BLOG POSTS
October 2, 2018
Australia is conquering distance. The flying Kangaroo has overcome challenges that have led to innovations allowing Australian’s to connect to the world.
The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services first graced the skies in 1920 with a fleet of two rickety biplanes. Amid the necessity to fly long distances across the nation the airline has now innovated to a fleet 128; regularly flying long haul routes as far as 14,000km in a non-stop journey. This adaptability has earnt Qantas the title as one of the most adaptable and innovative airlines.
But how did the airline from the land down under, achieve so much in such little time.
QANTAS AS INNOVATORS
Qantas is a source of innovation. The airline adheres to the ancient proverb
‘Necessity is the mother of all invention’ constantly working with manufacturers to fulfil the necessity of long distance travel.
According to Business Lecturer Hamid Tohidi’s 2012 book The Importance of Innovation; innovation is different to creativity. “Innovation is crucial in growth, survival and success of organisations.” Creativity is the thought process that sparks innovative ideas.
As a leading airline CEO, Alan Joyce acknowledges the need for innovation as a result of sector-wide demand for comfort, accessibility and affordability stating, “there is no success, without risk.”
Joyce continues “the other thing is communication when I’m travelling I always talk to the pilots, to the cabin crew, I talk to people, I enjoy talking to people, customers, staff, shareholders.” The CEO says it is critical to find out what’s happening on the frontline to inform decision making and diffusion of ideas.
As innovators Qantas demonstrates technological determinism as socio-culturalists, who believe consumers drive change. This can be evidenced in the airline’s timeline, which exhibits the companies understanding of consumer demands.
QANTAS INNOVATION TIMELINE
1958 – The first airlines to service both hemispheres during around-the-world flights
1956- Qantas invents the inflatable escape slide
1979 – Qantas invents and terms the phrase Business Class
2004 – Qantas launches budget airline Jetstar
2010 – Domestic check-in is revolutionised with the introduction of Q Bag Tag
2011 – Direct services between Sydney and Dallas become the longest commercial flight in the world
2017 – The Kangaroo route directly connects Australia and Europe for the first time
2022 – Cargo class will allow passengers to travel in modular pods making flying more luxurious and accessible
The brief timeline clearly outlines the company’s innovative business model. However, Qantas isn’t the only innovator in the market.
The blackbox recorder system was invented by Australian David Warren and sold to TransAustralia Airlines, VirginAmerica innovated “making flying fun again” with their popular in-flight safety videos and the largest passenger jet the A380 was flying for years with Singapore Airlines before Qantas adopted it.
While Qantas weren’t the innovators of these products their brand was positively changed by being early adopters. The innovations had already been accepted by a global audience Qantas simply extended the reach of the inventions by exciting Australian consumers with their arrival.
DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS
According to American communication theorist and sociologist, Everett Rogers, diffusion of innovations are ideas which are “communicated through different channels, over time, among people in a given social system.”
As discussed Qantas are innovators, but Joyce also believes the company to be early adopters.
“We’re proud of our track record as innovators and early adopters, and we think there’s much more to come.”
Rodgers designed a curve to visually demonstrate the spread of new technologies and ideas. Innovations that appear on Qantas occur between innovators and early majority. This is because passengers pay a premium to travel with the Spirit of Australia and expect a level of luxury. Opposingly, Qantas’ successful diffusion line; Jetstar a budget airline innovates at a much slower rate. A result of Jetstar customers solely wanting to get from A to B at the lowest fare.
Qantas and Jetstar innovations represented on Rodgers Bell Curve
FUTURE INNOVATIONS
Qantas as a leading innovator has big plans for the future.
In their 2018 Annual Report CEO Alan Joyce emphasised the company’s goals for the future as;
– Strengthening loyalty programs which continue to grow
– Diffusion airline Jetstar will upgrade its A320 cabins from 2019
– Direct non-stop flights from the east coast of Australia to New York and London by 2022.
– Project Sunrise has allowed for feasibility studies on Cargo Class modules to meet socio-cultural needs of accessibility, comfort and affordability.
Qantas marketing push on these innovations for the future comply with the model of diffusion of innovations. The company is stimulating discussion about changes to promote observability and adoptability of its upcoming innovations.
