Corendon leads air travel innovation with new adult-only zones

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Dutch airline Corendon introduces adult-only zones on flights, a trendsetting move that caters to global passenger demand and reshapes air travel.

In a groundbreaking development, Corendon Airlines, a Dutch airline company, has recently introduced a novel concept on its flights, catching the eye of global media. This new initiative, highlighted in an article by the Spectator referencing a PhotoAID survey, addresses a long-standing demand from world passengers for adult-only zones.

The airline’s Amsterdam to Curaçao route in the Caribbean is now featuring a specialized area at the front of the aircraft reserved for global passengers over 16 years old. This zone promises a tranquil and serene atmosphere, aiming to enhance the travel experience for both groups with and without children.

The introduction of this concept raises several questions within the aviation industry. Will this idea resonate with a broad range of international travelers? How will it influence the future of global air travel? And what strategies should industry players adopt to capitalize on this emerging trend? We consulted various professionals in the travel technology distribution field to gather their insights.

It’s important to note that the concept of ‘adults only’ is not entirely new. It has been successfully implemented in other sectors of the global travel industry, including hotels, cruises, and tour operators, which offer exclusive ‘adults only’ areas, amenities, and packages.

Henry Harteveldt from Atmosphere Research Group recommends that anyone entering into this space do their research first. “Do you have enough customers to make this endeavor worthwhile? Is this profitable? Will this favorably distinguish your brand? Will you be able to sell and service this through all the channels you sell through – including travel agencies, if you use them? If the answers are favorable, a robust and comprehensive marketing strategy – and budget – will be critical. Relying just on search engine optimization and search and social media marketing to create awareness and generate interest won’t be adequate. You’ll need an integrated marketing campaign that encompasses PR, advertising in relevant media, targeted email, promotional activity – and, yes, SEO, SEM, and social media marketing.”

To be successful the idea will require investment from both sellers and B2B buyers of flights: “Travel providers and intermediaries need to think carefully about how they would sell and market this new service,” says Janis Dzenis from price-comparison website WayAway. “Currently, adult-only flights aren’t a typical search term for consumers – many wouldn’t know this is now a real option. A PR or marketing campaign would be needed, alongside new technology that can help adult-only flights appear in the booking flow. OTAs and metasearch companies should consider adding a filter for this emerging service, and consider guiding people to it on their websites, as it’s not something people will naturally know they can search for.”

It’s not just airlines that stand to benefit from this being a success, “travel sellers and buyers of accommodation too should think about how to maximise this new trend,” adds Gareth Matthews from global travel distribution provider Didatravel. “This could be a great opportunity to sell the ultimate adult-only package holiday, for example. Hotels have already mastered the adult-only concept and many have highly successful business models, plus loyal customers and strong distribution networks. Now, the ability to package this with a matching adult-only flight could be a win-win-win for travellers, distributors and suppliers.”p

Broadly agreeing with this view, Haluk Kayhan, CEO at PrimeTravel, a fast-growing B2B travel distributor providing accommodations around the world adds: “For retail travel agents sat their facing the client in person or selling over the phone this represents a unique opportunity to add value and personalize a trip – they can judge whether or not a traveller is likely to be interested in an adult only cabin experience in a way that an online seller can’t do in the same way. So we’d recommend that airlines considering this explore the retail sales channel route above others. The prospect of adult-only flights therefore presents an exciting opportunity for both travellers seeking a serene journey and for the industry too.”

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