Regally handled at Monarch
Posted Date: 15/05/2009
Issue: Airline Ground Services June 2009
Publication: Airline Ground Services
Monarch airlines is one of the UK's major providers of low cost scheduled flights from bases at London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Birmingham airports. But it is also a key supplier of airliners to the tour operating industry. This is a scheduled, charter, engineering, technical, leasing and cargo operation. Richard Garrett (RG), Head of Operations at Monarch Airlines, speaks to Airline Handling International (AHI)
AGS Is all baggage, passenger, ramp and cargo handling outsourced at Monarch? Do you self handle at all at your base(s)?
RG Although we self handled several years ago it now makes more economic sense to out source our handling. Our customers and their baggage, along with freight are looked after by our suppliers. We work hard to keep costs tightly under control and service standards high. At our main bases we have kept the ticket desk function in-house. This means that we still maintain a Monarch presence at these airports and remain in touch with our customers. However these are not the only staff you will see in Monarch uniform as at many stations we have dedicated staff from our agents. Our handling in simple terms is a real team effort.
AGS Presumably, for scheduled services, buying ground handling services is fairly straightforward as you know exactly what you need but charter handling would appear to be more complex and ad hoc. Is this the case?
RG In theory once handling is set up for scheduled services it should run itself. But this is not always the case. If we have taken the decision to not have our own people on the ground permanently then we must spend a lot of time tracking our agents’ performance. Sometimes this can be achieved remotely; on other occasions we will visit the station to conduct formal audits. A lot of time goes into building up a clear current picture of a station – OTP data, voyage reports and customer feedback all contribute to this. It is vital that our agents deliver precisely what we pay for and that our competitors do not benefit at our expense – we may be perceived to be “out of sight”, but certainly not “out of mind”.
Setting up ad hoc ground handling can be even more challenging. Often, the operation can be very limited and destinations remote. Our customers may also have special requirements due to the nature of the operation. Fortunately over the years Monarch has developed some good experience in this area. The team has good contacts globally and during the planning phase of ad-hoc charters they know what to look out for. For example we currently have an aircraft on a trip around “Remote Africa” on behalf of Captain’s Choice.
AGS Are you trying to automate passenger and baggage check in as much as possible to ensure that the terminal building does not become a maze for passengers?
RG Yes, we are working with the airports to make travel as easy and “hassle free” as possible. Our web check-in for scheduled flights has been very successful, with up to half a million of our customers using this service in the past year and continues to grow. We continue to provide customers with allocated seats, which our feedback shows is what our customers want and differentiates us from the majority of LCCs.
Charter customers currently have a more “traditional” experience at the airport but I believe the drive to move to e-ticketing in this area will result in some enhancements.
AGS Given that you operate a lot of leisure flights, is there added customer care that you need to be aware of in terms of passenger and baggage handling? How do you achieve this, especially if you outsource handling?
RG We do not really differentiate between scheduled and charter customers. Charter customers may have to be handled in a slightly different way, but we are still committed to providing a common high standard of customer service. For example certain Tour Operators will have negotiated a different hold baggage allowance, and for medium/long haul charters there will be the added mandatory immigration checks for operations outside the EU. Again we work in partnership with many tour operators and have addressed most issues over the years. We are all focused on meeting the needs of our customers at the airport, but also work hard at communicating with tour operator duty offices and head offices.
AGS Do business passengers expect something different in terms of check-in? Do you have to think differently for them? Are kiosks aimed mostly at the busy business passenger or do you think everyone is looking for a kiosk these days?
RG Due to the destinations that we operate to, Monarch is very much a leisure airline and our product is therefore focused on the leisure passenger. At the end of the day however, most customers are looking for the same thing – safety, value for money and good punctuality. Business customers often fly certain routes very regularly so know their way around the airports. They may be guilty of cutting things quite fine, but more often than not it would be a charter customer who is late to the gate on their annual holiday, either lost due to unfamiliarity or caught up in Duty Free not being able to resist that holiday bargain.
AGS How do you buy ground handling contracts – especially ramp handling? Do you seek network deals? Do you partner with independent handlers? Do you seek niche local players? Is it all about price?
RG Price and performance drive us. It is essential that we remain in the driving seat and constantly review our options. As somebody who used to work in handling I am always interested to hear how the handler motivates their staff and also looks to technology to provide solutions and efficiencies. I am not in favour of splitting passenger and ramp handling by choice. In my experience this can lead to a local breakdown in communication, and at the end of the day we are after a “seamless process”. If a network deal will bring us key savings then we will explore this opportunity, however we are also mindful of running the risk of having all our eggs in one basket. If we have a problem at a station it is important for business continuity that we can isolate the issue and try to minimise the impact across the network.
AGS How do you ensure quality? Do you have customer care teams? Are service levels the best way to achieve quality?
RG As I touched on before, we have a small team with individuals responsible for a group of stations. These staff spend a lot of time visiting stations, announced and unannounced! They observe our operation and build up a good relationship with the key players at that airport. This will be with airport authorities, handling agents, fuellers, cleaners and caterers. It is important that all parties know each other and can work as a team. Still with our focus on quality, voyage reports and customer feedback are all followed up in a formal and thorough manner and we oversee a corrective action plan when required. We are constantly looking at ways that our handling agents can enhance the operation in terms of safety and customer service. Whilst we have seen a huge improvement in baggage delivery standards over the past 12 months, I am confident there is more that we can do in terms of baggage delivery times, tracing and reconciliation of missing bags. It is a challenge for all airlines and one we really need to address – ask anybody who has arrived on a business trip or holiday without their hold baggage.
AGS Have you gone down the CUSS or bespoke application route?
RG We are using CUSS in our four UK bases (Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester), which has certain advantages and has received positive feedback. However I believe that more and more people will check-in on line in the comfort of their own home, or in the future using their mobile telephone.
AGS Presumably you carry belly cargo? Is there a conflict between safe cargo handling and turntimes for passenger flights? How do you bring everything together safely?
RG Cargo does generate some important revenue for the airline. The airside operation does require a certain level of coordination amongst the key players, which normally works well. All organisations must work to the same safety standards on the ramp and we will never allow late cargo delivery or loading to delay our passengers.
AGS Are you a buyer of catering and, if so, what are your guiding principles?
RG Yes we purchase catering at different stations around the world when required. This can vary from top end cuisine purchased through hotels for exclusive ad hoc flights, to standard meals produced by catering units. The four key components are the quality, price, logistics of delivery and hygiene standards of the kitchens where the meals are prepared. Again we have a small team of individuals who know this business inside out. They will not compromise on standards and know how important on board catering is from a purchased sandwich to an all inclusive three course meal.
AGS Do you think that operations on the ground require a different management mentality compared with those in the air? Or are there essentially the same strategies at play for both.
RG It is vital that the customer experience is coordinated throughout the airline and not seen as a disjointed series of events. On the ground and in the air we want our customers to feel that we are meeting their expectations. On the ground we often entrust elements of the delivery of our operation to third parties and therefore any airline manager who deals with ground operations must be prepared to monitor their suppliers day and night, and when necessary role up their sleeves to lead from the front! Planning and coordination skills are crucial, along with plenty of energy, enthusiasm and a sense of humour…
