1. CHAPTER 3 PASSENGER MOVEMENT:
AVIATION ECONOMICS
CHAPTER 3 PASSENGER MOVEMENT:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PASSENGER LOAD FACTORS & STRATEGY FOR PASSENGER MARKETING

2. Passenger Movement In this chapter, we will look at Load Factor
Traffic Peaks and Valleys
Capacity vs. Demand
Pricing in relation to load factor

3. Load Factor One of the most vital statistics in the airline business
One of measure of equipment utilization- Revenue Passenger Load Factor (RPM-Load Factor)
Figures of RPM expresses the relationship between
Available seats-miles AND
RPM realized

4. Load Factor
It has a critical impact on the cost and quality of air transportation-Why?
65% of airline’s costs are directly related to the operation of the aircraft and are independent of the number of passengers on the aircraft.
Hence, a high load factor will allow the allocation of these costs over a large number of passengers

5. Load Factor
In the end, resulting in lower costs per passenger, which allows for lower fares (i.e. lower ticket price)
Companies can determine a minimum load factor they need to meet in order to break even financially.
That is, once a company meets a certain load factor the revenues from doing so will cover the costs of providing their seat capacity.
If they are below this break-even load factor the company will be spending more than they are earning and will lose money.

6. Load Factor Load Factor calculation:
Simple calculation : Capacity 100, passenger 90
Load factor : 90/100 = 90%
Airliner calculation : The definition of load factor isn't necessarily tied to seats alone. We must also consider the distance flown in order to measure the production of the airline. ASK = No. of seats/aircraft * No. of aircraft *
aggregate distance flown RSK = Total Number of Passengers * Distance
Flown

7. Load Factor
Load Factor calculation, Airliner calculation : Route: - ABC -> XYZ Distance = 200km Aircraft = 2 Seats / Aircraft = 50 Total Services per day = 8 Available seat kilometers = 200 * 2 * 50 * 8 = km Assume on day 1 there were a total of 560 passengers travelling. Revenue Seat Kilometers = 560 * 200 = km Load Factor = / = 0.7 or 70%
In reality an airline will then do this equation for each route to determine the route load factor to help in route planning. The figures quoted in public are generally relating to the aggregate sums so it would represent total revenue seat kilometers / total available seat kilometers.

8. Traffic Peaks and Valleys
The idea is all transportation modes must operate during the traffic peaks and valleys in order to meet the public need
Airline load factors are seasonal
Daily and hourly load factors fluctuate even more
Thus, airliner must make sure there
are sufficient flights during peak
hours

9. Traffic Peaks and Valleys
But sometimes, airline has to provide positioning flights to cater the load for peak hours
Positioning flights: Aircraft has to flown virtually empty from one city to another late at night or early in the morning to have the plane ready to meet rush-hour demand.

10. Capacity vs. Demand Capacity is ability-What can airliner offer?
While, demand is requirement-What is required from the airliner?
Demand for air transportation is highly cyclical
At micro level discretionary leisure traffic picks up in the summer, so, airline enjoy higher load factor (seasonal)
At macro level: stable vs. fluctuate economic condition

11. Capacity vs. Demand When the economy is stable and growing
Consumer confidence is strong
Demand grows
Load factor improve
THUS, increase PROFITABILITY!
BUT…
When economy falters
Unemployment increase
Consumer confidence declines
Individuals postpone discretionary travel
SO, PROFITS SUFFER!

12. Capacity vs. Demand
Airline cannot fine-tune capacity to match demand-Why?
Aircraft itself inflexible
If 757 equipped with 160 seats, that seats supply on particular schedule
Can neither be shrunk nor expanded
Total number of flights offered by airline on a given day varied

13. Capacity vs. Demand Depends on passenger demand
Weekdays vs. weekends
Ordinary days vs. Holidays
BUT… other factors limit airline’s capacity to adjust daily seats to daily traffic
Fix frequency of flight for certain route-to avoid cancellation
The day of week patter can’t usually vary in precise and predictable manner

14. Capacity vs. Demand AND SO, flights seats usually UNIFORM and FIXED
   
AND
Interrelation between two different routes
SO, flights seats usually UNIFORM and FIXED
AirAsia fleet      
Aircraft
In fleet
Airbus A 78
Boeing 10
Airbus A 7
Airbus A 2
Airbus A
Total 97

15. Capacity vs. Demand Malaysia Airlines Passenger Fleet Aircraft Total
Orders
Airbus A 3 4
Airbus A 9 15
Airbus A 6
Boeing 37 —
Boeing 55
Boeing 10
Boeing ER 17

