAINTS ABOUT WIZZ AIR’S LOYALTY PROGRAMS
USER CRITICIZING WIZZ AIR’S PROMOTIONS, TICKET PRICES AND LUGGAGE POLICIES

17. Wizz Air WIZZ AIR CARRIED OVER 500 000 PASSENGERS IN SERBIA
SEENEWS.COM ARTICLE ON NEW ROUTES FROM CROATIA

18. Wizz Air
WIZZ AIR RECEIVES LOW COST AIRLINE OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM CAPA
User praising wizz air’s new website on twitter
Positive comments on wizz air’s ticket prices

19. Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
Wizz Air
Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
Wizz Air to launch route from Frankfurt International Airport to Sofia
SeeNews.com
Bulgaria
New Routes
Wizz Air to launch new route from Bulgaria's Varna to Tel Aviv
Varnautre.bg
Wizz Air launches Sofia-Varna route in Bulgaria, adds Italy route
Capital.bg
Wizz Air launches flights from Sofia to Copenhagen, Nuremberg
News.ibox.bg

20. Key Media Stories in Serbia and Croatia
Wizz Air
Key Media Stories in Serbia and Croatia
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
Wizz Air carries 870,000 passengers to, from Bosnia, Serbia in report
SeeNews.com
Serbia
Traffic Figures
Wizz Air passenger traffic in Serbia rises 19%
Wizz Air to invest $100 mln in expansion of Serbian operations
N1info.com
Investments, New Routes
Wizz Air announces fifth route from Nis – To Dortmund
Rts.rs
New Routes
After Ryanair, Now Wizz Air to Start Operations in Osijek
Total-croatia-news.com
Croatia

21. easyJet
Sentiment
British low-cost carrier easyJet came in third, gathering just 6% positive and 12% negative Social Media mentions.
A large portion of the conversation was generated by people who did not express concrete opinions (82% neutral mentions).
Traditional news outlets heavily emphasized on information about the financial results of the carrier and the difficulties the airline faced due to air traffic disruption (strikes), terrorism and last but not least: Brexit.
The major news story (covered by almost every news outlet) was easyJet’s celebration of flying 1 million passengers between Sofia and London Gatwick.
EasyJet was the second most mentioned company during the first three months of the monitored period, but following news of Ryanair’s Sofia base opening and Wizz Air’s increased marketing efforts, the number of the media publications about easyJet significantly decreased.

22. easyJet
EasyJet reaches 1 mln passengers to/from Croatia's Dubrovnik (in Bulgarian media)
EasyJet reaches 1 mln passengers on sofia-London gatwicK route

23. easyJet Easyjet’s new varna-London and varna-berlin routes
EASYJET’S EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS IN CROATIA
User applauded easyjet’s prices (from varna), but said he preferred Ryanair

24. Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
easyJet
Key Media Stories in Bulgaria
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
EasyJet celebrates carrying one million passengers on its Sofia – London Gatwick route
webcafe.bg
Bulgaria
Traffic Figures
EasyJet May passenger numbers up 5.7%
Dnevnik.bg
easyJet to start flights from Bulgaria's Varna in 2017
Investor.bg
New Routes

25. Key Media Stories in Serbia and Croatia
easyJet
Key Media Stories in Serbia and Croatia
Story
News Outlet
Date
Country
Theme
easyJet to link London, Croatia's Zadar with seasonal flights from May
Poslovni.hr
Croatia
New Routes, Seasonal Routes
easyJet to add seven new routes to Croatia in 2017
SeeNews.com
New Routes
EasyJet reaches 1 mln passengers to/from Croatia's Dubrovnik, plans to expand service
Traffic Figures, New Routes, Operations Expansion
EasyJet Opens Talks Over Post-Brexit HQ Move
Palo.rs
Serbia
Corporate Strategy