Thomas Cook Airlines
Despite challenges in the air transport sector, Thomas Cook Airlines has managed to create better than average results
The story of Thomas Cook Airlines (formerly MyTravel Airways) is in many ways so unique that it is hardly possible to do it justice in a short article. However, out of the many highlights, we would like to spotlight the following:
- With unusually consistent management, Thomas Cook Airlines has turned around its way of working at a strategic level. The traditional method of annual strategy discussions and plans has been replaced by a process where the strategy mindset is a naturally integrated part of everyday work. This has included a considerably faster and more consistent decision-making process.
- The airline has successfully built up a decision support system with a structure, content and timing that continuously provides the management with information that is vital for ensuring that strategic decisions can be made at short notice based on market facts and the company can be navigated and corrected without costly delays.
- Innovation is implemented throughout the entire organisation as a pivotal point for the management's ongoing tactical and strategic decisions. Various tools, methods and processes form the core of an innovative culture that promotes innovative thinking and generates ideas.
- Against all odds and unlike most of the air transport sector, the airline has managed to maintain a positive development in all important key figures. For example, financial results in recent years have reflected figures that are considerably better than the industry as a whole. Softer parameters such as passenger satisfaction, employee satisfaction and the operators' satisfaction with Thomas Cook Airlines also reflect impressive results. This is quite an achievement considering the 20% reduction in the employee base over the past five years as part of the continuous streamlining of costs and resources.
The main challenges were:
- to integrate strategy work in everyday operations
- to build up a decision support system that can enable decisions based on facts at short notice
- to implement an innovation process at Thomas Cook Airlines to reduce the reaction time from new ideas and thoughts to specific actions
- to ensure that the change process could progress as painlessly as possible for the entire organisation to involve the employees in the journey to ensure the successful introduction of striking changes
- to upgrade managers' qualifications towards a more strategic and less operational, everyday approach, as Speed of Execution was incompatible with existing decision-making processes.
Best charter airline
Once again, in 2006 Thomas Cook Airlines won the award for being the best charter airline, an award based on selections made by employees in Danish travel agencies and Danish holidaymakers. "The Danish Travel Award" is awarded once a year.
Best choice in the air
In the summer season of 2005, passengers nominated Thomas Cook Airlines the best charter airline. A total of 402,000 Scandinavians who flew on holiday with one of 16 selected charter companies filled in and rated their airline on a number of service parameters. Thomas Cook Airlines won.