Virtual offices have been established for many years. Catalogue and online retailers have been running their telephone sales operations for just as long. Concert and theatre tickets sales are usually handled by a separate agency.

Ringing the number shown in a brochure, flyer, website or sales catalogue in the evening gets an answer from a very courteous and efficient individual, usually working from home.

The system works well and saves organisations money whilst providing better customer service – usually over extended hours.

Airlines have long shared flights or contracted out individual flights to other operators to get economies of scale and avoid half empty aeroplanes.

Faced with a strike which could deeply wound the business, it seems a logical step that a major airline should take every possible step to mitigate the effects of any stoppage. Extending the process of buying in services, from whatever quarter, would be a rational way of keeping the customers.

Requesting volunteers from other parts of the business, chartering other planes and using competitor airlines to take passengers committed to particular destinations are all part of pulling in additional resources on a temporary and cost effective basis.

It may be that the planned action is not needed but it is a nice demonstration of how the concept of virtual offices can be widened and be a sensible means of running the business.

Keeping customers, and giving them the certain customer service they need is as important now as it ever was.

Virtual offices. Virtual airlines. What next?