Airbus Cargo Class Sketches
Images Sourced: https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/cargo-class-qantas-ceo-reveals-out-there-options-for-super-long-haul-flights-20180327-p4z6l2.html https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/airbus-zodiac-aerospace-lower-deck-sleep-space/ https://www.ausbt.com.au/photos-how-airbus-plans-to-put-passengers-in-the-cargo-hold
WHAT’S NEXT
For the first year in many Qantas didn’t place in the SKYTRAX top 10 airlines award. Was this due to a safety concern, customer dissatisfaction or lack of innovation.
No.
Merely the airline industry is more competitive than ever which is why Qantas must continue to innovate and diffuse inventions into different markets to remain ahead.
Regardless of Qantas global ranking, I will continue to still call Australia home for as long as the red tails continue to grace our skies.
Bibliography
Airbus. (2018, April 12). Airbus to offer sleeping berths down in cargo hold. Retrieved from news.com.au: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/airbus-to-offer-sleeping-berths-down-in-cargo-hold/news-story/9fdd39e3ea9c705e8d9b32eb31852fbf
Flight Centre. (2015, June 1). A timeline of Qantas first . Retrieved from Flight Centre : https://www.flightcentre.com.au/travel-news/airlines/timeline-qantas-firsts
HamidTohidi. (2012). The important of Innovation and its Crucial Role in Growth, Survival and Success of Organizations. Procedia Technology, 535-538.
Joyce, A. (2018, March 18). CNBC Transcript: Alan Joyce, CEO, Qantas Airways. (C. Tan, Interviewer)
Kitney, D. (2015, November 18). The Weekend Australian/ Business. Retrieved from The Australian : https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/qantas-chief-alan-joyce-no-success-without-risks/news-story/e566b527f211b29bd00e1a5cbd662641
Qantas Airlines. (2016). New Horizons QANTAS data book 2016.Sydney : Qantas. Retrieved from http://investor.qantas.com/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/doLLG5ufYkCyEPjF1tpgyw/file/data-book/2016qantasdatabook.pdf
Qantas Airways. (2018 ). Qantas Annual Report 2018 .Sydney : Qantas.
Schneider, B. (2017, December 22). The Evolution of Airline Safety Videos. Retrieved from CityLab: https://www.citylab.com/life/2017/12/the-evolution-of-airline-safety-videos/548858/
Taylor, E. (2018, June 4). Qantas details considerations for Project Sunrise aircraft. Retrieved from FlightGlobal: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/qantas-details-considerations-for-project-sunrise-ai-449173/
The Economist . (2018, April 16). A plan to put beds on planes. Retrieved from The Economist : https://www.economist.com/gulliver/2018/04/16/a-plan-to-put-beds-on-planes
Wang, Y., Sparks, B., & So, K. (2014). What Technology-Enabled Services Do Air Travelers Value? Investigating the Role of Technology Readiness. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 771-796.
Whitley, A. (2018, August 30). PROJECT SUNRISE: Qantas convinced new planes will fly from Sydney to London in just 20 hours. Retrieved from Buisness Insider Australia: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/qantas-says-boeing-airbus-designs-will-fly-london-sydney-20-hours-2018-8
October 24, 2018
In 2008, Singapore’s Changi Airport unveiled a Butterfly Garden to passengers to encourage individuals to participate in the airports culture. The project was so successful in engaging travellers a swimming pool, entertainment complex, Koi Ponds and three-story slide were also built. The development engaged the network of travellers, the airlines and third parties who are also stakeholders in aviation. The airport attractions boosted airline connections through the country as social media, blogs, YouTube and word of mouth spread the news of the fun that could be had at Changi (Meacham, 2017).
This phenomenon is called Participatory Culture (PC) and is defined by Jenkins (2006) as a culture:
With low barriers to artistic expression and engagement
With strong support for creating and disturbing an individual’s ideas
With informal mentorship where knowledgeable individuals pass their understanding onto novices
Where members believe their contributions matter
Where members feel a social connection with one another
Humans social psychology of the need to belong to be socially accepted dates back to our primitive ancestors (Max-Neef, 1992). Our intrinsic motivation to participate in culture has led PC, evident from the growing prevalence of attractions within airports globally (Cherry, 2018).
