Airline Brands & the Pandemic: Benchmarking COVID-19 Policies & Communications

About the Study

Airline Brands & the Pandemic evaluates 66 major airline brands and their responses to COVID-19.

It focuses on two primary areas of an airline brand’s response to the pandemic: its health and safety policy, and the effectiveness of its corporate communications during the crisis.

Our thesis is that comprehensive COVID-19 policies and clear, consistent communications indicate an airline's preparedness, adaptability, and likelihood of success in the new normal of air travel that will undoubtedly continue beyond the pandemic.

What You'll Learn

The study provides airline industry insiders, analysts, and anyone with a vested interest in aviation with an understanding of:

• shifting customer preferences during the pandemic
• strengths and weaknesses of 66 major airlines, their COVID-19 policies, and corporate communications
• best practices in communication, building brand credibility, and citizenship
• how an airline brand’s current actions may impact its future financial performance

Sample Pages

Airline Brands Evaluated

KEY INSIGHT

Being real is what matters in a time of uncertainty. We found that brands with less polished, more frequently posted social-media style photos and videos instilled more trust in the minds of their consumers.

Report Contents

1. Executive Summary
2. Methodology
3. Airlines Assessed
4. Overall Performance by Brand

5. Key Findings

Airline COVID-19 Policies
 - Cleaning & Disinfection
 - Face Coverings
 - Social Distancing
 - Airport Experience
 - HEPA Filters
 - Rebooking & Cancellation

Airline Brand Communications During COVID-19
 - Web Site
 - Media Center / Newsroom
 - Visual Communications
 - Social Media

Credibility Initiatives
 - Partnerships
 - Medical Staff & Advisors
 - Accreditation of Disinfection & Disease Prevention Practices

Citizenship
 - Employee Care
 - Loyalty Programs
 - Helping the Community

6. Other Insights
 - Comparing the Alliances
 - COVID-19 Policy Brand Names
 - Delta: Concrete Communications
 - Etihad: Tests Required to Fly
 - Lufthansa Group: Guaranteed Returns
 - United: Betting on New Technology

7. About the Author and Interval 3

KEY INSIGHT

While virtually all airlines use social media to communicate their COVID-19 policies and redesigned on-board experiences, a much smaller percentage of airline brands are actively responding to customer questions about refunds.