When it comes to vacations, Gen Yers have a ‘treat yourself’ attitude. Hoping to tap into that mentality, Air France is launching Joon – an airline designed specifically for this cohort, aiming to win them over from budget competitors with tech amenities and lifestyle branding. We explore the insights behind the company’s new airline, and what it says about what Gen Yers want from travel experiences.
Air France has announced the launch of Joon, an airline “aimed at a young working clientele, the millennials, whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology.” While it hasn’t released many details, Air France claims that Joon’s amenities will meet the requirements and aspirations of young flyers. They’ve revamped the wardrobes of flight attendants and will be weaving technology into the flying experience.
Similar moves have been made by Lufthansa with Level and British Airways with Eurowing – but unlike those two spin-offs, Joon will not be a low-cost airline. Because Gen Yers aren’t always scrimping when they fly; they spend $600 billion per year on travel, and do it more than any other generation. Many in this group are even prioritising globetrotting over milestones like home-ownership. One Australian study showed that over 60% of Gen Yers who’d ventured overseas in the past three years said that travel is a 'must-do' rather than a 'nice-to-do', and three-quarters said they ‘relaxed their normal spending discipline’ when travelling.
Plus, this generation is the one that is increasingly expecting an end-to-end experience that they can gloat about later. “You only have to look at Facebook or other social media channels to see the apparent importance of 'bragging rights' when it comes to travel,” says Dr. Paul Johnson, creator of A Luxury Travel Blog. With economy travel getting ever more basic, Air France is clearly hoping that Gen Yers will treat themselves to a higher-end experience with a little more legroom.
Katy Young is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research. She has a degree in American Studies and Film, and an MA in Journalism. Her interests include swimming, thinking of podcast ideas and singing in an all-female choir.
