Case Study

Leasing

Safeguarding Customer Experience Across Leased Aircraft

When facing seasonal demand peaks and unplanned capacity shortages, one major international airline turned to multiple lease partners to maintain operational continuity. However, the introduction of multiple lessor airlines - operating over twenty aircraft - posed a significant risk to customer experience consistency and brand integrity.

TJM Aviation Consulting was appointed to take full ownership of the customer experience performance across all leased operations, acting as the bridge between the airline’s brand promise and the diverse capabilities of its ten-plus lease partners.

The Challenge

With seven different lessor airlines operating a varied fleet across multiple regions, the risk was clear:

  • Inconsistent onboard service quality and delivery.

  • Misaligned tone of voice and communications.

  • Variability in crew behaviour, uniform standards, and customer handling.

  • Limited time for onboard customisation or brand integration.

  • High potential for customer confusion, dissatisfaction, and reputational damage.

Our Role

We acted as the customer experience lead for all lease operations, providing strategic direction and tactical support to ensure customer experience excellence - regardless of the aircraft or operator.

1. Cross-Lessor Brand Integration

  • Developed standardised service guidelines to ensure core brand experience was upheld across all lessors.

  • Created customer announcement templates, service flows, and crew behaviour guides aligned to the airline’s tone and values.

  • Supported onboarding of lessor crews to align with the expectations of premium customers - including guidance on handling service recovery, delays, and disruption.

2. Quality Assurance & Operational Oversight

  • Introduced a customer experience audit programme to monitor and evaluate delivery across all twenty plus aircraft.

  • Reported on quality and customer satisfaction targets to the airline’s senior leadership team, highlighting risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.

  • Collaborated directly with each lessor airline’s operational and inflight teams to close experience gaps, introduce process refinements, and track resolution.

3. Communication & Expectation Management

  • Advised the airline on pre-travel communication strategies to reduce friction and improve passenger understanding of leased flights.

  • Supported the design of onboard collateral (menus, safety cards, crew introduction materials) to create a seamless, brand-consistent experience.

  • Developed feedback and complaint handling escalation paths to manage customer sentiment during peak lease periods.

Results

  • Twenty-plus aircraft from over ten lessor airlines successfully integrated into the airline’s scheduled programme without negative CSAT impact.

  • Complaint volumes on leased flights reduced compared to previous seasons.

  • Crew alignment scores improved, based on post-flight service audits and direct customer feedback.

  • Repeat lease arrangements secured with improved SLAs and customer expectations thanks to smoother delivery.

Why It Matters

Wet lease operations are often essential - but they don’t have to compromise the customer journey. This project demonstrates how TJM Aviation Consulting can step in to own the customer experience work stream on behalf of an airline, ensuring that operational flexibility is matched with customer confidence and brand continuity.

Whether you're leasing one aircraft or twenty, we help you protect the trust you've built - by making every journey feel like it’s yours.