Next to the Airline of the Year Award, the Passenger Service Award is the most coveted. Previous winners have included such leading airlines as Swissair, Singapore Airlines, Ansett, Cathay Pacific and British Airways.
Asiana Airlines began flying into Manila in 1994. Currently at the helm of the Asiana Manila Regional Office is You Jung Park, who, along with general manager Minki Roxas-Bautista, and passenger sales & marketing manager Rene Philip Banzon, constantly works hard to make sure that the airline lives up to its description as "The Jewel of Asia."
Although he prefers to do his duties as regional manager in an efficient and quiet manner, Park was persuaded to share some information about himself and Asiana.
Philippine Star: How did you get started in the travel industry?
You Jung Park: I started in Korean Air as a middle manager for sales/marketing department back in 1988 and this naturally led me to the travel industry. Before joining the airlines, I used to work for construction and manufacturing companies.
What is your favorite travel/vacation destination? How often do you get to go there? Why is this your choice?
It would be more appropriate for me to choose vacation destinations in the Philippines because I have been a resident here since 1998. Even though I had been there just once, Boracay always lingers in my mind with its silky cool white sand even under the hottest summer sun and with its crystal clear emerald waters.
Before the Philippines, where were you assigned? What do you like/dislike about living in Manila the most?
The Philippines is actually my first overseas tour of duty as an airline manager. I find the people warm, hospitable and very accommodating, which would effectively offset inconveniences such as traffic.
Is Asiana involved in programs that seek to promote social consciousness or environmental awareness?
Asiana is a pioneer of the UNICEF "Change for Humanity" program tie-up (wherein spare change from the country where you last boarded is donated for UNICEF programs.) Asiana is also known for its "Hansarang" Service which looks after the special needs of the elderly and physically challenged passengers. Asiana is also one of the first airlines to be awarded the ISO 14001 Certification of Quality in the Preservation of the Environment.
Who make up the bulk of Filipino passengers on Asiana? What is the most common travel destination for Filipinos?
Filipino passengers consist mostly of business travelers, family vacationers and some overseas workers who work as factory workers in Korea as seamen headed for different shipping ports like Busan, Ulsan and Yosu. Filipinos enjoy visiting Seoul to shop for quality goods at very affordable prices.
What makes Asiana different from other players in the travel industry? Why would Filipinos prefer to travel with Asiana?
Asiana is this year’s Air Transport World passenger service awardee. Aside from that, we were also recognized by Boeing, the largest airline manufacturing company in the world, as having the best safety and reliability record among all of its clients with a reliability record of 99.81 percent. Even Airbus awarded Asiana with the Airline Management Award for year 2000. As of late last year, we had the youngest fleet worldwide among the 40 largest airlines.
Asiana is also the only airline that has a 180-degree-reclining First Class seat (or bed) in all aircraft flying the Transpacific route, which has been a favorite among our high yield passengers.
Filipinos particularly like the sincere in-flight cabin crew service that they notice to be among the best in the world and the clean aircraft interiors. Smoking is strictly prohibited on all Asiana flights. We noted the tendency of Filipinos and other nationalities alike to become repeat passengers once they have tried the service. We have also hired a total of 28 Filipino cabin crew. This has been very effective in making the Filipino passengers feel right at home on our flights when they see their kababayans even on flights to destinations other than Seoul. (Because of) the graciousness and efficiency of the Filipino cabin crew, Asiana management has given the nod to the hiring of more Filipinos.
What image does the company want to project? What reputation does Asiana want to build?
Asiana’s major thrust is its "Safety First" philosophy. We also want to emphasize our reputation for having the best in-flight service in the industry. We are also working to become the best alternative carrier to other destinations such as the US, particularly New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
What are Asiana’s plans for the rest of the year?
Asiana is considering evening departures from Seoul that would turn around and allow late evening departures from Manila as well. This would then connect to 11 cities in China and 13 cities in Japan as well as to points in Russia, Turkey and 12 cities in South Korea.
I read that there is a large investment in enhancing the airplanes. Will that mean an increase in ticket prices for your passengers?
Additional investments in safety and service enhancement projects do not necessarily mean an increase in fares. It’s only part of Asiana’s continuous quest to improve its services. In fact, Asiana has always made sure that its fares are very competitive in the market.
Asiana has reaped many awards, both for passenger service and for flights. Overall, to what would you attribute these accomplishments?
Asiana attributes its accomplishments to the top management’s dreams of one day becoming recognized as the World’s Best Airline.