16. Pricing in Relation to Load Factor
The idea is to increase load factor- that is to gain profit minimize cost with a reasonable price offer to the passenger
One approach utilize is off-peak pricing, that is..
Introduce promotional fare to attract passengers during slack period
Slack period: Passenger demand declines/insufficient
Just like off-peak night coach service, low fare ticket price is offered by airliner

17. Pricing in Relation to Load Factor
Advantages:
Empty seats on low-traffic days are filled with passengers who are willing to travel on those less popular days-Why ? CHEAPER!
Additional passengers add very little to the cots (primarily meal service), BUT they add a great deal to the flight’s total profit!

18. Pricing in Relation to Load Factor
Disadvantages:
The timing of the peak varied from route to route
Peak hours to go to Sabah might differs from peak hours to go to Johor Bharu- So, it is quite impossible to have off-peak pricing to all routes
It injects complications into the pricing structure- Fluctuation of ticket price

19. Pricing in Relation to Load Factor
Therefore, it is essential for airliner to estimate the accuracy of its demand (particularly passenger demand)
AND strategize its marketing (especially airline passenger marketing)

20. Understand how airliners set their price
Airline pricing is a complex, unpredictable factors driven by words: competition, demand, and inventory
Airlines then change their prices based on demand. If a certain flight is selling well, the price will increase.
If another flight has no takers, the fare will drop until the airline gets some. As a result, fares and inventory are changing every minute.

21. Understand how airliners set their price
Demand explains why it is cheaper to fly on a weekday (when fewer people are travelling), at odd hours, or on days other than major holidays.
Airlines change their prices based on competition. If one airline flying the Kl-KK route drops its rates by 20%, chances are all airlines will drop their rates, so as not to give the discounter a competitive advantage.
To complicate matters, all this happens at the speed of light. Prices for a specific flight can go up or down.
Airlines also use inventory to their advantage to decrease the price

22. Understand how airliners set their price
Airlines also use inventory to their advantage to decrease the price.
Inventory brings us back to demand. If there is low availability and high demand, you will have to wait for a cheap fare.
Sometimes airlines will change their fares or open up more discounted seats, depending on how sales are going.
Because of all these factors (competition, inventory and demand), it is essential to look around and comparison shop.

23. The tricks
Start your search as early as possible (at least a month in advance). While better rates may come along, it'll give you a starting point.
Use the same airline for both directions. Since round trips are about the same as one-way tickets, it doesn't make sense not to.
Keep checking. It’s impossible for airlines to have full planes, so they may add discount seats without warning.
Use your age. Ask about senior discounts or student discounts.

24. The tricks
Fly on a mid-weekday. Fridays and Mondays are the most expensive times to fly. And weekends are obviously in high demand. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly.
Try a consolidator. A consolidator is an intermediary company that buys tickets at a discount directly from the airline.
Keep checking. It’s impossible for airlines to have full planes, so they may add discount seats without warning.
Use your age. Ask about senior discounts or student discounts.

25. Important Key terms Load factor Capacity vs demand Positioning Flights
Airline pricing

26. Question 1
The significant of passenger movement in aviation industry is very essential to maximize profits and ticket pricing strategies.
Describe in your own words the significance of passenger load factors.(6 marks)
b) Discuss in your own words the reason load factor has a critical impact on the cost and quality of air transportation
(4 marks)
c) If your airline has to provide positioning flights due to rush-hour demand, discuss how can you gain profit and minimize cost based on your capacity vs. demand?
(5 marks)

27. Question 2
The idea is all transportation modes must operate during the traffic peaks and valleys in order to meet the public demand.
Describe in your own words the significance of positioning flight.(5 marks)
b) Discuss in your own words how to optimize profit during travel peak and valley. (5 marks)
c) Why do you think it is difficult to prepare and offer the proper aircraft and correct flight capacity to the passengers?
(5 marks)

28. Question 3
Airline pricing is a complex, unpredictable factor driven by three competition, demand, and inventory that involve timing and demand.
Describe in your own words the significance of load factor in relation to airline pricing.(5 marks)
b) Describe your understanding on how airlines set their prices in the first place. (5 marks)
c) From your opinion, how is the best way to obtain a cheap plane ticket? (5 marks)

29. GROUP DISCUSSION
If your airline has to provide positioning flights due to rush-hour demand, discuss how can you gain profit and minimize cost based on your capacity vs. demand?