Marketing

Satisfying service experience

Company service profile

Virgin Atlantic (established in 1984) is the second largest and the third largest airline in the UK and Europe respectively (Virgin Atlantic, 2014). Its headquarters is based in Crawley, near Gatwick Airport in London, in the UK. Its route network includes destinations in the US, Africa, India, Far East and the Caribbean (Virgin Atlantic, 2014). The carrier's main competitors are British Airways, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and South African Airlines (Virgin Atlantic, 2014).

Virgin Atlantic’s core tangible service is passenger transportation (Lovelock, 1983). This is because the airline has incorporated its service system into its customers’ minds by giving added customer’s values (Essay UK, 2013). Although there are no formal relationships with its customers, the carrier has been able to develop the culture of repeat businesses with its clients. In this case, the carrier rewards customers with purchase incentives for their repetitive purchases as well as adding value to their (carrier’s) core products (Rai, 2013). For instance, the carrier has VIP lounges that stimulate repeat business (Essay UK, 2013). For example, it has a wide range of services for younger passengers and caters for passengers with special needs (Virgin Atlantic, 2014). The normative goal is to enhance formal relationships so as to ensure repeat business (Lovelock, 1983; Oh & Pizam, 2008, p. 78).

Although the airline is standardized in design, Virgin Atlantic still offers customised service elements. These elements include different ticket classes and prices, alternative schedules, customised seat locations, service to-and-fro various airports and allowing customers to select preferred drinks for themselves (Virgin Atlantic, 2014). This ensures the addition of extra value to its customers. Additionally, the airline offers quick, consistent and affordable flights because sometimes, standardizing services may be as important as...