Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is offering travel gifts to take off in 2021. The year 2020 marked a halt for travel and air transport. Indeed, the health crisis has led to considerable restrictions on the movement of people. Between curfews, containment and border closures, users stayed home and set aside travel. Regardless of their nature, whether professional or recreational, travel was clearly not current. Airlines have been heavily impacted and hope to see a more favourable outcome for 2021, although the recovery will be long. Ryanair is already putting its heart into the work and is pushing for a resumption of travel with the introduction of christmas gift cards (1).
If in 2021 Ryanair bet on gift cards to spoil its loved ones at Christmas with a getaway. Valentine’s Day 2022 could well be an opportunity to fly to new horizons. Indeed, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. For those who are not fans of too traditional gifts such as the famous bouquet of roses, Ryanair offers an alternative. A few days before the most romantic event of the year, Ryanair offers gift cards to give to his half. These gift cards start from 25 euros and allow you to leave a destination of choice among 230 destinations.
For Ryanair, all means are good to invite travelers to fly again after a long period of health crisis that has disrupted air traffic. Here, the gift card is an easy gift to make. After the purchase on the company’s website the card arrives directly in the inbox of the buyer who only has to offer it.
Love gives wings and maybe Ryanair will have something to do with it this year.
The journey undermined by COVID-19
On 28 July 2020, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) prepared its report on the impact of COVID-19 on aviation activity. The global record is rather ominous. Depending on the basic scenario, traffic will take longer than expected. For airlines, it will be necessary to turn the corner with courage and strength. Indeed, according to IATA estimates, the return to normal will not be expected until 2024. That’s one year behind the first estimates. For airlines like Ryanair it’s time to think about the 2021 recovery, by putting in place gift cards.
However, this difficult recovery could still be offset by the resumption of short-haul travel. But this is still quite hypothetical since the measures, in RPK, calculating the number of kilometers per traveler fell by 86% in June 2020 (2). The number of passengers is expected to increase by 62% in 2021. However, it will still be down from the previous year (2). So 2020 is undeniably a dark year for airlines like Ryanair. Indeed, Ryanair is trying to get the business back in 2021 with travel gifts. IATA estimates a 55% decrease in boardings compared to 2019 (2). This result was again worse than the April forecast, which was down 46% (2).
These uncertain estimates are more than unfavourable. At the last news, in 2021, Europe’s air losses will be $11.9 billion. Projections for the year and next appear to be a disaster for air transport (3). This scenario is based in particular on a slow containment of the virus in the United States. Indeed, the virus still circulates exponentially. In addition, the reduction in travel also comes as a factor due to financial pressures in addition to the health context. And finally, the confidence of travelers is not in good shape, they are economically in doubt and fear for their health and that of their loved one.
Faced with this fact, airlines find themselves with their backs to the wall and have only one choice, trying to save the business, no matter what. For this, we must already think of tomorrow as uncertain as it is. Ryanair, since 9 December, has been offering a Christmas gift card to offer a trip for the year 2021.
Ryanair, a gift filled with hope for the year 2021
To see further and overcome the obstacles as high as they are, this seems to be the will of Ryanair. The airline wants to believe in the year 2021 to put the trip back on the agenda. In this, it also wants to allow its users, a well-deserved breath of fresh air for this new year. Thus, she reveals her hopes of recovery through her idea of Christmas gifts. An offer that saw record sales last year. This year, buying a gift card online could also meet the needs of consumers. Indeed, many of them will prefer internet shopping for the holiday season.
For example, Ryanair’s gift card offer starts at 25 euros (1). Gift cards allow you to travel to more than 200 destinations. And for those who think gift cards are impersonal, Ryanair has it all. The airline offers the possibility to customize the gift card with the message of its choice. A solution to spoil his loved ones and offer them the respite they need for the year 2021 but not that… The solution can also be used for companies looking to give a gift to their employees. On the practical side, the gift voucher is sent directly to the person’s inbox. It can also be a solution for those looking to reduce contact during the holidays to protect their loved ones.
Thus, Ryanair is showing its willingness to get out of this delicate situation little by putting in place actions to re-take off its planes. “It’s not the fall that counts, it’s the landing.” The arrival of the vaccine seems to see opportunities, but the future is uncertain, especially in terms of employment. The government must support the sector that is in free fall and screening must be put in place on passengers in order to provide all possible safety.
Sources:
(1)”RYANAIR’S CARTS-CADEAUX ARE ERY A VOYAGE COMME CADEAU TO NOEL”, Ryanair, press release of 10 December 2020
(2)”Recovery delayed as international travel remains blocked,”IATA, press release of 28 July 2020
(3)”The impacts and resumption of European air transport of COVID-19 will be worse than in other regions”IATA, press release of 10 December 2020
