Air Tahiti Nui is the national airline of Tahiti – home to the famous Bora Bora islands in French Polynesia. The airline is the envy of regional rivals, having built a strong brand linked to a leisure destination. Now, it has received its first 787, with... Read more
Air Tahiti Nui is the national airline of Tahiti – home to the famous Bora Bora islands in French Polynesia. The airline is the envy of regional rivals, having built a strong brand linked to a leisure destination. Now, it has received its first 787, with which it hopes to improve things further. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jessy Salmon who leads Digital Business at the airline about how Air Tahiti Nui is re-thinking travel with its Tahitian Dreamliner and the importance of CRM in a leisure market.
In the interview, Jessy shares a few key nuggets of wisdom that make Air Tahiti Nui a unique niche carrier.
The Tahitian Dreamliner
Air Tahiti Nui recently received the first of its Boeing 787s – they call it the Tahitian Dreamliner. It has a new livery with some very unique Tahitian features that Jessy shared bring out the carrier’s cultural heritage. There’s the traditional Polynesian tattoo on the rear of the fuselage (which you may remember from Disney’s Moana). While the Tiare flower creating ripples in the water on the tail remains intact, the Tiare is supported by manta rays, albatrosses, fishing hooks, waves and flora, all symbols of the famous French Polynesian islands. In my personal opinion, it is the most beautiful 787 livery.
Just as interesting is the translation of these Polynesian elements into the actual passenger experience.
Translating dreams into reality
When I asked Jessy how the new design on the livery is translated into actual experience, his answer was a pleasant surprise. He told me that every passenger is handed the Tiare flower upon boarding the aircraft (which is also on the tail!). All galleys have decals with visuals from Tahiti.
[easy-tweet tweet=”Imagine getting on board the aircraft, feeling you’re already in Tahiti – with the visuals and the fragrance of the Tiare!”]
Perhaps next step for Air Tahiti Nui would be to add some sand from their beaches 🙂
CRM? Think like a car salesman
Since Jessy leads the digital practice, we dived into the purpose of a CRM for a leisure airline like Air Tahiti Nui. After all, very few of its customers would travel multiple times a month, like is normal for frequent fliers on other airlines. Once again, Jessy stumped me with his answer.
He used the analogy of a car salesman, who usually sells to the same customer once every five years or more. So the idea behind the CRM strategy at Air Tahiti Nui is to attract first-time travelers to Tahiti to come back once again, perhaps in a few years. Not necessarily the very next month. The commercial cycles are much longer. Hence, the customer is in the driver’s seat!
These were just some of the issues I enjoyed discussing with Jessy. He also opens up about the new safety video, staying ahead of competition and more. Do watch his full interview for insights from Air Tahiti Nui.