Flying billboards in the sky?
Air Canada considers increasing advertising on its planes to raise cash
NICOLAS VAN PRAET
The Gazette
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
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Passengers on Air Canada could soon face a bevy of advertising when they eat their meals, go to the bathroom, or even just look at the plane they're about to board.
The Montreal airline is considering allowing companies to slap advertising on meal tray tables and even on the side of its aircraft, said Air Canada official Isabelle Arthur.
That's on top of a slew of other localities the company's bosses have already approved as spots for advertising sales.
Arthur said ad space is available, but has not yet been sold, in Air Canada lavatories, on seat head rests, on beverage meal carts, and airport hangars.
Several companies already use so-called "non-traditional" vehicles to advertise on Air Canada. These include ads glued onto newspapers, seat pocket inserts, and the backs of boarding passes, Arthur said.
In addition, the airline sells so-called "traditional" print advertising in its enRoute in-flight magazine and broadcasts commercials on its in-flight entertainment. The airline also allows certain companies to advertise "in a very discreet fashion" in its 21 Maple Leaf Lounges, Arthur said.
"The sky's the limit when it comes to Air Canada advertising opportunities," Arthur said.
Air travellers are a highly coveted target market because they're an affluent and captive consumer audience.
Other airlines have experimented with different advertising in the past. German airline Lufthansa has had its planes decked out in ads by engineering company Siemens.
Last week, U.S. carrier America West said it is giving up all the table trays on its 143 plane fleet to advertisers like Mercedes-Benz and Bank of America.
Air Canada has been in bankruptcy protection for over eight months. Despite posting a
$17-million profit from operations in the last quarter, the airline lost $263 million overall because of restructuring charges.
Advertisers are desperate for new ways to reach consumers constantly blasted by, and deathly bored with, many television commercials. But experts say it's hard to pick new methods that don't alienate consumers.
"You can't take a (pee) these days without staring into some stupidity," said Rick Erickson, an independent airline analyst based in Calgary.
Erickson said Air Canada will focus more on selling broadcast commercials when, as he expects, it introduces a free-TV system at every seat, like that coming this spring at rival WestJet Airlines.
"That's more likely to occur than to see 'Buy A&W hamburgers!' on the side of food trolleys. That's a step too far. It kind of transgresses the cachet which airlines still like to project."
nvanpraet@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright 2003 Montreal
