As a strategist for JetBlue I would find differentiation to be the most difficult. The discount airline business is highly commoditized and vigorously competitive. Sources of differentiation are scarce. All competitors have almost equal access to the same technology and same routes. Competitors attempt to differentiate based on service levels, yet none of their service initiatives are a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, differentiation is not the main driver of profitability in this sector. Cost control is, but many of the major costs such as airplane leases, landing fees and fuel prices are relatively fixed so acute focus must be placed on the more controllable areas, including those which affect the same service levels upon which differentiation is built.

Works Cited

Sandberg, Kirsten. (2005). Winning Customers Through People and Technology: A Conversation with Jeffrey Rayport. Harvard Business School Press. Retrieved April 8, 2008 at http://www.bestfaceforward.info/DocumentDisplayServlet.srv?url=%2FUploadDocumentDisplayServlet.srv%3Fid%3D31157....
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