Funny enough, but I am writing this on my really first trip ever on the Austrian Airlines. Being Star Alliance gold member for 15 years that’s pretty interesting. But life is meant to face experiences; what else we are living for? So this one from my corner seat 1A.

Day before my flight I found myself thinking about the brand expectations I might have for Austrian Airlines and what I got? Hmmm, slightly confused as no bells really ringing inside my head. Mostly I thought Austria as a country - sorry for all stereotypes now - small, friendly country with great skiing resorts in its own side of the Alps, great masculine Alpine food compared to Italian side (said all that and knowing I am most probably starting a war), for some reason easy to understand German accent (my personal view) and so on. As I know we Scandinavians look Scandinavian to most of the people (yes, I used to have plenty of blond hair as well and I was always guessed to be a Norwegian…), I can also recognize, or guess at least Austrian people – no I don’t mean Governor Schwarzenegger now, and some of the most stereotype foods and habits. But, Austrian Airlines? Nothing, really. No bells heard. Yes, I have seen the planes many times at the airports, knowing they are part of my second home provider Star Alliance but that’s all. Isn’t that lovely? So, more than excited to step on board. And browsing around. Brand expectation was all open. So great!

We are flying out to Dubai which brings some of the Arabian flavors to the soup, of course. And here’s my first expression; why Austrians are playing with Arabic flavor? Is it because of the clientele? I can’t say but if the dinner gives you choices of main course of rosemary chicken (“Rosmarinhuhn”), prawns (“Crevetten”) and Izlim Kebab (yes, you got it right, it’s “Izlim kebab also in German) I just wonder what’s wrong with the Austrian cuisine? There are plenty of great Austrian chefs in the world and great restaurants in Austria, as also showcased so beautifully on one of the video channels on board and program called “Culinary High-Flyer”; showing a story of the Ikarus Restaurant at Salzburg’s airport Hangar-7 and their wonderful way to have visiting chefs with them, this time Jean-Marie Gautier of Villa Eugénie in Biarritz, France. So why not taking a braver steps in this world, too? I personally think that airlines have great position to work as culinary ambassadors too and that’s why they should do! Anyway, I liked my Persian coffee - even that “Iranian” sounded funny - after my meal, there were plenty of good appetizers like Turkish lentil patties, humus, tabouleh and so on. But again, why not Austrian? At least good desserts you could expect, couldn’t you?

Honestly, I don’t even expect over-friendly and all-covering service on Lufthansa or Scandinavian Airlines, just for example. I know every nation in the world has its positive and negative side and as “to be at your service” is not really part of the normal life everywhere in the world, it would be unfair to compare those acts and cultures with Asian culture, for example. My expectation of Austrian Airlines was pretty much similar to the ones mentioned; everything works but no wow effect linked to the service. And right I was. It’s effective, you get what you are supposed to get, even with few miles but that’s it. Nothing to complain, nothing to cheer; good, professional, easy, comfortable.

But you guys at the product or service development department of Austrian Airlines, please take a ride on your own flights and try to enjoy a movie. I don’t know if it’s because of the screens, the data feed, quality of movies or what, but the quality of the video is something similar from the VCR times from 90’s. I really don’t get why it needs to be like that, nor how it can be like that. And who has got the idea that movies runs only one round and then rest of the journey nothing but the snow storm (picture)?

All right, all those details on this flight made me to think the brand Expectations, Stereotypes and Experiences. When I boarded, Austrian Airlines was completely grey area for me. I did not expect anything, in addition to the service level following the German traditions as mentioned above and certain good quality, in engineering or mechanical sense mostly. Isn’t that great landing area or what? Customer is not expecting anything, just sitting down and happily receive everything that comes. That was the case for me with Austrian Airlnes, very different from Qatar Airways some times ago; they tell you to expect five star services and when you are sitting there, you just wonder what happened with that concept? It was still all right, but not the 5-star concept I would flow into a company running its business on service after all.

Stereotypes are something we build our world with, no need to deny that. It just makes it so much simpler; Scandinavians are like that, Germans like that, Americans like that, Arabians like that and so on. Everyone who says they are not thinking like that lies. On personal level stereotypes are required, on mass media level same criteria transforms into a set of ridiculous and sometimes even dangerous issues. But that’s a topic we can continue later. In a customer expectation world stereotypes are good as the company providing the service you are using can skip plenty of things and just rely on the stereotypes. As in the case of Austrian Airlines; not exactly as punctual as Swiss, but close. Same family of mechanical engineering as the whole German culture world. Meaning; yes, I can fly these planes. They are in good condition, under a good maintenance, reliable.

Expectations, Stereotypes and Experiences - like Trains, Planes and Automobiles - is a simple package. For myself, exactly as it has been tonight. Expectations of Austrian Airlines basically nothing, stereotypes of a good quality German approach for mechanical engineering, and finally an experience that everything works well. What else is really needed? After all the years close to marketing communications business, I have found myself recently going really back to basics. After all the - sorry for my language - bullshit written in marketing during the few last decades, it’s still all about the core product. There were the times of four P’s in marketing but later plenty of guys put their own P’s into the picture. If you really go to the basics, product and further price, you would actually now what people are willing to pay for the set of experiences you are trying to sell. That’s exactly what is happening here on this seat 1A on OS312 from Vienna to Dubai. Honestly, even in these times of various social media channels, it’s hard to change stereotypes of normal, average Joe’s. You do clever marketing and you are mostly fine tuning the layers around the stereotypes existed for decades or centuries. French are French, Brits are Brits, Swedes and Swedes, and Finns are Finns. And drunk.

I don’t know. Maybe I am really getting old and seeing the deep truth behind those hundreds of presentations. It’s the product we are buying, or myself at least. A Good Year is on again - against everything I just mentioned before - without question being one of the best movies I have seen, another sign of getting old. “It’s your last night here so I thought we would take something special”, says Maxmillian’s uncle and opens a bottle of wine. It’s my last time here. For another 1,5 hours and then I’m done. What would be the something special? Hhmmm, I need to ask the staff.

“Maxmillian, is there anything you want to tell me”, asked the uncle. “Yes. Checkmate”, Maxmillian answered and makes his last move on the chessboard. That’s what a good brand is all about. A real, genuine, complete, recognizable, memorized checkmate. You need the basics to make that happen. No BS. “Don’t worry about me. I’m the pool guy”, so I just keeping observating.

Cheers for expectations, stereotypes and experiences! Cheers for good stuff! And yes, cheers for Russell Crowe and French countryside! And thank you Austrian Airlines, you fulfilled my expectations and that’s only thing that counts after all.

P.S. We are landing and the “audiovisual program will be closed” and I was middle of A Good Year. Once again. you might say. But wouldn’t an airline be absolutely perfect place to sell the DVD on Amazon or others? “You didn’t see the rest? Why don’t you buy the DVD here?” Oooh, so good business it would be!