LOT announces operations to Dubai what arguments to play vs Emirates ?

LOT flies to Dubai what arguments to opposite Emirates? Does he has a chance? A new type of aircraft in the fleet will open new destinations?  Maybe Dubai from Gdansk?

LOT finally decided on this obvious move from the market point of view. The announced connection to Dubai will start in September. What arguments will support the Polish carrier?

LOT is at home, and Dubai is a mainly direction mainly (mostly) through Poland

The first crown argument is a self / native market. Dubai, like other classic incoming destinations (Rome, Lisbon, Barcelona), is supplied even in 70-80% by the Polish market. With the estimated participation in agency sales on 35-40%, LOT can count on its agents. So  do not need Brand Awareness and large marketing investments on foreign markets.

It also has other related advantages, including Loyalty programs for small and medium-sized enterprises or that directed to air cashiers. All you need to do so overclock the bonus for the sale of Dubai and the sales effect will come.

Undoubtedly, LOT will also count on support  from government and local government institutions. Go to Brand Program for Polish Companies is  still not resolved. As soon as this will become a massive booking of Dubai, in this LOT flight perfectly shelted into the market.

Tourism – Dynamic packaging – Why Not Travel and Nekera will help LOT?

For many months we have been observing the triumphal procession of Dubai on position no. 1 among the best-selling destinations from Poland. All this largely thanks to dynamic packaging.

However, there are changes in this market, the positions are built by Why Not Travel for years strongly attached to the Polish carrier. Strong entrance with the product plans Nekera here also a large positive LOT sentiment. So he can count on receiving a lot of customers who have so far put them without hesitation on Emirates. The key to success in this segment may be Best Reisen’s decision. Dubai’s sales leader thanks to the competition of LOT and Emirates can win a lot.

Partners from Star  will help, you can also count on support  from the East?

Although LOT does not have too many friends who will take a helpful hand to complete the product of the Polish line at DUBAI destination, it is not that there are no ones at all.

A pretty good product in this direction offers, among others Turkish, the possibility of combining tariffs so that in some cases the direct journey mixed with this by Istanbul can help to fight for clients planning a trip to other days than those offered by LOT (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday).

You may also have to look for a product supplement with VIA DUBAI offers. Here the biggest tourist potential can give Ethiopia and Oman. Trips to these alloy countries via Dubai are certainly a potentially interesting offer for travel agencies. It seems that Ethiopian can help here.

You can also imagine a „release of the eye” to Belavia, UIA or AIR BALTIC. Offering an attractive priced One-Way offers will allow passengers to combine travel on two separate tickets, they even officially not lined with each other. Although the listed lines will fight for a passenger looking for the cheapest offer, this can also be useful for filling the aircraft „to the edges”.

Product wise- Emirates beats LOT – yes, but not entirely, there are advantages

Of course, many dry travelers will pay attention to the product advantage of Emirates.  In the form of both the service on board and wide body aircraft. This is an important advantage of the sinus line.

However, it must be remembered that LOT announces wider sites in the business class.  It can help fight for a passenger which will not afford the business / premium class from Emirates.

A strong side of the LOT will also be hours of  operations, arrival at the normal hour, 15.25 and the departure late afternoon is a solid advantage. Especially on the background of flying competition with transfers. In a predominant number of cases, it flies from Dubai immediately after midnight. This is also translated into an additional cost of accommodation. So the LOT has another argument to not come drastically with the price competing with these carriers.

Announcing the introduction to the service of a narrow-down plane with a real class of business is also good news for other potential destinations. Such equipment is a dream product on Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan.

The narrow-body plane has also significantly lower operations costs.  LOT freely can descend with ticket prices up to PLN 1200-1400 if it was necessary. Emirates, not mentioning the other flying via lines will be extremely difficult.

Emirates pull out super card from the sleeve – NDC moves from July

The situation of Emirates is not easy. Indicated above arguments and especially the weight of the Polish market as well as the loyalty of agents and the last changes in the dynamic packaging segment give  to LOT strong cards.

Certainly, however,EK  will not give up his market without a fight. Today the price difference between EK and the LOT is not so big. PLN 400-500 difference can still be sufficient to play a better product. However, state entities and beneficiaries Go to Brand will scrupulously count money. Too much difference in the price will not be able to swallow.

Ek may already show its super card in the form of NDC. Full implementation was announced in Poland from 1 July.  This coincides with the time of booking tickets from the funds of Go to Brand. Will EK go aggressively like Lufthansa withdrawing a part of the agency distribution tariff or more gently like a AF / KL by introducing only system surcharges.

Certainly, LOT has given a hard nut to crack, on the one hand EK can VIA NDC reduce prices for the final customer but this may in turn upset the agents of losing customers. And they will decide about this duel. We will see soon which options will choose a bay line.

Cargo – key to success? The deterrent effect will also be strategically important

Certainly, the fight will also take place on the CARGO shipments field. Although the narrow-body plane will not take him too much.  It really makes it significantly both when it comes to prices and the fight for CARGO carrying clients on Expo.

Not less significant from a simple financial result of a floating combination will be a deterrent effect. Emirates can not currently dare to think about introducing the second daily operation from Warsaw. Certainly from the point of view of the LOT plans about going more to Asia or in the future to Africa, this aspect is equally important.

We will observe this competition with curiosity, the growing interest in Dubai confirms all players on the market. In front of a few days, the exponentially growing sale of Dubai was considered one of the super trends on a global Ratehawk meeting.

Ratehawk 2021 Outlook – Travel market pulse in a global scale

There are also a number of attractions that advertise in Poland. Like DUBAI PARKS AND RESORTS, it all causes that on this direction undoubtedly there is a place for two carriers. The next step should be to consider operations from another domestic port as Gdańsk (reaching Kaliningrad clients).