How Virgin Atlantic creates unique customer experience for its long haul passengers

"Flying in the face of ordinary" is the VAA commercial brought to live in January 2013, aiming for global brand proposition and to demonstrate the message that how VAA goes beyond the norm to deliver the unforgettable experiences for its passengers. It used emotions as a trigger and built empathy with passengers in a legendary yet ordinary way.

The key ingredients of Wow factor include:Seamless serviceAttentivenessResourcefulnessTrustworthy serviceCourtesyProactivenessVAA tries to wow its passengers by creatively making 260 of them appreciating the eclipse on a flight from London to Miami or by surprising honey couples with glasses of Champagne. The proactiveness plus seamless service are the most two important elements seized by VAA.

In this CX class, the key takeaways for me are :Being proactive to anticipate customers' needsAttention to details and focus on the pain points through out the customer journeyStorytelling uses emotion as a trigger, engage and build empathy with the customersInternal marketing and training employees help to create a strong service culture5 senses help to achieve a stronger customer experience because those smells and music etc trigger the connection between services and products with other sweet memories.

As we've discussed in class there're multiple factors that will make waiting more unbearable along the customer journey especially on a 10 hour flight. Being customer-centric, VAA has really made an effort to smooth out the waiting in a its own unique yet funny way.

Although Clubhouse is designed for those passengers travelling for upper class, VAA endeavour to let them cherish their time in the lounge for shower, spa, haircut or simply concentrating on their business report by calling them for boarding at the last minute without wasting any minute by waiting at the gate.

Inflight chatting via VAA's own inflight entertainment system is perhaps the funniest and most creative way to kill time if you want to flirt with a boy 2 rows ahead of you or establish a secret talk with friends without even getting out of the seat.

VAA boasts one of the best inflight bars in the world. It uses this as a perfect tool to engage with passengers:a drink (seasonal signature cocktail such as summer breeze)to chat with cabin crew or other fellow passengersand stretching out of legs,all of above aim to make passengers feel engaged and less lonely during the long flight.

The marketing strategy of VAA has always been focused on the quality part. Yet it also took good advantage of it fun and sexy image and face of Richard Branson. Passengers experience this alignment throughout the whole journey from the fun safety video, April fool's joke about glass floor and also another commercial "25years, still red and hot".