Wizz Air collaborates with UWL students to explore innovative ancillary products
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Wizz Air product managers recently visited the University of West London to engage with aviation students and listen to their ideas for new ancillary products.
This is the second time this collaborative exercise between the ultra low cost carrier (ULCC) and students studying aviation courses at UWL’s London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism has taken place.
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The UWL students worked in groups, brainstorming fresh marketing concepts for Wizz Air. They were encouraged to apply their creativity and understanding of aviation to identify new products with the potential to enhance the passenger experience and generate additional revenues for the airline.
The most compelling proposals were then pitched directly to James Goodwin, who is Head of Ancillary Services at Wizz Air and a UWL alumnus, along with product portfolio managers Dora Farkas and Alexa Weber.
The presentations sparked some lively discussions between students and the airline professionals. The winning proposal came from Emma Logan and Ben Cooper, who proposed a novel approach to selling unsold seats — an issue hotly debated in the airline industry.
Bianca Mukasa, Vanessa Urreste and Vanessa Almeida were recognised for their idea of selling ride-sharing taxi services while David Irogeme captured Wizz Air’s interest with a proposal to offer customers an unlimited pass for summer flights.
Taking the students through the key pillars of ULCCs and the ancillary proposition broadened their knowledge of airline strategic thinking.
Using an innovation framework, the teams conceptualised their ideas, built up models to simulate financial performance and delivered compelling pitches,”
said James Goodwin. He added that The link between industry and tomorrow's talent is key to a continually prospering aviation sector:
The level of work produced by the students surpassed their experience and demonstrated their understanding and commitment to the module.”
Francesco Ragni, Senior Lecturer in Aviation at UWL added:
Our students faced a very challenging task: creating a new ancillary product for an airline renowned for its marketing creativity. They rose to it and provided thought-provoking concepts that were well-received by the Wizz Air team.”
The assignment was part of a module on Air Passenger Experience, Ragni continued:
Students demonstrated their knowledge and skills by working on a ‘real-world’ task, something referred to as ‘authentic assessment.’ It’s an excellent example of how collaboration between academia and industry benefits both parties.”
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