How Airlines Can Stand Out Without Competing on Fare Alone

In this episode, travel industry experts from Switchfly, Rachel Satow and Jessica Steinberg, explore fresh approaches to airline marketing and travel rewards. Together, they discuss why competing on price alone is no longer enough, and reveal data-driven insights on customer experience, storytelling, and uncovering hidden demand throughout the travel calendar. Rachel and Jessica share practical strategies and memorable examples to help airlines differentiate their brand, protect margins, and create lasting connections with customers. Tune in for a conversation packed with actionable ideas and inspiring perspectives for travel marketers and industry leaders alike.

Chapters
(00:01) Price Competition and Discounting in Airlines
(03:52) The Limitations of Sales-Led Marketing
(07:07) Addressing Customer Experience and Friction Points
(12:35) Story-Led Marketing and Emotional Framing
(18:24) Unlocking Hidden Demand Peaks with Data
(24:16) Building Creative, Customer-Centric Strategies
(27:39) Brand Engagement through Playful Marketing

Resources
https://www.switchfly.com/lp/airline-travel-demand-calendar

Connect with Switchfly
Website: https://www.switchfly.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/switchfly/
X: https://twitter.com/switchfly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SwitchflyOfficial

Creators and Guests

Host

Rachel Satow

Senior Marketing Strategist

What is Travel Buddy with Switchfly?

See more at Switchfly.com

Welcome to Travel Buddy,
presented by Switchfly.

In this podcast, we talk about all
things travel, rewards, and loyalty.

Let's get to it.

Brandon Giella: Airlines are famous
for having razor thin margins and

competing any way that they can, and
one way that they do that, especially

when it comes to travel rewards,
is by discounting their fares.

It's a very price sensitive
market, but that is not the only

way to market your travel rewards.

So today we're talking with Rachel Ow.

Welcome back to the show, as well
as our expert, Jessica Steinberg.

Welcome back to the show as well.

You are the travel Packaging marketing
manager for Switch, fly, and have

lots of insight to share with us.

So.

Let's dive in.

Talk to me a little bit about why
competing on fair alone and price

alone around discounts is not
the only way to do this kind of

marketing around your travel rewards.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, I think in

this very competitive landscape,
obviously fair is really important and

ultimately, especially when customer.

Are coming from, you know, places like
Google Flights, they're seeing all

the fares right there in their face.

If yours is far higher,
then you might lose out.

Um, but really leaning into
the value that comes with that.

Fair.

I think customers are more and more
demanding that the fair not only be low,

but also include everything you know from.

Free wifi and flight, maybe even a free
drink depending on what kind of seat

they book, the carry-on, et cetera.

Um, and so I think it's really
important not only yes to hit the

right fare, but also make that value
really apparent for the customer.

Because if it's not
obvious, they might miss it.

Brandon Giella: agreed.

Agreed.

Especially for, uh, you know, folks
that are in the, the Travel Rewards

Program for the airline, I imagine.

They're, they are more invested in
finding the right experience for

them, however you might wanna phrase
that or however might that look.

But, um, they, they're willing to do
some deep diving on like, okay, this is

actually a brand that I wanna align with.

Okay.

Rachel Satow: Yeah,

and I, I would, I would add that,

you know, I think it's a reflex.

To do fair discounting
when demand softens, just

simply because you know, you're
seeing a lull, oh, let's quickly,

let's quickly do a discount, because
maybe that'll stir some engagement,

that last minute engagement.

But when you are constantly doing sales
led marketing, or you are constantly

only focused on the price you are.

Advertising and compete competing in the
most crowded aspect of the market because

that is a message that every other brand
can also do if they're also seeing a lull.

Whereas if you're aligning more with,
you know, the experience led the, the

storytelling aspect of like, this is a
brand that I actually want to align with.

You know, it can, it can go
miles for you, pun intended.

Um, but, but, like that sales
led messaging, it really,

you know, it compresses.

Your it compresses the yield and it under
undermines your brand differentiation

at like, that's the bottom line.

If you sound and look like everyone
else, because of the messaging

that you're putting out there for
a marketing perspective, you are

going to be just like everyone else.