What is Participatory Culture?
PC is a sub-group where individuals who share a passion can form a community to share experiences and knowledge to the masses. In 2018, PC is everywhere. Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and blogs enable consumers to engage in participatory culture (Flew, 2014). These new media platforms provide a space for like-minded individuals to connect over a shared interest.
So why is participatory culture relevant to this travel blog. Blogs like other forms of social media allow groups of people to participate in a culture they might not overwise have access too. As a Journalism student I would unlikely ever get to explore the intricacies of how luggage is transported; but thanks to PC this information is accessible to all. As a blogger and airport enthusiast, I want to understand how PC is understood from different viewpoints.
PC contributor EW Bullock shares his luggages journey (Video – 0:53)
Participatory Culture Network
The participatory culture network is the network of travellers participating in travel culture. Jenkins (2010) says those who contribute in addition to consuming to PC have higher engagement within the network. Likewise, individuals who are validated with higher rates of reaction to their content in the form of likes, shares, retweets and subscribers generally demonstrate higher levels of involvement as citizens of participatory culture (Flew, 2014).
The power law of participation (Mayfield 2006, in Flew, 2008, pp 32)
PC gives individuals the platform to connect with others from across the globe to rejoice over their shared passion. This passion has turned into a profession for some who’ve reached a following large enough to dedicate their lives to participatory culture. An example is the YouTube channel CargoSpotter which was started by Martin in 2005 as a hobby; he now dedicates all of his time to “making videos of planes” (CargoSpotter, 2011).
PC contributor CargoSpotter shares a crosswind landing he captured (Video – 3:17)
The Airline Industry
The corporate world has increased leverage for marketing as a result of participatory culture (Here Comes New Media, 2018). This can be examined from both and internal and external scope.
Participatory culture is exploited as a controlled marketing tool for a large corporation. This is evidenced in Qantas share and tag campaign where social media users are asked to share their ‘best’ travel photos for a chance to be featured on the airlines Instagram (QANTAS, 2018). The internal marketing is leveraging the inherent structure of PC by manipulating consumers into an influencer position.
Where PC has control over corporate industries is externally. Infamously in 2017, a Pulmonologist was dragged off an overbooked United Airlines flight with excessive force. The video of the screaming doctor went viral within hours of the incident. Outraged Twitter users called for a boycott of the airline.
I fly about 120,000 miles a year and you've pretty much lost my business @united
— roxane gay (@rgay) April 10, 2017
The incident caught the attention of the world due to the participatory culture which saw the video shared over eight million times (Wile, 2017).
@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here's how they did it:
151K people are talking about this
Jayse D. Anspach contributies to PC by posting a tweet (Video – 0:52)
Third Parties – Politics
Participatory Culture has the ability to impact everybody as people adopt behaviours and beliefs they see being spread online. (Centola, 2010). As a result PC has changed how we view politics (Bowyer, 2018). In the wake of countless school shootings, members of the PC network took to social media and engaged in participatory action to demand change (Raitanen & Oksanen, 2018). Airlines Delta and United revoked discounts and perks for National Rifle Association members after participatory culture influencers damned the airline for supporting gun use in America (Josephs, 2018)
Members of the PC Network demanded change from sponsors of the NRA
Airline Delta responded to participatory demand to end NRA discounts
Participatory Culture has the power to change industries says Trottier and Fuchs (2015). Industries must adapt to the wants of the masses which is primarily controlled online by participatory culture influencers (Trottier & Fuchs, 2015).
It is indisputable that participatory culture is changing new media. Individuals now have a platform to connect, create and share their interests with the world. The participatory culture network has provided leverage for small creators to turn their hobby into a career. The changing corporate landscape has developed into an arena for consumers to control the public image of the company. Likewise, third parties such as politics have leveraged their opinions into practice by generating social media frenzies. The fostering of knowledge between stakeholders of interest has allowed for the growth of participatory culture.
References
Bowyer, B. (2018). The Political Significance of Social Media Activity and Social Networks. Political Communication, 470-493.
CargoSpotter. (2011, March 11). About. Düsseldorf, Germany .
