New Sales Record
ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - History was made on Monday, when usairways.com had its best revenue day on record. Thanks to the “Sweetheart Sale†launched on Valentine’s Day, usairways.com broke all previous sales records with total revenue of $5.1 million, up 65 percent over Feb. 14, 2004. The Web site hosted over 300,000 visitors, and customers booked over 20,000 tickets, up 103 percent year over year.
Another revenue record was set yesterday. Reservations brought in $3.3 million in sales, the highest since Sep. 9, 2004, which incidentally marked the first day that US Airways implemented service fees for certain tickets purchased through its reservations center. The overwhelming response generated by the “sweetheart deals†signifies the popularity of US Airways’ low fares, as thousands of customers clamored to secure steeply discounted tickets through traditional booking venues, despite distribution fees.
In other e-commerce news, Dow Jones reviewed airline Web sites. Appraisers performed such online functions as buying refundable tickets, adding frequent flier accounts, changing itineraries, and requesting refunds. The findings, reported in The Wall Street Journal, said that usairways.com’s best feature was its calendar function, which allows customers to see how changes to travel dates may alter the fare. The Web site’s right-side navigation bar also was touted as “unusual, but efficient.†During the evaluation process, Dow Jones said, “With this site, unlike the others, we never had to call the airline for help.â€
Separately, The Customer Respect Group, a global research and consulting firm that studies how companies treat their customers online, also analyzed airline Web sites and selected US Airways as the airline that creates the best overall online experience for its customers.
The Customer Respect Group uses what it has termed and trademarked its “Customer Respect Index†(CRI) to rank businesses’ Web sites and online performance. Attributes evaluated and measured include the following customer-focused principles: Simplicity, which rates ease of navigation; Responsiveness, or the speed and helpfulness of responses to inquiries; Privacy, or the manner with which the company handles personal data; Attitude, which accounts for the general feel and perception of how the customer is treated online; Transparency, involving open and honest policies; and Principles, which show how the customer is intrinsically valued.
US Airways was followed by British Airways, Air Canada, Independence Air, and Northwest Airlines in the CRI ratings. The bottom five ranking airlines, worst to best, were Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines. A total of 18 airline Web sites were rated.
Other online sectors evaluated included Hotels and Resorts, for which Marriott International came in first place, and Online Travel Companies, in which Orbitz won over Travelocity and Expedia.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - History was made on Monday, when usairways.com had its best revenue day on record. Thanks to the “Sweetheart Sale†launched on Valentine’s Day, usairways.com broke all previous sales records with total revenue of $5.1 million, up 65 percent over Feb. 14, 2004. The Web site hosted over 300,000 visitors, and customers booked over 20,000 tickets, up 103 percent year over year.
Another revenue record was set yesterday. Reservations brought in $3.3 million in sales, the highest since Sep. 9, 2004, which incidentally marked the first day that US Airways implemented service fees for certain tickets purchased through its reservations center. The overwhelming response generated by the “sweetheart deals†signifies the popularity of US Airways’ low fares, as thousands of customers clamored to secure steeply discounted tickets through traditional booking venues, despite distribution fees.
In other e-commerce news, Dow Jones reviewed airline Web sites. Appraisers performed such online functions as buying refundable tickets, adding frequent flier accounts, changing itineraries, and requesting refunds. The findings, reported in The Wall Street Journal, said that usairways.com’s best feature was its calendar function, which allows customers to see how changes to travel dates may alter the fare. The Web site’s right-side navigation bar also was touted as “unusual, but efficient.†During the evaluation process, Dow Jones said, “With this site, unlike the others, we never had to call the airline for help.â€
Separately, The Customer Respect Group, a global research and consulting firm that studies how companies treat their customers online, also analyzed airline Web sites and selected US Airways as the airline that creates the best overall online experience for its customers.
The Customer Respect Group uses what it has termed and trademarked its “Customer Respect Index†(CRI) to rank businesses’ Web sites and online performance. Attributes evaluated and measured include the following customer-focused principles: Simplicity, which rates ease of navigation; Responsiveness, or the speed and helpfulness of responses to inquiries; Privacy, or the manner with which the company handles personal data; Attitude, which accounts for the general feel and perception of how the customer is treated online; Transparency, involving open and honest policies; and Principles, which show how the customer is intrinsically valued.
US Airways was followed by British Airways, Air Canada, Independence Air, and Northwest Airlines in the CRI ratings. The bottom five ranking airlines, worst to best, were Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines. A total of 18 airline Web sites were rated.
Other online sectors evaluated included Hotels and Resorts, for which Marriott International came in first place, and Online Travel Companies, in which Orbitz won over Travelocity and Expedia.
Regards,
USA320Pilot
