airlines - Publications - Faculty & Research

Portrait Project

Ryan Flamerich

never. I asked anyone who would listen for time, and I found my way to a cargo airline. My experience led me to write a case on airline finance that is now taught to all first-year MBA students. A year later, the industry is still... View Details

23 Jul 2016
News

The Art of Persuasion

When Radhika Piramal (MBA 2006) returned to India in 2009, she noted two developing trends with direct implications for VIP Industries, her family’s luggage and bag business. First, air traffic was increasing rapidly with the introduction of new View Details

Elmer A. Sperry

A prolific inventor, Sperry was instrumental in creating technological advances in navigation. He invented gyroscopic compasses and stabilizers that became fundamental components for both ships and airplanes. His inventions were adopted by the United States Navy and... View Details

Keywords: Fabricated Goods

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Privatization and the New European Economy

From France to Italy, Germany to Denmark, chances are good that if you pick a country in Europe, you can match it with its state-owned airline. But as Europe unites, barriers come down, and competition heats up, cross-border mergers have become fair game for View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Air Transportation; Transportation

Donald W. Nyrop

After a distinguished career in law, which led him to the top positions at both the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, Nyrop joined the ailing Northwest Airlines with hopes of turning it around. Instituting... View Details

Keywords: Transportation

Robert L. Crandall

Crandall is credited with several innovations in the airline industry including introducing the original “Super Saver” fares, launching the first frequent flyer program, and developing the first yield management system for maximizing... View Details

Keywords: Transportation

01 Jun 2000
News

Priceline's Jay Walker: The Future is Wow

entertaining," Walker said. Priceline.com, a consumer-to-business Web site launched in 1998, sells groceries using the same "name your price" scheme it uses to sell surplus airline tickets and hotel rooms to travelers. Online shoppers are... View Details

Portrait Project

Michael Nkansah

century. Africa's economic rise has set the stage for a transportation revolution—one I intend to help shape. I will build an airline that links the remotest parts of the continent, connecting its people and markets. I learned the value... View Details

William E. Boeing

Boeing was a pioneer of commercial aviation. Boeing organized United Airlines outfitting it with 25 specially designed, heavy-duty planes. Boeing also designed and constructed a fleet of bi-planes, B-40s, to be used in the mail service.... View Details

Keywords: Automotive & Aerospace

20 Jul 2016
Research & Ideas

Airplane Design Brings Out the Class Warfare in Us All

behavior. The leading causes of passenger disruptions on airplane flights. (Source: Research Report: Physical and Situational Inequality on Airplanes Predicts Air Rage.) Source: Micaela Brody They pored through a private database of all air rage incidents from a large... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Air Transportation; Sports; Travel

19 Nov 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

E-Santa: Is Retail Ready for Digital Christmas?

increasingly important tool in the online retailer's marketing arsenal, but profit is lost when not done right. Research Papers Opportunistic Returns and Dynamic Pricing: Empirical Evidence from Online Retailing in Emerging Markets Dynamic pricing is widely applied in... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

22 Aug 2019
News

Getting There

expanded into a “super app,” offering everything from food and parcel delivery, to hotels and airline bookings, and access financial and health services. “It’s a miracle that we are where we are now,” says Anthony Tan. VIEW VIDEO View Details

Keywords: Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation; Transportation

17 Jun 2016
Op-Ed

Companies Need to Start Marketing Security to Customers

on financial controls, not on risks to consumers and brand reputations. That's not good enough" Even marketers who pay special attention to safety are reluctant to tout their superiority. You never see comparison advertising from an View Details

Keywords: by John A. Quelch; Entertainment & Recreation

Career Coach

Jan Pianca

MBA Admissions. Before joining HBS, Jan worked as a Marketing and Communication Manager for Austrian Airlines in Milan. As a career coach to alumni and students, Jan welcomes the opportunity to assist individuals with their job search,... View Details

23 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

It’s Called ‘Price Coherence,’ and It’s Surprisingly Bad for Consumers

Consumers often have the following choice: Either buy something directly from a retailer, or buy it indirectly through an intermediary, which partners with the retailer to attract more buyers. Think purchasing a plane ticket straight from the View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Air Transportation; Food & Beverage; Entertainment & Recreation

09 Jan 2013
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Understanding Customers

Crisis It was the Valentine's Day from hell for JetBlue employees and more than 130,000 customers. Under bad weather, JetBlue fliers were trapped on the runway at JFK for hours, many ultimately delayed by days. How did the airline make it... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty

01 Oct 2002
News

All Aboard

no-nonsense manager.” “When I get called, it's generally because there's an operational or financial problem, and people have decided it's time to cease talking about it and do something,” he told the Associated Press (June 19, 2002). View Details

01 Apr 2002
News

Professorship Brings Brierley's HBS Connection Full Circle

ever dreamed that frequentflier miles would become a multibillion-dollar source of incremental airline revenue," he notes. In 1982, Brierley was named vice president of sales and advertising for Pan American World Airways, where he... View Details

Keywords: Charles M. Williams; Epsilon Data Management; Computer Systems Design and Related Services; Professional Services

22 Jul 2024
News

Viral Marketing’s Early Muse

Illustration by John Weber In 2008, Canadian musician Dave Carroll saw United Airlines employees manhandling his $3,500 Taylor guitar on the tarmac in Chicago. When he arrived at his destination, the guitar was in pieces. Carroll contacted United customer service... View Details

25 Aug 2022
News

The Great Priority Reset

future, airlines will have to make some major operational moves, from reconfiguring cabins to examining the economics of certain routes. Those traveling for pleasure, meanwhile, aren’t waiting—and they are driving change at the airport.... View Details

Publications