Brandon Giella: That's right.

It's a, it's a heavily commodified
market and competing on price

makes you even more of a commodity.

And it might not be the only way to
do that, even though it's probably

one of the easier levers to pull.

But there's other ones.

Um, so before we get into that, 'cause
we, we've got a bunch of different ways

of approaching, uh, this kind of creative.

Uh, some of these ideas or
strategies around marketing

in this way and driving value.

Um, before we get there, Rachel and
Jessica, um, talk to me a little bit

about why, why is it that airlines
default to this discounting approach?

Like, what are some of the reasons there?

Because I think we empathize with that.

Like this is a, there's a a lot of
reasons why it's actually, you know,

it makes sense why this is happening,
but it's not the only way to do that.

So, so talk to me a little bit
about that, about what some

airline leaders might be thinking.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, I
think it's a very reactive

tactic, and it's quick, right?

It's a really quick
lever that you can pull.

It's a very obvious lever
that you can pull and one that

customers see pretty immediately.

Um, and that's why, you know,
own channel marketing for so

many airlines is so important.

'cause those customers are, you're
paying attention to when you're on sale.

But I think then you end up in
this kind of stressful, reactive

environment where you're having to go
on sale every time you see a Lowell.

Um, and while that might help,
sometimes you might also be

training customers to wait for that.

Um, and so finding other ways.

To, you know, get the value across
while again, keeping the fair low

enough that you're competitive,
but not too low, where you're, you

know, diluting what you're offering.

Um, I think there's, there's a happy
medium in there somewhere, and I

think how you keep revenue up on
non-sale days looks different for

every airline, but I think there's a

lot of testing and, and thought that
has to go into finding what works

and then even then it might change.

So it's a lot of kind of
nimble movement in the market.

Rachel Satow: You kind of mentioned this
already, Brandon, but you know, price.

And when you are, when you are in
such a competitive market, like, like

airlines, our price is the most visible
lever that airlines have to pull.

And they, you know, because of that
competitive transparency can almost

force the, the, the need for discounting.

Because if you see your, one of
your direct competitors doing it

at that moment, you almost have
that gut reaction of like, Ooh.

Are, what do they know that we don't know?

Because, uh, price is
the most visible lever.

I, I would agree that it with
Jessica, it's, it's one of the most

reactive, um, the most reactive
marketing tactic you probably have.

Brandon Giella: Yeah, and I empathize
too with the on the consumer side,

because you've of course got your
OTAs and these aggregation tools

that just pull up all the prices,
like you mentioned, Google Flights.

And then you've also got like
the points guy and going.com.

Uh, formerly Scott Cheap Flights, RIP.

But you know that you get this
email blast or notification on your

phone of like, Hey, you can fly
from here to Paris for 400 bucks.

And it's like, great.

All I need is a metal tube with
a seed in it and I'm gonna be

there 'cause I don't really care
about anything else but the price.

So I get that.

But at the same time, I
think digging a little bit.

Deeper and depending on the kind of
audience you're trying to reach and

the the customer base that you have,
um, especially on the reward side, I,

I have searched many, many times to
move away from the credit card that I

currently use to an airline branded card.

If it provided the right experience.

I just can't seem to get away from the
card because I like the whole experience

of the card that I currently have.

Um, but I, I, I really saw it, so I like
empathize on both sides of that coin.

Um, so we'll talk more about that,
but, um, but talk to me about some

of these other levers that you guys
are thinking through, that you've

seen in your research, seen in
the data on the switch fly side.

Um, Rachel, you mentioned
like this kind of sales led

approach and things like that.

Um, there's a, a component of storytelling
that I want to get into that I think

is really important, but talk to me
about some of the things that you guys

have seen in your research and, and
what some other things that might be

good to consider, at least for 2026.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, I
think, like I said, it's gonna

differ for every airline, but.

When you look at what other levers
are there, I think you have to look

at the customer that you're serving.

Um, and this definitely applies
to packages first and foremost.

Um, you know, when you look at the
customer experience from, you know,

boarding their flight to landing, to
even getting to their hotel, if you're,

if we're talking about a package.

