Firefly Review – Episode 12: Your Business Airline

Posted by azuan on Oct 20, 2009 in :: All Posts ::, AVIATION, Featured Articles, Firefly Airlines, REVIEWS | 4 comments

The airline industry in Malaysia has progressed tremendously over the last 10 years. Air travel has now become so common that it would be hard to imagine life without it. While community airlines like Firefly focuses on leisure travelers, it has also directly introduced positive impact to the business communalities in the region particularly in Malaysia. Firefly Airlines has changed the way people conduct business and has made it possible for businesses to be connected and to conduct business in places once considered remote.

For the last 2 years, 70% of my Firefly flights are for business/work purposes. Through this many flights, Firefly Airlines has successfully shifted my earlier perception that business travel must be on premium airline. In this Firefly Review episode, I would like to share 10 reasons or features that I think make Firefly Airlines, the right airlines in meeting the needs and wants of business travelers.

Reason #1 – Point-to-Point Secondary Route

Firefly now flies to 16 destinations in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. It serves major business cities like Kuala Lumpur (via the City, Subang Airport), Penang, Singapore and Johor Bahru which are popular routes among businessmen.

Unlike other airlines in Malaysia, Firefly also serves secondary destinations such as Kerteh, Ipoh and Batam providing direct accessibility to businesses. I have colleagues that fly to our project site in Batam from Subang every two weeks that are very thankful for Firefly as they now no longer need to fly to Singapore/JB and take a ferry ride to Batam. This is one out of many success stories of how Firefly helps to connect businesses.

Reason #2 – Fly from the City.

I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. Subang SkyPark or Subang Airport is a real city airport. Less traveling time to the airport, hence more time for business. Less hectic, save time, save cost. For a full review on SkyPark business facilities, click here.

Choose Subang Airport, Choose Firefly.

Reason #3 – Perfect Timing

Scheduling of Firefly Airlines in my opinion is done in a way that allows business travelers to do daytrips easily. There is enough frequency for major destinations and the timings are perfect. My usual flight for example would be the flight to Johor Bahru from Subang that leaves at 7:15am every day, early enough to transport business travelers like me to catch a 9am meeting in JB city. On the same day I usually conduct few meetings and fly back in the 7:10pm flight to Subang from JB arriving just in-time to have dinner with my family. Perfect timing allows work-life-balance and this is what many business commuters sought after.

Reason #4 – Flexibility

Contrary to the general perception on cheap flights, Firefly Airlines does offer flexibility to business travelers. Name and date changes may be allowed, depending on the fare rules of the purchased ticket. This is getting more common as nowadays even premium airlines charge a certain fee for flight changes. With Firefly, a business traveler can still be flexible and change flights using the online feature available on their website.

Reason #5 – New and Smaller Planes

Firefly flies ATR72-500 turboprops planes. With only 72 passengers, boarding and alighting the plane are usually done in less than 10 minutes. Firefly offers the quickest “landing to leaving airport” time thanks to its small plane and efficient ground staff.

ATR72-500 also has a more comfortable 2×2 leather seats layout giving the ‘business-class’ feel to all passengers. There is no such thing as middle seat where you got very little privacy and space, something many business travelers don’t like.

Reason #6 – No queue and choose your own seat!

All boarding passes on Firefly Airlines are now numbered so passengers no longer have to line up early, which was a turnoff to many business travelers already rushed for time. For business travelers, the availability of the new option of choosing a seat online for a minimal charge of RM10 is a great addition to Firefly in-flight service.

Fancy for a comfortable seat with good legroom? Choose the front row. Rushing for a meeting? Choose the last row on the plane. It’s all in the hands of the business travelers.

Reason #7 – Travel Heavy with Firefly

All passengers with Firefly are entitled to a 20kg free baggage allowance. For many business travelers this is very useful as business trips sometime involves marketing collaterals like brochures, products, equipments, etc that need to be brought along. Firefly attracts business travelers by offering this free 20KG and also having the option to purchase additional excess baggage prepaid making life easier for business travelers.

Reason #8 – Swing in Business Deals with Firefly

(image courtesy of Firefly)

Golf is known by many business executives as the sports for business. It is a common trend worldwide for business deals to be discussed and sealed on a golf course. Firefly has successfully tapped into this market and offers business travelers many great deals. One of it being the AGS-Firefly Golf Card. This card offers an array of convenient golfing avenues nationwide, with almost 50 associated golf clubs and resorts to choose from, and unlimited rounds of golf at discounted rates throughout the year.

With Firefly, business executives can easily bring along their golf sets with a minimal charge and just sit back, relax and enjoy the flying experience with Firefly before their games and meetings start.

Reason #9 – D-I-Y Travel Arrangements

While usually travel agents are the ones making arrangement for company executives, there is a large group of untapped travelers which I labeled as self-managed business travelers. These are tech-savvy executives that usually choose their own routes and book their own flights. The nature of Firefly Airlines being a first-come-first-serve airline allows access to everyone as there is no such thing as seats being blocked by travel agents for other passengers. It’s a fair game for everyone and making travel arrangement easier.

In the past I’ve conveniently purchased my Firefly ticket through my Nokia E63 in between meetings. This accessibility and simplicity is something that I find suits my work schedule better compared to previously having to go through the company’s travel agent.

Reason #10 – Cost! Cost! Cost!

In a nutshell, a flight with Firefly Airlines will cost less than a premium airline. It is cheaper to fly with Firefly in terms of flight ticket, cost to the airport and the other service charges. In this kind of economic scenario, it makes all sense for companies to begin considering Firefly Airline as their preferred airline simply because it’s cheaper and offer the same perks as premium airlines.

Firefly is starting to offer corporate programmes for companies and businesses. In the end what also motivates me to fly with Firefly Airlines is the fact that I can walk to my boss and brag to him how I have help to save the company’s money!

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There you go, 10 reasons why I think Firefly rocks for business travelers!

While airlines are eliminating jobs, scaling back flights and parking planes to weather the recession, which has caused lucrative business travel in particular to decline, Firefly Airlines are ready to capture the business segment of air travelers shifting from flying premium airline to something cheaper but offering same premium hospitality and services. Next time you’re on Firefly Airlines, check out the increasing numbers of passengers in suits and tie