Delta’s offering is Calm, an Eau D’aeroport that it sprays in aeroplane cabins and infuses in the hot towels it gives out in premium classes. It has been spreading Calm for about two years, joining a handful of other carriers vying for olfactory distinction by developing their own individualized odours. The fragrant fliers include United Continental Holdings, Turkish Airlines and Air Canada’s low-cost rouge operation. Spain’s Iberia is close to launching its own aroma, and Alaska Airlines is working on one.
The companies don’t plan to bottle their scents for retail, but they do see a commercial value in them. United marketing manager Mark Krolick says its new fragrance, provisionally called “Landing,” in concert with improvements like new lighting and redesigned gates, “will create a more relaxing environment. A good experience engenders brand preference, which probably will result in more booking,” he says. Airlines also say they aim for subtlety, so passengers who are sensitive to scents won’t recoil.
Fragrances increasingly have been in vogue among hotels and retail chains in recent years. Studies have shown that the sense of smell is closely linked to the brain’s limbic system, which is responsible for emotion, memory and motivation. Proponents say a scent can elevate shoppers’ impressions of a store and cause them to stay longer and spend more money. The scent also can conjure up positive memories of being in a Ritz-Carlton lobby, thus helping to increase bookings.
till other carriers say it’s just what they need. Turkish Airlines in 2013 came out with “TK 1933,” a nod to its airline code and the year it was founded. The scent, whose 29 ingredients include lemongrass, ylang-ylang oil and bergamot, was created by a Turkish fragrance house. The airline says quantitative research showed TK 1933 produced feelings of “trust, peace, happiness, serenity and pleasure.”
Fatma Yuceler, Turkish Airlines’ general manager in Los Angeles, says the idea isn’t to entice passengers to buy more tickets. “Turkish Airlines is really aiming to be a big brand, but all the big brands have a perfume,” she says. “The point was to address all of the five senses in a brand. We were missing the smell.”
Singapore Airlines was a pioneer of jet scent. It started spraying its signature “Stefan Floridian Waters,” a mélange of rose, lavender and citrus, on its hot towels more than 30 years ago.
United is just beginning to introduce its fragrance, a medley of orange peel, sandalwood, cedar and leather, developed by a Charlotte, N.C. scent marketing firm called ScentAir. The landing has landed at a few locations at United’s O’Hare Airport hub in Chicago, including aeroplane boarding bridges.
Certainly, this is a growth trend and it is no surprise Airlines are now experimenting with a space where customer experience and mood are crucial to the travel experience. Yes, there will be nay-sayers, and those concerned over the application of fragrance inside a closed space. Yes, a very valid concern and the correct usage thereof will be the success or failure of such an application.
When we all know the health benefits of various scents from Lavender to Rosemary, and their ability to enhance our mood, memory and state of mind. I’ll take this any day over flatulence and stale cabin air
I say “Bring it on”
References:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/airlines-try-signature-fragrances-but-not-everyone-is-on-board-1422832562
http://www.travelpulse.com/
