Customer‐oriented service development at SAS

The airline industry will be going through dramatic changes in the years to come. This is due foremost to altered customer demands and expectations but also to deregulation of the airline business. Many airline companies have lost track of the true needs of their passengers and are trapped in outdated views of what airline service is all about. The paper illustrates how Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) has tried to set a new standard for customer focused services. Part of this effort was a thorough investigation into the concerns of the customers throughout the entire travel experience. Based on the results, SAS has tried to build an understanding of its passengers and today it develops services founded on what SAS believes are the customers’ true needs and expectations.