Airlines Bank On Upgraded Services To Boost Revenue

裴羽依

Domestic airlines are taking the brunt of financial pressures caused by the latest resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic，and they have launched additional innovative services to stay afloat. Yet，analysts remain cautious about the extent to which the service can help carriers increase revenues.

Hainan Airlines，China's fourth-largest carrier，launched a service in late March that helps passengers deliver their luggage home. The service is available at Beijing Capital International Airport and Haikou Meilan International Airport. By ordering the service online，passengers will be able to save the time of waiting for their checked luggage and they don't have to carry heavy suitcases by themselves.

After passengers have checked their luggage at departing airports and within one hour after the flight lands，they can order the service through the app or by scanning the bar code at the airports，Hainan Airlines said. The company didn't disclose the specific number of people who have ordered the service so far.

Ground service employees of the carrier will help passengers to get their luggage and logistics staff will deliver the luggage to designated destinations. Usually，it takes about four to six hours for the transportation after picking up the luggage，and passengers will be able to track the luggage status on their mobile phones，Hainan Airlines said.

隨著近期疫情反彈，面臨巨大經濟壓力的國內航空公司為求生存紛紛推出附加的創新服務。然而，分析師對于這些服務是否能幫助航空公司增加收入仍持有保留態度。

國內第四大航空公司海南航空3月底在北京首都機場、海口美蘭機場推出了“行李到家”服務。旅客只需線上下單，即可享受從機場到家門口的行李送達服務，從而為旅客節約行李提取等待時間，免除大件行李搬運的勞累和不便。

據海南航空稱，在辦理完托運行李值機手續以后至航班落地后1小時之內，旅客可通過登陸海南航空APP或現場掃描二維碼，在線下單辦理“行李到家”服務。海南航空沒有透露迄今為止訂購該服務的具體人數。

據稱，海航地服人員將為旅客提取托運行李，并由物流人員將行李送達旅客指定地點。通常情況下，行李將于當天物流取件后4-6小時內被派送至指定地點，旅客可通過手機實時了解行李運輸進程。

It costs at least 85 yuan （$13）to deliver one piece of luggage. For passengers who bought flight tickets for business class，they can get complimentary delivery service for one piece of luggage that is less than 30 kilograms. Next，Hainan Airlines will continue to expand and upgrade its services related to luggage delivery，it said.

“There remain certain challenges to the operations and potential revenues of the luggage delivery service. Overall passenger volume decreased due to the pandemic，and this stands as the biggest challenge for airlines at the moment，”said Yu Zhanfu，partner and vice- president for the China unit at consultancy Roland Berger.

“Still，those innovative measures of airlines are worthy of support and encouragement. But it's unclear what kind of business can help carriers to significantly increase revenues，”he said.

In February，domestic air transport capacity resumed to 84 percent of the level seen in February 2019，when there was no pandemic，while domestic air passenger flows resumed to 67 percent of the level over the same period. The recovery of the civil aviation sector is still facing multiple challenges，according to projections by Flight Master，an intelligent travel services platform in China.

From March 1 to 27，a total of 8，779 flights took off from Beijing Capital International Airport，down 35.59 percent over the volume in February，Flight Master found.

Meanwhile，in late 2020，Guangzhou，Guangdong province- based China Southern Airlines became the first domestic carrier to launch a luggage delivery service in China. Now，it provides the services at 19 airports and on nearly 200 domestic routes.

China Southern provides luggage delivery services from airports to homes，or from homes to airports，as well as from one residence destination to another in different cities.

The carrier said it would add a protection case and a password lock for every piece of luggage，and each suitcase is equipped with baggage delay and damage insurance. It will also monitor the transportation status of luggage.

據了解，海南航空“行李到家”服務費用為85元/件起，購買公務艙機票旅客可免費體驗“行李到家”服務，為1件不超過30 公斤的行李辦理此項服務。后續，海南航空將不斷拓展服務范圍，為旅客帶來優質的行李送達服務。

羅蘭貝格咨詢公司全球合伙人兼大中華區副總裁于占福表示，行李送達服務在操作上和潛在盈利性上仍然存在著某些挑戰。疫情導致的客流量總體下降仍然是航空公司目前面臨的最大挑戰。

他說，盡管如此，航空公司的這些創新舉措依然值得支持和鼓勵。但是目前尚不清楚哪種業務能夠幫助航空公司顯著提高收入。

今年2月，民航國內運力已恢復至2019年同期（當時尚未暴發疫情）的84%，但國內客流量只恢復至2019年同期的67%。國內智能旅游服務平臺航班管家的分析報告顯示，民航業的復蘇仍面臨著諸多挑戰。

航班管家數據顯示，3月1日至3月27 日北京首都機場共執飛航班8779架次，環比上月下降35.59%。

2020年底，總部在廣東廣州的中國南方航空在國內首次推出行李送達服務。目前，南航已在19個機場為近200條國內航線提供這一服務。

南航提供將行李從機場送到家、從家送到機場，以及從一個居住地送到不同城市的另一個居住地的服務。

南航表示，將會為每件行李增加一個保護套和一個密碼鎖，并為每個行李箱辦理行李延誤和損壞險。南航還將監控每件行李的運輸進程。