Where is there a natural friction
in that experience or that journey

that you might be able to help solve?

Now obviously there's cost associated with
that, so you have to do that exercise and

figure out what's worth it to dive into.

But I think, again, finding that
maybe natural point of friction in

that customer's experience, whether
it be, you know, long boarding

times, can they board early?

Is there, you know.

A language barrier at the hotel is
there need to be someone there to help

them when they check in or a welcome
glass of wine and things like that.

Um, so just thinking about how to make
their experience from end to end better.

Um, and then being able to, you
know, offer that experience but also

market it and lean heavily into it,

um, on the marketing front.

So I think depending on where your top
routes are, where your customers are

flying from and flying to, for the most
part, I think it, the answer will differ.

But I think that's kind of.

The first step in finding
what lever to pull next.

Brandon Giella: Okay, let me see if
this, if, uh, what you said call to

mind for me, if this makes sense.

Uh, I am 30.

I'm married with two kids,
three and nine months old.

I am looking for the smoothest
possible travel experience.

It has to be in between nap times.

It has to be where my wife can nurse,
or like a lounge is really great

because it's a little bit more private.

It's quieter.

My kids can run around a little bit.

Like there's all these things
that I am now as a parent of young

kids thinking through when I'm
traveling and I want to travel.

It's just.

Freaking hard.

So anything that an airline could
do, they could market or create

packages or whatever to say, Hey,
you're a young parent with kids.

We're gonna bump you
up to the first group.

You're gonna board early.

You're gonna have this and that, and
we're gonna, here's a great time to fly.

Here's a great time to check in at this.

You know, these different moments.

Are there things like that that, um,
you think in a really creative, you

know, let's say like all bets are off.

Really creative strategies like
thinking through that kind of thing?

Like is that what you mean
by the friction points?

Jessica Steinberg: Totally, and I think
that's a great example, um, is the kids.

I think it depends again where
that point of friction is for you.

You know, like you said, it might be,
you know, boarding or getting them on the

flight and having an experience, whether
it's a separate lounge or an area for,

you know, diaper changes, things like

that.

Or, you know, kids eat free at the resort
that they're, that you're checking into.

Um, and if your customers as an airline,
you know, call it 80% of them, you know,

are traveling with children, then those
are things that are absolutely worth

looking into.

And, and fronting that cost of, you know,
having the kids eat free breakfast or

whatever it might be at the resort, or
giving the kids an extra snack in flight.

Um, things like that.

I know we've seen airlines, um, these days
you're doing promotions around families

get to sit together and organizing seats
in a way that makes sense for them.

Um, and so I think again, if that's
something that the airlines, uh, find

is helpful for their customers, it's
absolutely a, a lever they should pull.

Brandon Giella: And if you're listening
to this podcast and you have the power.

Within your grasp to add mac and cheese
to any of your offerings of dining

experiences, please do that because
my 3-year-old eats nothing else.

Thank you, Rachel.

What, what else?

What else are some other levers to pull?

Rachel Satow: Yeah, so I mean, I think
we're, we we're saying essentially make

sure you know, your customer and Jess,
you might have an example with our

current clients that might, uh, align
with what I'm about to say, but I think.

At the end of it, it's not just the
friction points, it's also recognizing,

um, commonalities between, between your
customers and are they continuously

asking for certain things that you
don't currently offer, because that

is a huge opportunity for you to
shift your marketing to or, and

even your offering to, to align with
what people are really asking for.

I don't know, Jess, if you wanna
chime in with, with Bermuda

and what you were seeing.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, absolutely.

And in that example, Berda Air did
a really great job of finding, not,

again, to Rachel's point, not just
even a friction point, something

that they know their customers
want and would really appreciate.

And so now they can offer, um, golf
tee times in Bermuda as part of a

package, and so customers seamlessly
can add their tee time to their package.

Um, before it was a little bit of a manual
process for both the customer and the

airline, and so now it's easy and they're
able to also run promotions off of it.

And so, you know.

Add a tee time to your package and
get upgrade to business class, your

bags fly free, things like that.

Um, it just opens a lot of doors
when again, you not only look at

the friction points, but also things
that make the customers happy.