Centola, D. (2010). The Spread of Behavior in an Online Social Network Experiment.Washington: American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Cherry, K. (2018, September 9). How the Need to Belong Influences Human Behavior and Motivation. Retrieved from Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-need-to-belong-2795393
Flew, T. (2014). New Media: An Introduction.Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Here Comes New Media. (2018, March 5). Here Comes New Media. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.Boston: MacArthur.
Jenkins, H. (2010, February 8). Learning in a Participatory Culture: A Conversation About New Media and Education (Part One). Retrieved from CONFESSIONS OF AN ACA-FAN: http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2010/02/_children_and_young_people.html
Josephs, L. (2018, Febuary 24). Delta and United scrap airfare discounts for NRA members. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, United States of America.
Max-Neef, M. (1992). Human needs and aspirations. Development and Human Needs, 197 – 205.
Meacham, S. (2017, July 7). World’s best airport: What it’s like to spend 24-hours straight inside Singapore’s Changi Airport Read more: http://www.traveller.com.au/a-day-in-the-life-of-changi-airport-gx49xf#ixzz5UoL9XYlG Follow us: @TravellerAU on Twitter | TravellerAU on Faceb. Singapore.
QANTAS. (2018, September). Share and Tag. Instagram Stories. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: Qantas .
Raitanen, J., & Oksanen, A. (2018). Global Online Subculture Surrounding School Shootings. American Behavioral Scientist, 195-209.
Trottier, D., & Fuchs, C. (2015). Social Media, Politics and the State.New York: Routledge.
Wile, R. (2017, April 11). United’s Stock Is Set to Plunge After Videos Show Passenger Dragged Off Plane. Time Magazine. New York City, New York, United States of America: Time.
Featured image provided by: Stokpix on Pexels – https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-woman-apple-hotel-5329/
November 22, 2018
Globalisation as we know it is primarily linked to aviation. Before our interconnected world of networks and the world wide web, if we wanted to communicate with others far away, we had to travel (Gascoigne, 2001). In 1903 the innovation of aircraft changed our world (Jakab, 2017). After years of development, diffusion of innovations and knowledge working has grown our aviation industry to over 37 million commercial flights annually (Lee & Mo, 2011). The inevitability that is globalisation has allowed aviation to connect our world.
“It has been said that arguing against globalisation is like arguing against the laws of gravity. ” – Kofi Annan
What is globalisation?
According to Flew, globalisation is ‘the expand scale, growing magnitude, speeding up and deepening impact of transcontinental flows and patterns of social interaction’ (2014, p. 24). More specifically, globalisation is the movement towards a more connected world allowing for a conjoined global marketplace (Maynard, 2005).
For a brief overview of the link between globalisation and aviation watch this short 2-minute video from MIT.
The entropy of Airlines vs Aviation
Globalisation and the airlines are wrapped in a paradox. For those viewing the airlines from a cramped passenger seat, the industry is one of the greatest drivers of globalisation (Thomas, 2011). Airlines are increasing the ongoing interconnectedness that we know as globalisation. At any time, there are approximately 666,000 people in the air (Flight Aware, 2018). While air travel is unquestionably the most efficient way to travel around the world, the airlines remain local in their approach. To honestly assess travel as globalised it is necessary to see the industry as aviation as a whole, not just airlines. The aviation industry encompasses Airlines, Airports, Manufactures, Government, Federations, Staff and Suppliers (REX, 2016). To demonstrate the impact aviation has on globalisation three main points must be explored:
Global security
Global commerce
Global connectivity
Global Security
Acts of Terror such as 9/11 attempt to end the link between aviation and globalisation. Terrorist attacks usually use low-technology weapons which create mass destruction to create fear within us to push their agenda (Mannik, 2011). This agenda typically intends to end our freedom of global connectedness and encourages us to embrace the globalisation movement they preach (Maynard, 2005). However, as terror threats increase, our world is becoming more connected as networks of defense agencies, manufacturers, airlines and security teams come together to combat this issue (Khan & Estrada, 2016). Not only are airlines globalised by these threats, but airports become better connected with more contact between air traffic control and flights required when safety is threatened (Wolffa & Larsenab, 2014). Therefore these attacks allow us to improve our global security. While terror threats may aim to deter our globalised world Air travel continues to be the safest form of transport (Aviation Saftey Network, 2017).
