Articles about IdeaWorksCompany

Low Cost & Regional
Levelling the Field
Jay Sorensen, president of IdeaWorksCompany, believes that the changes made by Southwest will not alienate its customers, claiming: “[It] certainly has built a huge portion of its marketing message on the ‘no fees’ promise. But I think a change would create far more internal angst than it would for consumers. This company’s ethical emphasis and promise to consumers is a core employee belief. With bankruptcies, mergers, impending government shutdowns and recession, the American consumer seems prepared for anything.”

The Wall Street Journal
Frequent-Flier Miles: Best Airlines for Cashing In
Booking a free ticket with your frequent-flier miles can seem like casino gambling: Getting what you want is like hitting a jackpot, but more often than not, the house wins.

CNBC
Cashing in Frequent Flier Rewards Easiest on Value Airlines
If you’re looking for the airline where you’ll have the best chance of cashing in frequent flier miles or points for a seat on a future flight, you’re best odds are with value airlines. In fact, the fourth annual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey found Southwest, its subsidiary Airtran and JetBlue among the top five airlines for customers trying to book tickets with frequent flier miles or points.

Crains Chicago Business
United Airlines in top 10 in redeeming miles, survey shows
United Airlines ranked in the top 10 among all carriers allowing passengers to use frequent-flier miles to book flights, according to the Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey by IdeaWorksCompany.

Sydney Morning Herald
When full-service airlines go budget
“The first report on ancillary revenue was issued in 2008 with only 23 airlines worldwide disclosing ancillary revenue activity in financial filings – and the result was a modest €1.72 billion ($A2.2 billion),” according to the world’s self-proclaimed gurus of ancillary revenue, America’s IdeaWorksCompany.

Chicago Tribune
Bank cards score well in travel reward study
Deciding which credit card is best for free travel can be difficult, but a new report may help.  “Card-Carrying Generosity,” released this week, reviewed the credit cards offered by the five largest U.S. airlines and compared them against independent travel reward cards offered by banks.  “The cards are complicated, and it’s a complicated issue to compare them,” said Jay Sorensen, the president of the IdeaWorksCompany, a Shorewood, Wis., consulting firm for the airline industry that conducted research for the report.

Forbes
Bank cards score well in travel reward study
Deciding which credit card is best for free travel can be difficult, but a new report may help.   “Card-Carrying Generosity,” released this week, reviewed the credit cards offered by the five largest U.S. airlines and compared them against independent travel reward cards offered by banks.

Airline Directory 2013
The Sky’s the Limit
Since 2008, IdeaWorksCompany and Amadeus have worked together to produce the annual Amadeus Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue. 2012’s report investigates a year that is well-remembered for its economic uncertainty, where ancillary revenues have soared with the help of some artful tactics.

New York Times
How to Get a Seat Out of Your Miles
“When the economy does poorly, cash bookings go down, and that creates more opportunity for reward travelers,” said Jay Sorensen, president of the IdeaWorks Company, a travel consulting firm that compiles an annual ranking of award availability based on thousands of attempts to book seats on popular routes.

Air Transport World
The Ancillary Revenue Jungle
Ancillary fees and a la carte options are now an important part of many airline revenue streams.  They have prompted criticism from the public and lawmakers, but these fees are not unique to the industry.  Companies such as Disney Parks & Resorts, hotels and cruise ships, charge ancillary fees – and have been doing for years.  “Good ideas are embraced within an industry; great ideas are adopted by those outside the industry” IdeaWorksCompany President Jay Sorensen said.