Um, and that's, again, huge for, for
an example like Bermuda Air, but that

might not be applicable to every airline.

So it's a bit about finding that lever.

I think that fits.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Hmm.

So maybe a fair question is like.

W if you were to go back, you know, your
marketing team, strategy team, what is it

about our airline that makes us unique?

What is the distinctive experience that we
can offer that not many other people can?

Is that a fair, fair thing that
maybe can prompt some of this?

Rachel Satow: absolutely.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, I like that.

Uh, so that's a, that's a good segue
into, uh, we were kind of talking before

we started recording about, uh, the
story led marketing story led approach.

I have a thousand things to say,
but I want you guys to just jump

in, just like what is story, what
do you mean by story-led marketing

and what does that look like
applied to an airline in this case?

Rachel Satow: Yeah, so, oh, go ahead Jess.

Jessica Steinberg: I
can kick this one off.

Um, so I think.

You know, the feeling of being
on vacation is one that I think

most people want most of the time.

Um, and so I think selling that
and having it tie back to the

airline is really important.

So, for example, you, you know,
you just launched a new route to

service, um, new destinations.

Now customers in a specific
city can fly direct.

To the Caribbean, for example.

Um, and so maybe the fares aren't
the lowest in the market, but

you know that this is a new route
that customers have been wanting.

Um, and so you're now
servicing that need and being

able to dive into the feeling of
being able to take a direct flight.

I think everybody, when they
go to look for a flight, they

wanna fly direct if they're going

to, you know, if they have a.

A specific destination in mine,
nobody I don't think wants to connect.

Um, and so even just something as
simple as that, um, and diving into the

feeling of being able to fly direct or
even speaking to the flight, you know,

the distance, you know, if you fly
from Fort Lauderdale to the Caribbean,

it is a really quick and easy flight.

Um, and so making that, you
know, prominent in marketing

I think is something again,
doesn't cost you anything.

It's just true.

Um, and so things like that
I think are super helpful.

Brandon Giella: I like that.

Rachel Satow: I so emotional framing, I
could go on and on about, but emotional

framing really drives action without.

Necessarily eroding margin.

Um, and when

we tie it back to some of that, some of
that brand differentiation that we were

talking about, what truly makes your brand
and your airline unique, you know, the,

that owned marketing is so, so valuable.

And oftentimes we, I don't
wanna rag on anybody, but like

oftentimes we see that price-led ad.

20% off flights rather than a story-led
or an experience-led uh, message, which

is more along the lines of, you know,
three days of sunshine before winter

hits you are selling.

If you shift to more of a storytelling,
uh, uh, message, you're showcasing

the experience that they are
guaranteed to have with your brand,

with your airline, um, and that
emotional framing, you know, you can.

Own that day in and day out
without ever touching your margins,

without having to offer a discount.

Um, so when we talk about like,
story led marketing instead of price

led or sales led marketing, that's
really the differentiator there.

It's, you're, you're leaning into the
things that make you unique because

at the end of the day, those are
the things that no other brand or no

other airline can take away from you.

Brandon Giella: I, I love
that and it resonates with me.

And I, I wanna qualify that statement
by saying we are all marketers on this

recording here, just us girls here.

And I know a lot of our listeners are also
in the marketing customer experience side

of things, so I'm sure that resonates.

But I, I would love to emphasize that.

I think there's a huge premium in that.

As well.

If you frame the emotions the right
way, the story, the right way, I,

I'm willing to bet people will be
willing to pay a premium on that.

Um, if you get, if you create an
experience, let's say for, for me

as a, as a parent of young kids that
connects all those things together,

that are friction points for me, creates
a story and there's a campaign there.

That to me is like a, an obvious win.

And I, and if a.

Airline knew to take care of
some of these things for me, I,

I would be willing to pay more.

I think it would be, it gets you
out of that price conversation.

Rachel Satow: Mm-hmm.

Especially because like we said, prices
faires are pretty much universal.

Like we know that for similar experiences.

Prices are probably going
to be around the same.

They

might have, you know, like an extra
$20 on one ticket versus another,

but like for the most part prices,
it, it, it's just, it's so visible

that it's purposely done that way.

