Air France x Brand USA – Making Tier 2 US gateways take off
Partnering with a leading player of the market, our client Brand USA successfully collaborated with a prominent airline to spark interest and drive sales towards Tier 2 destinations.
Challenge
Air France, France’s national carrier, operates 14+ direct gateways to the United States and generates around 80% of its revenue via airfrance.fr.
Post‑COVID, the airline wanted to increase visibility and load factors on secondary US gateways such as Denver, Chicago, Dallas and Boston/Washington D.C., beyond the usual New York / Los Angeles focus. Brand USA’s objective was to use this momentum to push more diverse US itineraries.
Leveraging the airline's robust sales platform and strong brand recognition, Brand USA effectively communicated and facilitated sales not only to the gateways but also extended beyond, capturing a wider audience and boosting overall market reach.
Strategy & approach
In partnership with Perfect Stay, Air France curated “La Collection Air France” – premium packages sold via its powerful online platform. Mondello Enterprise helped Brand USA:
Position a selection of Tier 2 destinations at the heart of this collection;
Align messaging and visuals to spark “wanderlust” for lesser‑known US regions;
Design a digital acquisition plan using airfrance.fr as the main sales engine, reinforced by targeted social media, Google Discovery and formats such as WeTransfer to reach culturally aware audiences;
Leverage retargeting to convert inspiration into bookings during the promotional period.
Results & impact
Significant uplift in sales to Tier 2 US destinations featured in “La Collection Air France”, demonstrating strong French appetite for alternative gateways when they are curated and promoted correctly.
Performance strong enough on Denver and Phoenix to justify moving the routes from seasonal to year‑round service – a concrete sign of structural demand.
Reinforced partnership between Brand USA and Air France, proving that coordinated airline–destination marketing can simultaneously support airline revenue, dispersal of tourism and US market diversification.
