How can you partner with airlines for marketing?

1 Identify potential partners

The first step is to identify which airlines are the most suitable and interested in partnering with your airport. You can do this by analyzing your current and potential markets, passenger profiles, and competitive advantages. You can also look at the airlines' network, fleet, and growth plans, as well as their marketing strategies, objectives, and challenges. Based on this information, you can narrow down your list of potential partners and prioritize them according to their fit, value, and feasibility.

2 Establish mutual goals

The next step is to establish clear and realistic goals for the partnership, both for your airport and the airline. You should communicate your expectations, needs, and benefits to the airline, and listen to their feedback and concerns. You should also align your goals with the airline's marketing objectives, such as increasing brand awareness, customer loyalty, or market share. Some of the common goals for airport-airline partnerships are to increase passenger traffic, generate revenue, enhance customer experience, and create differentiation.

3 Develop a marketing plan

The third step is to develop a comprehensive and creative marketing plan that outlines the activities, channels, and resources for the partnership. You should consider the target audience, the message, and the value proposition for the partnership, and how to communicate them effectively and consistently. You should also consider the budget, timeline, and metrics for the partnership, and how to allocate them fairly and efficiently. Some of the marketing activities that you can implement with airlines are co-branded campaigns, joint promotions, loyalty programs, cross-selling, and social media engagement.

4 Execute and monitor

The fourth step is to execute and monitor the marketing plan, and ensure that both parties are fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. You should coordinate closely with the airline's marketing team, and provide them with the necessary support, information, and feedback. You should also track and measure the performance of the partnership, and report on the results and outcomes. You should use relevant and reliable data sources, such as passenger surveys, traffic statistics, revenue reports, and customer feedback.

5 Evaluate and improve

The final step is to evaluate and improve the partnership, and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You should review the goals, activities, and results of the partnership, and assess the return on investment, customer satisfaction, and competitive advantage. You should also solicit feedback from the airline, and discuss the challenges, issues, and solutions. You should then use this feedback to improve the partnership, and plan for the future. You should also celebrate the successes, and acknowledge the contributions of both parties.