And then the only thing you have left
to, to earn the customer's attention

is your experience.

And is that story that you're trying to

market.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

I think at that point it becomes kind
of a distribution problem because.

You know, I, like most people, when I'm
needing a flight, I go to Google Flights

and I see what's the fares on this date?

Is it twice as much as
I really wanted to pay?

Or is it, you know, what, what's going on?

So it becomes at that point,
like, how do you reach those

people that need that story?

That's always a, a challenge for sure.

But, um, uh, another thing that we were
talking about too, and I, I don't wanna

move too quickly off of the story led.

Uh, marketing.

'cause I think that's really important.

But a, a component of that is there
are different peaks throughout the year

where demand is especially important.

And so maybe there are different
stories that connect with those peaks.

And Rachel, you were saying something
earlier, um, about some of the data and

the research that you guys are seeing
is it's not necessarily by season we're

having that seasonality effect either.

Like right now we're in, you know,
March, 2026, I'm getting old.

Uh, but uh, right now it's, you
know, spring break, I wanna go

to the beach, that kind of thing.

Um, and then summer, of course you
have high seasons there, but, uh, but

there's, it may not be about that as well.

So talk to me a little bit about
these, like off season peaks that

you're seeing and maybe how story led
marketing might fit into those as well.

I,

Rachel Satow: Yeah, sure.

So I would be remiss if I said airlines
should throw out the playbook of.

Promoting summer and holidays.

Brandon Giella: oh yeah, for sure.

Oh, I'm gonna spring break.

Rachel Satow: Yeah, that
would be so misleading of me.

Um,

but what I, I, what I do encourage, and
this really stems from, uh, Switchfly We

recently took a look at some of our mul
multi-year data for our airline partners,

and we analyzed it in order to one.

Validate what we all kind of assume
and what we know, which is, you

know, holidays and summer tend to
have a nice little uptick in travel,

Brandon Giella: Yep.

Rachel Satow: but also to find those
overlapping, um, and recurring annual

peaks that aren't really talked about.

Often, and what we did, what we
saw was that, you know, shoulder

seasons really do offer really strong
margin opportunities and some of

those hidden peaks are occurring at
times that you wouldn't even think.

So late January really saw a nice
uptick in travel across the board,

which really means that if you're
thinking in the calendar year, you

should start potentially promoting.

During the holiday season for a January
travel date, it's not necessarily

promoting a flash sale during the
holidays that is going to bring you

consistent, um, consistent customers.

Um, some of the others, I mean,
you mentioned it early March.

Planning is, is a big one specifically
for individuals who are doing some last

minute spring break time, but also who

are really trying to ca really
trying to, to capitalize on.

Um, finding the deals for
summer, like it's, it's

really pre-summer research.

Um, and that's, you know, we have a whole
calendar that we've put together with some

of these insights for, for airlines to
showcase, hey, across multiple airlines,

across multiple years, here's kind of
the ebbs and flows that we're finding.

So outside of that resource, I would
highly recommend airlines to take

a look at their multi-year data.

Outside of known peaks, because
you may have some hidden, hidden

performance, uh, shoulder seasons,
uh, that would do you good to, to

market and kind of plan ahead for.

And Jess, I know you look like
you've got something to say.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, no, I mean
I think it's, it's a great point.

I think, you know, airlines, it's, it's
easy to get into the habit of, you know,

we promote on these days every year, and
these are the promotions that we run.

And I do think.

Make a really good point that taking a
look at multi-year data and finding those

hidden peaks, um, is really important.

And I think too, you know, when you
think about the landscape and it's

super competitive when it comes to
fair and promotions and things like

that, if any peak that you can find
is meaningful, because if you're.

You know, discounting during shoulder
season might help some, but in an, in

an instance like that, you're more,
you've kind of have these two problems.

You're convincing the customer to
travel and also to travel with you,

versus if you can find a peak hopefully,
that other airlines haven't found

quite yet.

It's you're just convincing
them to travel with you.

They already want to travel.

So you're kind of eliminating that extra
step of having to convince them to take

a trip just because the price is low.

