| Course | AVT-3050 Airline Marketing and Customer Service |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Written Assignment 2: the airline product life cycle |
| Length | About 739 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S.B.A. in Aviation Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for AVT 3050 Module 2
One Airline, Three Life Cycles: Planning Boardwalk Air's Product From Launch to Maturity
Student Name
B.S.B.A. in Aviation Management, Thomas Edison State University
AVT-3050: Airline Marketing and Customer Service
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
One Airline, Three Life Cycles: Planning Boardwalk Air's Product From Launch to Maturity
What Boardwalk Air Sells
Shaw (2011) describes the airline product as a bundle of features, not just a seat between two cities. For Boardwalk Air the bundle has six elements.
O'Connell and Williams (2005) found that passengers choosing between low-cost and full-service airlines valued different parts of the bundle, so the product should be designed around what the target segments value most. For families, that is total trip cost and nonstop flights; for seasonal residents, it is convenience and help with bags.
| Element | Boardwalk Air's choice at launch |
|---|---|
| Network | Nonstop leisure routes from Atlantic City |
| Schedule | Two to four flights a week per route, timed for weekend and school-break travel |
| Seat and cabin | One cabin, standard seat spacing, a few extra-legroom rows sold separately |
| Ground service | Short lines at a small airport, free parking for the first year |
| Fare rules | Simple fares with one free checked bag for children under 12 |
| Brand | A friendly hometown airline for South Jersey |
The Product Life Cycle
The product life cycle describes four stages: introduction, when sales are low and the product is unfamiliar; growth, when sales rise quickly and competitors notice; maturity, when sales level off and competition centers on price and small improvements; and decline, when demand falls. Day (1981) cautioned that the life cycle is most useful as a way of thinking about how markets change and least useful as a forecasting rule, because the length and shape of each stage vary widely and depend on how managers act. Golder and Tellis (2004) found that the move from growth to slowdown often comes sharply and that sales can drop noticeably at that turning point, which means planners should watch for early signs rather than assume growth will continue.
Three Things at Three Stages
The life cycle can describe an airline, a route or a single product feature, and for Boardwalk Air they will not move together.
The airline is in introduction. Few residents know it exists, and those who do are unsure whether a new carrier at a small airport is reliable. Product planning at this stage should keep the product simple, prove reliability and build awareness. Launch fares should be low enough to persuade people to try the airline but not so low that the brand becomes known only for cheap seats.
The Orlando route, in this scenario, reaches growth by the second year. Families fill flights over school breaks and seasonal residents fill them in winter. In growth, the plan should add frequency on peak days, test a higher fare for the most popular times and watch for competitors adding flights from Philadelphia. Golder and Tellis's (2004) finding about sharp turning points suggests tracking weekly bookings so the airline sees a slowdown early.
A new product, a bundled vacation fare that combines the flight with a hotel and park tickets, starts in introduction again in year two. It needs explanation, partner agreements and testing on a few dates before wide release.
Planning for Maturity and Decline
Eventually the Orlando route will mature. Rival airlines will match its fares, and growth will flatten. At that point Boardwalk Air should compete on what is hard to copy: a hometown brand, short airport lines and a loyal base of seasonal residents. If a route declines, for example because a larger carrier starts daily service from Atlantic City, the airline should cut frequency, move aircraft to growing routes and keep only the days that still fill. Day (1981) argues that managers can extend maturity through product changes, new uses or new segments. For Boardwalk Air that could mean marketing the same Florida flights to inbound visitors from Florida who want a summer trip to the Jersey Shore.
Product Planning Summary
| Item | Stage | Main planning focus |
|---|---|---|
| Boardwalk Air (airline) | Introduction | Awareness, trust, reliability |
| Orlando route | Growth (year 2) | Frequency on peak days, watch for slowdown |
| Bundled vacation fare | Introduction (year 2) | Partners, testing, explanation |
| Myrtle Beach route | Introduction, seasonal | Summer-only schedule |
Conclusion
The airline product is a bundle that should be built around what target segments value. The life cycle helps Boardwalk Air see that its parts move at different speeds: the airline is new, its best route grows quickly and new products start the cycle again. Used as a guide to thinking rather than a timetable, the life cycle tells planners what to change and when to watch closely.
