Several weeks ago Jat Airways announced that it would hand out questionnaires to its passengers onboard. The results are in and the verdict is not bad but there are certain areas, according to passengers, that Jat needs to pay much more attention to.The survey was carried out by Ipsos Strategic Marketing. This is the fifth time Jat has conducted a survey in relation to its ground and onboard product. Other surveys were conducted in 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2001. A total of 2.260 valid questionnaires were submitted. The survey was handed out to passengers on 27 destinations in late September. All passengers over the age of 18 could participate in the survey.
The results show that most passengers chose Jat because it offered a nonstop service to their final destination and because the ticket price was cheap. Only a small percentage of passengers said they chose Jat because of its service quality. When it comes to service, passengers were most satisfied with the reservation and ticketing procedures as well as aircraft cleanliness. Passengers were least satisfied by the airline’s on-time performance, meal quality, comfort and the array of newspapers available. Passengers from Amsterdam, Istanbul, Tivat and Frankfurt were the most satisfied customers. When it comes to the cabin crew, the airline got extremely high marks for professionalism and friendliness. Passengers seem to have no idea that Jat has a frequent flyer program and offers free travel insurance to countries of the European Union.
Overall, Jat received an average mark of 3.9 out 5, with cabin crew triumphing with the highest mark (4.6). A total of 80% of those questioned said they would fly Jat again. Serbian citizens living outside of Serbia gave Jat the highest marks (4.0), while foreign citizens living in Serbia gave Jat the lowest marks (3.6). The survey featured numerous questions, one which even included whether passengers think Jat’s cabin crew is attractive.
Here is a selection of comments passengers left on their survey cards: “You ruined my evening because you were late, I purposely chose Jat to give you a chance but never again”, “I like it that I’m flying on an aircraft fit for a museum”, “Everything smells of nothingness and poorness”. On the other side of the spectrum: “My foreign partners say JAT – Joke About Time, they don’t know how much things have changed”, “The service has been clearly improved compared to several years ago”, “Great meal but a small serving”, “The best pilots in the world”. Recently, Jat announced an overhaul of its onboard product which will be rolled out in the following months.
Well I have to agree with the cabin crew comment, they are mostly great. Naturally now and then there is some bastard but that is the rule everywhere not just in Jat.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
By the way has any other airline in the Ex-Yu region conducted a survey besides Jat?
Haha. What a joke of a survey. If you want to really assess the situation, you have also to evaluate passengers that are using other airlines, and ask them the same questions.
ReplyDeleteGiven that you are constantly losing market share on your home market, you have to analyze how you pair with the competition, and see what needs to be improved, and understand how you can get those passengers back.
Just came from a flight on Jat after a very long time. It was a code-share flight operated by Jat. The cabin resembled a third world country bus, although the service was ok.
Just remembered why I stopped flying them a long time ago.
@Anonymous #2 is probably a research expert or really brave person, when he say that survey done by Ipsos Strategic Marketing is a joke.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, no one finance surveys for its competitors. There is even no need for that, cause answers are relative, meaning that they come out after comparison, especially given that answers in this survey are provided by business travellers (more than 40%, which is said in surveys results in Serbian media).
Everything they done to improve their business is organisational issue, and it is obvious lack of money to finance the core means - aircrafts.
But more than everything, I am extremely positively surprised that there is a company, state owned, to do such a survey, and more than that - to make its outcomes public.
Respect!!!
What
The market research agency was paid to the survey. They can make suggestions, but at the end of the day, it's the company that pays for the survey (jat), that decides what they feel is important. It is very important to survey also the competitors, as it will show you what they are doing better (or worse) than you, and also to understand their preferences. One of the things to look is the sales funnel (do a search on the internet).
ReplyDeleteWhat is interesting to see is that Jat is spending so much money for services their passengers don't know or don't care about. Eg. the travel insurance - a product that NO other company in the world gives for free... but who are the profit making companies to know about it... they should ask jat.
Just to add about the business travelers part. I highly doubt it, as jat schedules are really not catered to this segment of the market. I know lots of business people who spends 000s of EUR per month, and none of them flies jat.
ReplyDeleteI had opportunity to see Jat's surveys, and I can say that those are extremely good done, but unfortunately they did not try to change anything that passengers said that they should change. I hope this time that will happen, and that will first Jat's move to better future!!
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that this survey included questions about Jat’s competition answered by passengers which have flown on the same route with other airlines.
ReplyDeleteSurveys can be framed in a way to get the answers you 'want' to receive.
ReplyDeleteWhat surprises me is that the airline is more than happy to post some of the negative comments publicly... at least it had the good sense to keep the responses anonymous!
I wonder how many extra flights could have been operated, or staff salaries paid etc with the money spent on such a comprehensive (-ly waste of money) effort??
This is so cute. I remember JAT cabin crew partly opening papers collected from passengers and throwing away the ones with bad cabin crew marks. Oh well, they are going down anyway, glad I am not on that ship anymore. Good luck to unknowing passngers.
ReplyDelete"Serbian citizens living outside of Serbia gave Jat the highest marks (4.0)"
ReplyDeleteThis says a lot about how Serbian diaspora think with emotion and sentimentality rather than honesty and logic.
In the past five years I have flown 32 round trips on LON-BEG. Not even once with JAT. Reasons: odd schedule, high price, old planes,ease of booking, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy memory of JAT is old planes and pathetic sandwiches.
By chelica2
I am glad that JAT didn't receive too low of a rating. I hope that once it becomes privatized things will really change. I am surprised that people hated the meals though...those were the best sandwiches ever!
ReplyDeleteOne important info: OA nor A3 definitely won't be flying to BEG in W10/11... BEG-ATH will be serviced only 2 times per week with JAT... Haos...
ReplyDeletecheclica 2
ReplyDeleteExcuse me but how is it not easy to book a ticket on Jat? I think that their site is one of the easiest one to book a ticket. I think that says more about you.
Additionally, BA is not the chepest option either
I think their new cabin is cheap and horrible, uncomfortable, the toilet facilities disgusting...but the aircraft was clean, the flight attendants were professional and attentative, and the food isnt bad. Those new seats, to me, were a waste of money.
ReplyDelete@ chelica2
you obviously havnt flown LH! i think they give out the worlds smallest tasteless sandwiches. On top of that, booking with JAT is very easy and their site is in Serbian, Croatian, English, German and Franch! As for the aircraft, they may not be new but they are far from old. Remember that during the sanctions those babies didnt fly much and dont have the miles like other aircraft.
@JATBEGMEL
ReplyDeleteI haven't been on JAT for a long time (3 years I think), so I haven't seen the new interior...if you can direct me to a page that has images, I would love to see them. I hope it's at least better than the 80's retro interior which absolutely sucked. But I agree, the sandwiches on JAT are incredible. I always ask the flight attendant for more. You know what, I think this is the first time I agree with you 100% lol :)
@ Serbian Sausage
ReplyDeleteI cant find any pics. I have one on YU-ANJ but for some smart reason i did it during some turbulance and its a bit blurry lol. JAT has definately changed in 3 years. Jat revija isnt monthly anymore btw.
@JATBEGMEL: It’s monthly again. It wasn’t for like 4 months at the beginning of the year
ReplyDelete