Um, and so I think, like you said, it's
super important to take a look at that

multi-year data and not just assume
that it's gonna be the same every year.

Brandon Giella: I like that.

Uh, it's something I like to say
where, uh, if you have to educate your

buyer, that's very expensive marketing.

You don't, you don't want
to educate the buyer.

You wanna find the buyers that are
already wanting to, to travel with you.

You know,

Jessica Steinberg: Totally.

And I think as an

Brandon Giella: that are already looking.

Yeah.

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, absolutely.

And I think even when it comes to like
media buying and spend, it should,

you know, I would always want to lean
into seasons and, you know, times that

already do well, and then finding those
hidden peaks versus the shoulder season

where you're again, having to convince
the customer to travel and then also

convince them to travel with you versus
just convincing them to travel with you.

Um,

Rachel Satow: I think you, you bring
up a really interesting point regarding

media spend and, and some of the,
the push for marketing materials.

One of the things that we
analyzed was search data.

I wanted to know the peaks of when
people were actually searching,

regardless of when they were
actually booking and regardless of

when they were planning travel for.

Because if we could identify the peaks
of when those searches were happening

and when somebody was in that planning
state of mind, we can push the message

harder during those timeframes because.

If we can get in front of them when
they're already wanting to travel and

already doing the research, that is going
to pay off down the line regardless of

when they're looking to travel, regardless
of when they're looking to book, if

you're in front of them, when you know
that volume is there, you, it's shoeing.

Brandon Giella: And you have this data
for customers that are on the Switch fly

platform about when people are searching,
how they're booking, that kind of thing.

Rachel Satow: Yes, we, we, we have metrics
that align with booking the actual travel

dates and then, uh, search as well.

Brandon Giella: Wow, that's helpful.

Uh, where can people find this
resource that you mentioned?

Rachel Satow: It is on our website,
but we'll ensure to link it in the,

in the description, I'm sure.

Brandon Giella: Okay.

Awesome.

Okay.

Just wanted to make sure.

Um, okay.

So.

To summarize, to kind of wind
down the conversation, what is the

playbook that you think in 2026, if
we want to get really creative about

marketing to our travel rewards base?

Um, and I'm an airline and I don't
want to just think about price or

discount and compete in a commodity.

How, what is the playbook?

Like what, what are the steps?

Where do I start?

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, I think
it's, I just keep going back to what

I said earlier as far as you know.

Every airline, it's gonna be different.

So I think first step, you
have to look at your customer.

What do they care about?

What are they booking?

What are they searching for?

Um, and then again, find either those
friction points or points where you can,

you know, surprise and delight them.

Um, whether it be from, you know, the
check-in process to the boarding process,

to even if you're selling packages, uh,
the hotel, check-in, process, activities,

when you get there, things like that.

I think you have to look at.

What your customer, who your customer
is, and what they care about in order

to find those points where you can
either offer promotions based on

those things or help a friction point.

Um, I think that would, if you know I
was running an airline, that would be

the first thing that I do is take a look

at my data and find out what
we know about our customer.

Um, and then I would also look at you.

What kind of partnerships do you
have that you can leverage if

you're selling packages, you have
relationships with the tourism boards

in your, you know, your most popular
destinations, um, or activity providers

in your most popular destinations.

Things like that, um, I think
can get leveraged too, depending

on what you find in the data.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Okay.

Okay.

Anything else on this topic from you two?

I know you've been researching,
thinking, strategizing on this topic.

Anything else to include?

Jessica Steinberg: Um, I think
that pretty much wraps it for me.

I think, like I said, it's, it's
gonna be unique per airline.

Um, and that also
packages are a great way.

If you are in a fair, sensitive
environment, which most airlines

are, it's a great way if you are
going to be discounting flights to

do so without diluting your brand.

Um, and so it's a great way to
run tests and things like that, so

that's something to consider as well.

Brandon Giella: Hmm.

Okay.

Rachel Satow: Yeah, I think the, the
last note that I'll have is just.

Remember that storytelling
protects your margins.

You own your own story, and
no one, no other brand, no

other airline can take that.

Um, so definitely lean into some of those
experience led, led marketing messages,

um, after you've identified some of the
friction points and opportunities where

your, your customers are already at.

