Traditional carriers like United and Delta have an asset mindset. They fly planes full of people.
Southwest is in the people (customer service) business; they just use airplanes to connect people to their destinations.JetBlue disrupted traditional carriers with cost, but also a people-centric, amenity-rich model in service of its mission to “inspire humanity, both on the air and on the ground.”Early on, traditional air carriers tried to copy Southwest's low-cost business model and failed, because they didn't recognize that Southwest had a different mental model model for its strategy.
Sabre is a technology business predicting pricing and usage for airlines, optimizing profit. Meanwhile, Google, Lumo and Yilu are using predictive analytics tech to lessen the impact of delays—and automatically adjust itineraries. And flying car companies like Joby Aviation are threatening to disrupt regional flights.
All airlines were hit hard by online marketplaces like Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak and Google Flights, which empower air travelers by exposing pricing.At the same time, new entrants like Jettly are connecting under-utilized private jets with VIPs who need unusual, luxurious or fast routes—but haven’t hit their stride yet.