References
Day, G. S. (1981). The product life cycle: Analysis and applications issues. Journal of Marketing, 45(4), 60-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298104500408
Golder, P. N., & Tellis, G. J. (2004). Growing, growing, gone: Cascades, diffusion, and turning points in the product life cycle. Marketing Science, 23(2), 207-218. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1040.0057
O'Connell, J. F., & Williams, G. (2005). Passengers' perceptions of low cost airlines and full service carriers: A case study involving Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines. Journal of Air Transport Management, 11(4), 259-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2005.01.007
Shaw, S. (2011). Airline marketing and management (7th ed.). Ashgate.
Reading the AVT 3050 Module 2 assignment instructions
The second AVT-3050 written assignment belongs to Module 2, Airline Product Life Cycle, which covers the first and second course objectives. Expect to describe the airline product as more than a seat, explain the stages of the product life cycle and show how product planning changes from stage to stage. Applying the ideas to your fictional airline gives the marketing plan its product section early. Keep in mind that the midterm, a 90-minute proctored essay exam, covers Modules 1 through 3, so the life cycle stages and their planning choices are worth learning well. Outside research on the life cycle will strengthen the paper beyond the textbook's summary. A short table of your product's elements makes the later sections easier to plan and gives the mentor a quick view of your choices.
How the AVT 3050 Module 2 example is put together
The sample opens by listing the six elements of the fictional airline's product in a table and linking them to what each target segment values. A section explains the four life cycle stages and uses Day's caution and Golder and Tellis's evidence on sharp turning points. The core of the paper shows the airline in introduction, its Orlando route in growth and a bundled vacation fare starting a new cycle, with a margin note explaining why separate stages matter. A section plans for maturity and decline, using Day's idea of extending maturity through new segments. A summary table and a short conclusion finish the paper. The product elements in the opening table are the same ones the final marketing plan uses, so this section can move into the plan almost unchanged.
Reading the AVT 3050 Module 2 grading rubric
The rubric rewards a correct explanation of the product life cycle, an accurate description of the airline product and a sensible link between stage and planning choices. Papers that apply the stages to specific parts of an airline, with reasons, show more than papers that label the whole company with one stage. Using research that questions the life cycle, not just the textbook diagram, shows critical thinking. Mentors also look for practical planning: what the airline would change in schedule, fares or service at each stage. Clear organization, tables used to summarize and APA citations are part of the marks. Showing what would change in the product as a route matures, and how the airline would notice the change, rewards careful reading of the research.
Common AVT 3050 Module 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Students often draw the familiar curve, name four stages and stop, leaving out the airline. Others place the whole airline in one stage and miss that routes and features move separately. Some forget decline altogether. Describe your airline's product as a bundle, place at least two parts of it at different stages, and say what you would change at each. Use one source that questions the life cycle as a forecasting tool. Keep your fictional details consistent with the first assignment so the final plan holds together. Send your own airline's outline and the desk will return a first AVT-3050 product sample at no charge. Remember that decline is a stage too; saying how you would cut back a weak route shows as much judgment as planning for growth.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
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AVT 3050 Module 2 questions, answered
Where can I find a free AVT 3050 Module 2 sample paper?
The paper above places a fictional airline, one of its routes and a bundled fare at different life cycle stages.
What is the airline product?
A bundle that includes the network, schedule, seat and cabin, ground service, fare rules and brand, not just a seat between two cities.
What are the stages of the product life cycle?
Introduction, growth, maturity and decline, and marketing choices shift at each one.
Can the product life cycle predict sales?
Day argued it is better as a way of thinking about market change than as a forecasting rule, since stages vary in length and shape.
What does the AVT-3050 midterm cover?
Modules 1 through 3, in 90 minutes of essay questions under online proctoring.