Um, and lean into the storytelling aspect

because it's, it's the one
thing that makes you unique.

Brandon Giella: Yeah, I
think it's a huge trend too.

Maybe this is a bit of an aside, but, uh,
the Wall Street Journal back in December

had a big article on, uh, a bunch of big
brands hiring storytellers and paying

hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary
to these folks to tell the brand's story.

But I'm seeing it, uh, that AI is
driving a lot of the, the storytelling.

Uh, story, if you will, uh, that you
know, of course, because you can create

so much content out there nowadays.

It's really now the, the value
lies and what is the story that

connects all of them together.

And so applying that to an airline,
uh, it, it's pretty interesting to

think what you could do on a sales
campaign perspective, thinking about

the story that connects all these
things, especially if it's unique to

you and unique to your customer base.

I think that's pretty cool.

Rachel Satow: Yeah, and I mean,
at the end of the day, I'm a

sucker for customer stories.

Uh,

uh, if you if you can have somebody
tell me about how wonderful of an

experience they had with your airline.

All right.

Brandon Giella: Or, or even just the,

Rachel Satow: I'm sold.

Brandon Giella: mix in general.

Yeah.

Like Jessica, you were talking about,
uh, there's like a Super Bowl, like

some social beef between two different
airlines during this, the, um, super Bowl.

What was that about?

Jessica Steinberg: Yeah, so, and I,
I saw in this and I thought it was,

you know, it was really engaging.

I watched the whole video and then even
read some of the comments just for fun.

Um, but I know JetBlue and Alaska
Airlines had a friendly competition

going over the Super Bowl.

And they bet that if the Seahawks won,
that JetBlue would have to send some

of their best Boston Lobster, uh, over
to Alaska and then Alaska if, um, would

have to send over their best Alaskan
salmon, um, if the Patriots won.

And then they followed up and they
actually, JetBlue did actually send.

Some lobster to Alaska.

Um, and they had that on video
and obviously posted on all their

socials and things like that.

Again, they're not
driving immediate revenue.

It's not fair driven, but it is
something that the customer notices.

It's fun, it's human.

Um, and I think it's something that,
that people remember and it just goes

back to that kind of the, the feeling
of the brand and the storytelling.

Brandon Giella: I, I love that.

I, I, I, I guess the takeaway is
just like, be creative, have fun.

Like if you're in marketing
for an airline, you're thinking

about the customer experience,
the, the travel loyalty rewards

side of the equation, like.

Make it fun.

Like why not?

You know, of course it's gotta drive
outcomes on business side, you know,

and you gotta drive revenue, gotta
drive margins, but have fun with it.

There's so many different opportunities
out there with the amount of data with ai,

the amount of content, the ways that you
can create content, create these stories.

I think it's fantastic.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Uh, last question for you.

Where are you both traveling next?

Jessica Steinberg: I
actually have a, it's, well,

it'll be a mixture of a, a work trip
and a fun trip, but I've never been to

Dublin and I'm heading there in July.

Brandon Giella: Oh, nice.

Okay.

Dublin, Georgia.

Jessica Steinberg: yeah.

Brandon Giella: Yeah.

Cool.

All right, great.

That's awesome.

I'm excited.

Very cool.

Rachel Satow: Uh, and I'm actually
heading out on a cruise later

this week, uh, to The Bahamas.

So

we're celebrating a, a wonderful friend
of mine and yeah, I'm very excited.

Brandon Giella: I'm jealous.

I've never been on a cruise and I've
never been to The Bahamas, I feel like.

Uh, do you have a plus one in
that invite or is there like.

Rachel Satow: Yes, for the low,
low price of your own state room.

Brandon Giella: okay.

Okay.

Well, I'll, I'll start saving.

All right.

Okay.

Well, Rachel, Jessica, thank you
so much for joining this episode.

I am excited to hear
what, what folks think.

Uh, as always, please
go to switch fly.com,

check out these wonderful resources
that Rachel and the team have put

together, and we will see you next time.

Jessica Steinberg: Sounds good.

Thanks for having me.

Rachel Satow: Thanks Brandon.