The few years prior to World War II saw the beginning of operations for Turkish Airlines, more specifically in May of 1933. Their start in business was humble with just four aircraft capable of carrying merely twenty three passengers total. Their fleet would not see any new additions until 1945. Today, they have received the first of twelve Boeing 777-300ER aircraft which is the world’s most advanced “heavy” in the world. The past five years have seen the increase in routes operated by the airline as well as improved profitability. Clearly, Turkish Airlines has learned from past mistakes and have progressed significantly since the days when they could only carry 23 passengers at a time.
There seems to be an increase in passenger flow especially among expatriates. Once they pick good out of state moving service to relocate, then their next move is to estimate relocation expenses, and select Turkish Airlines as their carrier of choice.
No one can say that Turkish Airlines does not see the value of promotions and brand recognition. As a matter of fact, they are very hip on picking out brands and the markets that are affected. For example, American basketball and their contract for NBA star Kobe Bryant is another pick. In February 2011, Kobe Bryant did a commercial for Turkish Airlines that contained a humorous aspect to it. Not too long ago, Caroline Wozniacki was put on this list. She will help in selling the airlines’ Business Class service to the tennis fans in Europe. The profitability of Turkish Airlines was impressive in 2010, with financial statements showing they attained a nine-month net profit of 169 million USD. The company’s sales revenue jumped to 5 billion USD, translating into an impressive rise of 39%. With the intent of increasing revenue generated by business class passengers, the company is building a fleet that will consist of long-haul aircraft, specifically the Boeing 777-300ER. However, they also have plans for using the wide-body jets for international cargo hauls, as well. While last year’s figures were not exactly expected, they were, nevertheless, quite pleasant. It is possible that the aggressive marketing strategy the company has recently been engaged in has also helped the figures. Turkish Airlines plans to cement and expand their Asian operations while also entering the US market.
The airline is also consolidating the rewards programs together into a single account for both Mile & Smiles family members and Elite Plus members. Essentially, the Elite Plus members will enjoy greater convenience because their earned miles will be located in a single account.
This also means that any miles earned will apply to family members too. Earning more miles is as simple as paying for purchases using a Miles & Smiles credit card or by booking flights with any airlines within the Star Alliance. It seems that passengers from the US can fly on Turkish Airlines aircraft from both sides of the country. This expands travel options and makes reaching new destinations easy. Los Angeles and Washington DC are two of the largest international hubs in the US and the airline runs multiple flights every week to and from these destinations.