Picture by Milana Rastislava on WikiMedia
Global Commerce
While globalisation is the networks connecting our world, from a narrower lens globalisation can be explored as an international economy through trade, foreign investment, capital flows, migration and the diffusion of technologies (Button, 2008). Aviation one of the main drivers behind globalisation is connecting small cities with major communities not just physically but financially. The industry employs almost 63 million people and contributes $2.7 (USD) trillion to the GDP annually (Air Transport Action Group, 2017).
“It’s a fascinating look at the scope of the aviation industry and our role in the world, when you realise that aviation, if it were a country, would be the 21st largest economy in the world, supporting 62.7 million jobs and nearly three trillion dollars in economic impact, you really see the scale of air transport.” – Michael Gill, Executive Director of Air Transport Action Group
Global Connectivity
Connectivity is required for globalisation. According to Maynard connectivity is “driven by telecommunications, information technology and transportation of goods and people” ( 2005). In our current global economy, aviation is leading with Air cargo estimated to transport 35% of the value of the world trade, while covering less than 1% of volume (Shepherd, Shingal, & Raj, 2016). The Boeing Forecast suggests that air cargo is set to reach a long-term growth of 4.2% over the next 20 years, after a recent boom of 10.1% (Johnson, 2018). The report further suggested that passenger growth will stabilise at 5.2 over the same period, while the GDP is forecast to grow at 3% (Boeing, 2014).
Graph by Boeing
The globalisation of aviation is set to continue. With our world becoming increasingly connected due to technologies it is important also to remain physically connected. So, for those who live away from home, why not jet home for the holidays? Aviation is not only the safest form of transport, a significant contributor to our global economy and a powerhouse for employment it is also the hyperglobal way to stay in touch with the ones you love.
References
Air Transport Action Group. (2017).SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF AVIATION. Retrieved from Aviation: benefits beyond borders: https://www.atag.org/our-activities/social-and-economic-benefits-of-aviation.html
Aviation Saftey Network. (2017, December). Industry safety reports. Retrieved from Aviation Saftey: https://aviation-safety.net
Boeing. (2014). World Air Cargo Forecast.Seattle: Boeing.
Button, K. (2008). The Impacts of Globalisation on International Air Transport Activity.Fairfax: School of George Mason University. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/greengrowth/greening-transport/41373470.pdf
Flight Aware. (2018, November 22). Flightawarelive. Retrieved from Flight Aware: https://flightaware.com/live/
Gascoigne, B. (2001). History of Communication.Retrieved from History World: http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=dog
Jakab, P. (2017). Inventing the Airplane, Changing the World.Washington: Smithsonian national air and space museum.
Johnson, E. M. (2018, July 17). Boeing lifts 20-year industry demand forecast to $6.3 trillion. Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-airshow/boeing-lifts-20-year-industry-demand-forecast-to-63-trillion-idUSL8N1UD21N
Khan, A., & Estrada, M. A. (2016). Globalization and terrorism: an overview. Quality & Quantity, 1811–1819.
Lee, J., & Mo, J. (2011). Analysis of Technological Innovation and Environmental Performance Improvement in Aviation Sector. International journal of enviromental research and public health , 3777–3795.
Mannik, E. (2011, March). TERRORISM: ITS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS.Retrieved from Ksk Education: https://www.ksk.edu.ee/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/KVUOA_Toimetised_12-Männik.pdf
Maynard, M. (2005, March 1). The Global Role of Aviation. Retrieved from AviationsPros: https://www.aviationpros.com/article/10385353/the-global-role-of-aviation
REX. (2016). The Australian Aviation Associations Forum – Aviation Policy 2016.Canberra: Rex Regional Airline.
Shepherd, B., Shingal, A., & Raj, A. (2016). Value of Air Cargo: Air Transport and Global Value Chains.Montreal: International Air Transport Association .
Thomas, A. R. (2011). The Airline Industry and the Globalization Paradox. Soft Landing, 37-47.
Wolffa, K., & Larsenab, S. (2014). Can terrorism make us feel safer? Risk perceptions and worries before and after the July 22nd attacks. Annals of Tourism Research, 200-209 .