Flight For Congressman Essay Examples

A Congressman needs flight service to ferry him/his staffs. But the issue is the erratic schedule of the trips. It is a good proposition for the airlines to maintain a good rapport with the congressman as it would help in getting the ‘military contract’. At the same time, the difficulty would be providing quality service without compromising on the existing customer services.

Recommended Action:

Accept the offer. Your operations chief is clever and you believe that she/he will be able to solve any scheduling dilemmas.

Rationale:

The profits in question for this option are great. It would mean that a good service would enable the airline company lynch the military airline contract. It would not just mean monetary profits for the company but also a pride of being ‘one –of – kind’ airline service provider which would facilitate in building the brand of the company. This would in turn bring in huge profits once the company’s name becomes synonymous with trust and reliability.
The only issue in question is that, the schedules are not fixed and they may lead to erratic schedules in passenger flights as well. But Richard Branson’s ‘idea of subtraction’ can be used in this case. The issue of erratic schedules can be easily handled. As it is given that, the flights in ‘non-profit’ operations can be diverted for this purpose; it implies that there are certain routes where the airline makes no profit at all. So, those routes could be temporarily terminated as no returns are expected out of them. Terminating a plane service would mean a plane kept in reserve exclusively for the politician. Since the plane meant for ferrying the politician will not be regularly used, it can be serviced when it is not used. Having said this, using the flight only for the Congressman’s purpose would mean that one plane would always be stranded except for the days when it has trips. To tackle this situation, the airline can announce special flight services to its customers by announcing flights in profitable and high demand routes. Since, it is a special flight announced at the last minute, passengers will be ready to shell out some extra money. This would mean more profits. Having the schedule one week in advance is only going to improve the situation.
Having a manager who can efficiently manage flight services is an added advantage. He can be consulted and inputs can be taken on how to tackle the problems arising out of the situation.

Ethical Dilemmas:

The main issue is that, the passenger services may take a hit if proper management is not done. Also that, the flight service for the congressman should be top class. Only then, the desired benefit would be obtained. If a proper service is not provided, it may eventually completely collapse the company’s reputation and it will take a long time to build back the ‘brand value’.

Final Stand:

Though there is a huge risk riding on this offer, the returns are really lucrative. There can be no business which does not involve any risk. Ability to take calculated risks is the hallmark of an efficient company. The company which sees opportunities in risks is never bound to fail. So, it is my firm conviction that, the offer should be taken up.

References

Drucker, P. (1954) The Practice of Management, HarperBusiness, Reissue edition 1993, ISBN 0-88730-613-6
Fort, Timothy (2001) Ethics and Governance: Business as Mediating Institution, Oxford University Press USA, New York
Shavinina, Larisa V (December 2006). "Micro-social factors in the development of entrepreneurial giftedness: the case of Richard Branson". High Ability Studies