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SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air France, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, CSA, Delta Air Lines, KLM, Korean Air and Northwest Airlines, sets itself apart by offering an exclusive experience for all passengers. Issued monthly, SkyTeam NewsFlash provides media with key updates and insights on alliance activities.
SkyTeam Appoints Ambassadors to the World
SkyTeam’s success as an alliance is a direct result of harmony between the many moving parts, one of which is the people who work with alliance customers daily. Frontline employees assist passengers as they travel across SkyTeam’s extensive network, providing guidance for connections, bookings and other inquiries to ensure a hassle-free travel experience. But how does SkyTeam make certain customers experience consistent service across all ten carriers? One of the tools is the Ambassador Program, which was created to build and enhance awareness among the workforce – including Airport Customer Service, In-Flight Service, Lounge, Reservation Sales and Call Center employees. In addition to education programs via tools like newsletters, the alliance recently began implementing in-person meetings to encourage interaction among employees. Thus, a series of Ambassador Forums was created.
The Ambassador Forums bring together representatives from SkyTeam carriers to meet their alliance colleagues and learn more about the alliance customer benefits and services of member airlines. At the Forums, employees receive informational leaflets on each SkyTeam airline, interact, ask questions, share experiences and best practices. Employees leave the event with a greater understanding of alliance operations, synergies and individual carrier information.
“The Ambassador program is a great opportunity for SkyTeam employees to become more aware of the alliance and the partner airline offerings,” said Brian Fitzgerald, Airport Services Policy and Procedure manager from Continental.
To encourage interaction, employees receive a SkyTeam passport upon entry to the Forum. They receive a stamp from each carrier by correctly answering a question about the partner airline. The intent of the passport is to have the agent engage in conversation with the airline representative and learn the answer to the question.
The Ambassador Forums facilitate cohesion among employees of all ten members and they also encourage camaraderie among the carriers’ employees. They provide an opportunity for the staff members to meet each other and put faces to voices on the phone so that they feel part of the broad alliance team.
The Forum series was developed as a result of customer feedback highlighting the importance of consistent service across the network. “We want to make sure we are proactive in our efforts,” said Pascal Chouraqui, manager alliance commercial product development, Air France. “SkyTeam is focused on providing consistent service and through the Ambassador Forums, frontline employees become more knowledgeable and further embody SkyTeam’s commitment towards its customers.
The program saw immediate success at the first event at Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris in October 2006, with more than 900 attendees. Most recently Continental hosted a forum that was held at Newark Liberty Airport attended by more than 700 employees from all ten carriers.
SkyTeam looks forward to continued success with more Forums throughout the year. Ambassador Forums will be held in Amsterdam, Mexico City, New York (JFK) and Detroit, among other locations.
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