Press Releases

Airline ancillary revenue projected to reach $42.6 billion worldwide in 2013
IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultancy on airline ancillary revenues, and CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems, project airline ancillary revenue will reach $42.6 billion worldwide in 2013. The CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue represents a massive increase of 89% from the 2010 estimate of $22.6 billion.  The CarTrawler Worldwide Estimate of Ancillary Revenue marks the fourth year IdeaWorksCompany has prepared a projection of global ancillary revenue activity, and is the first year that CarTrawler’s sponsorship of this forecast includes a series of ancillary revenue reports.

IdeaWorksCompany Creates New Master Classes Designed to Boost Revenue and Profits
Roster of presentations grows to 16 with addition of 7 sessions including a la carte products, fare families and reward management.  Master Class Workshops kick-start the ancillary revenue revolution within any airline by educating and engaging all stakeholders, such as finance, sales, operations, marketing, and revenue management personnel, in a forum led by one of the industry’s leading experts.

Economy Class Meals Get an a la Carte Upgrade
Air France, Austrian, Condor, Hawaiian, KLM, and US Airways hope customers will forego free and pay for better food.  This IdeaWorksCompany report describes how these airlines strive to create better comfort in the air for those willing to pay a little extra.

Airline Ancillary Revenue Reaches $27.1 Billion — More Than Doubling the 2009 Number
The most recent ancillary revenue analysis by IdeaWorksCompany, which was sponsored by CarTrawler, provides the most detailed global assessment of a bottom-line-booster that can represent more than 38 percent of a carrier’s revenue.  The research examines 53 airlines that disclosed revenue during 2012 from activities such as frequent flier miles sold to partners, fees for checked bags, and commissions from car rentals.

Premium Class Rewards Provide Best Value for Frequent Flier Members
One of the recurring debates about the booming loyalty marketing industry is whether rewards provide notable value . . . and which rewards are the most valuable.  To answer this, IdeaWorksCompany conducted booking research using United’s MileagePlus program (largest in the world) to determine which rewards provide members the greatest dollar value.  The answer was clear:  Booking first class travel to Hawaii, Europe or Asia provides best value for redeeming frequent flier miles.

Bag Fees Sprout this Spring in Asia, Europe, and America
The latest report from IdeaWorksCompany describes how the pace is quickening in 2013 for a la carte fees and optional extras to become an everyday component of airline pricing.  The Government of India has approved a la carte pricing; Air France, British Airways, and KLM introduced bag charges for intra-Europe flights; and a third US airline has added the controversial fee for carry-on bags.

Reported Airline Ancillary Revenue Surged to $27.1 Billion in 2012—Up 19.6% in One Year
IdeaWorksCompany, the foremost consultancy in the area of airline ancillary revenues, and CarTrawler, the leading provider of online car rental distribution systems, today announce the results of the CarTrawler Review of Ancillary Revenue Results for 2012.

Value Airlines Fill Top 7 Slots with Best Reward Seat Availability, and Among Global Airlines Singapore is Best.
IdeaWorksCompany releases results from the 4th annual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey.

Choice and Creativity: Carriers Build Ancillary Revenue by Empowering a Consumer’s Right to Choose
Air New Zealand, Air Canada, and Wizz Air use three contrasting retail methods that can boost revenue more than 20%

Card-Carrying Generosity: American Express, Barclays, Chase, Citibank and Southwest Are Most Rewarding
IdeaWorksCompany reviewed the credit cards offered by the five largest US airlines, such as American and United, and compared these to the independent travel reward cards offered by banks such as Chase and Citi.