Premium brands capture the public imagination
when they stand out from the rest. Obvious
examples are Earl Grey tea which connoisseurs
recognise for its distinctive name, flavour and
taste, Rolls-Royce for its pedigree of
no-expense-spared luxury and Parker pens for
their stylishness coupled with functionality.
Another premium brand that is widely respected
in this country is Singapore Airlines (SIA) which
is particularly well known for the quality of its
product offering and excellence of service
standards. Singapore Airlines' customer service
standards are symbolised by the distinctive
uniform of its flight stewardess, a sarong kebaya
in batik material designed by Parisian couturier
Pierre Balmain, reflecting its Asian heritage.
In the modern service economy, it is frequently
customer service that differentiates one product
from another. A prime example is the airline
business, where passengers may be travelling for
many hours. During these periods people want
to relax in comfort, knowing that their
individual needs are being catered for. SIA aims
to provide the best product for its passengers,
plus the best customer service available.
MBME-009 3 P.T.O.
After operating as Malaysian Airways and then
as Malaysia-Singapore Airlines, SIA was
officially launched in 1972. Today SIA's network
reaches out to 93 destinations in 42 countries,
serving Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle
East, the South West Pacific and Africa. Its
regional airline subsidiary Silk Air serves
21 destinations in 8 countries. SIA has also
created a number of strategic alliances with
other major world airlines to serve other
markets jointly.
Remarkably for the airline industry SIA owns all
its aircraft, unlike many other airlines who lease
a substantial part of their fleet. It also has one of
the youngest fleets of any major airline, with an
average age of just over five years.