Update (October 2022): Bonza has launched a travel agent portal to allow travel agents to book Bonza flights. It remains the case that the only way to book direct will be through Bonza’s app.
In October 2021, Bonza announced plans to launch a new Australian low-cost airline connecting regional Australia with Boeing 737 MAX jets.
The initial announcement was met with some skepticism, but we now know a little bit more about the airline’s plans. For example, Bonza has since announced the 27 routes it plans to serve. Bonza also revealed today that it will only offer bookings through its smartphone App.
Although Bonza has its own website, it won’t be possible to book a flight on it.
This strategy also allows the airline to retain complete control of the customer experience from start to finish, as the customer will interact directly with the Fly Bonza App at every step of the journey.
“Whilst our team of legends work hard to get ready to go on sale, there is one thing you could do (if you haven’t already) – download the Fly Bonza App. It’s going to be the only place to book direct,” Bonza’s Chief Commercial Officer Carly Povey said in an open letter to the Australian public released today.
In this letter, Povey lists a range of benefits to customers of booking directly through the Fly Bonza App. For example, Bonza claims it will be more simple, save time and be better for the environment.
Paperless flights
Bonza also plans to make all its flights paperless. This means there’ll be no printed boarding passes, as passengers will check in using the Fly Bonza smartphone App and get a digital boarding pass. The App will also offer information about the airline’s destinations, will be used to communicate directly with customers in the event of flight disruptions and can be used to order food & drinks on board Bonza’s flights.
After arriving at their destination, Bonza customers will also be asked to leave a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” review of their flight. This will allow the airline to collect relevant customer feedback in real time (and for free!).
In theory, if this technology all works as advertised, it actually sounds slightly revolutionary. Most airlines have their own smartphone Apps, but very few offer excellent functionality or are used by the airline in such a clever way. However, we wonder what would happen if an elderly customer without a smartphone wanted to fly with Bonza.
Recent plans by Qantas to remove the ability to print a boarding pass at the airport are already slightly controversial. Bonza’s plans are considerably more radical… but who knows, this may just work!
We’re not aware of any other major airlines that don’t offer the ability to book a ticket on their website or through a travel agent. Certainly, some low-cost airlines like Ryanair only offer direct bookings, in order to keep costs low. But you can still book a flight on Ryanair’s website. Bonza’s strategy is unusual in the aviation industry.
Pushback delayed
Bonza said earlier this year that it planned to launch flights in mid-2022. But it now looks like the low-cost carrier might have to delay its first flights by a few months.
The airline said today that it now has confirmation of when it will receive its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, but that it’s later than expected. As a result, Povey told Australian travellers they “shouldn’t wait for us to lock in your essential July and August
travel plans.”
Bonza doesn’t yet have an Australian Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), but says it’s still on track to get this over the coming months.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: New domestic Aus Airline to launch in 2022… Bonza!
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