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N-Jet Offers Creative Options For NCAA Fans
CHICAGO – March 12, 2012 – N-Jet, one of Chicago’s premier private jet operators, launched Private Air Reserve, an online market that allows college basketball fans to buy and trade options for highly discounted private jet reservations to the NCAA championship in New Orleans. For $1,995, a Private Air Reserve can be purchased for a favorite NCAA team. If that team qualifies for the April 2 championship, the buyer has the right to charter a luxury private jet to and from the game at a 75% discount.
“When the two winners for the final championship emerge, it usually sets off a mad scramble for travel reservations among passionate fans,” said Howard Seedorf, CEO and founder of N-Jet. “If your team makes it to the championship, a Private Air Reserve is like an insurance plan. It takes away the pain and worry of finding reservations, and removes the headaches of commercial travel.”
Eight people chartering a luxury mid-cabin private jet from Chicago to New Orleans would normally cost about $20,000. Although seats cannot be sold separately, the Private Air Reserve cost of $4,995 is less than $700 per person, and is comparable to traditional full-fare coach rates.
“Instead of enduring a back-of-the-bus middle seat, Private Air Reserve lets you fly at your preferred time in the luxury of a private jet, accompanied by seven of your friends without the delays, inexplicable last-minute cancellations, long lines, and other hassles,” adds Seedorf.
In order to become active, a “tipping point” of 15 Private Air Reserves must be met. Fans may then begin bidding and trading at different prices depending on the likelihood of a certain team qualifying. Unless the tipping point of 15 is not reached, Private Air Reserves are non-refundable. However, if the selected team does not qualify, N-Jet converts the $1,995 reserve into a $2,000 Jet Card for use on future travel (minimum purchase of $25,000).
If the selected team qualifies but the holder chooses not to exercise the reservation, N-Jet will provide a $5,000 Jet Card credit toward a future N-Jet private charter (minimum purchase of $50,000). If the winner decides to exercise the reservation but is suddenly unable to travel, N-Jet will provide a $10,000 Jet Card credit toward a future N-Jet private charter (minimum purchase of $50,000).
The Private Air Reserve market is built on a market-proven technology platform by TTR, Inc. The platform deploys Forward Markets in which fans conditionally reserve and buy/sell after-market reservations for high-demand tickets and services. TTR’s patented technology is the basis for Major League Baseball’s successful “Postseason Ticket Reservations” and TeamTix Reservations for numerous high-profile college football games, including the BCS National Championship Game.
(Disclosure: N-Jet is an esteemed partner air service operator of Social Flights)
About N-Jet
N-Jet is an aircraft management company and FAR-part-135 certified on-demand air carrier with more than 33 years of experience in air transportation. All aircraft are owned by individuals or corporations and managed by N-Jet. With access to an alliance of luxury private jet operators, the company can secure access to the right aircraft to any destination around the world on a moment’s notice. For more information, visit www.n-jet.com or www.privateairreserve.com.
About TTR
TTR, Inc., the exclusive provider of technology and services to enable Forward Markets, connects passionate fans and consumers with the events, products, and content they seek through an open and transparent Forward Marketplace residing within the digital domain of the actual Rights Holder and in certain instances in the domains of their media partners and sponsors. The company is based in Lake Forest, Ill. For more information, visit www.ticketreserve.com.
NCAA is a registered trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Nashville Based Social Flights Announces Service to Branson, Austin, and Milwaukee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Social Flights has announced a partnership with Branson AirExpress for round-trip flights from Branson, MO to Nashville, TN, Austin, TX and Milwaukee, WI starting in May of this year.
Social Flights will assist Branson AirExpress in marketing the new scheduled routes to its current membership of 13,866 fliers and 98 Private-Aviation Operators encompassing over 600 jets. Jay Deragon, CEO of Social Flights said, “Branson AirExpress is a perfect example of the 21st century model of efficient and effective community-oriented air service initiated by, and on behalf of, the community”.
“Austin and Milwaukee were strong markets last year and the synergies that exist between Branson and Nashville are fantastic,” stated Branson Airport Executive Director, Jeff Bourk. “The partnership between these cities, Branson AirExpress, Corporate Flight Management and Social Flights allows us to offer low fares and continued convenience in getting to and from Branson, Missouri.”
Branson AirExpress will offer $99* introductory one-way fares from Branson to Austin, Milwaukee, and Nashville through March 14, 2012. For tickets, call toll free 1-888-FLY-BKG1 (1-888-359-2541), visit BransonAirExpress.com, or visit SocialFlights.com.
Social Flights Contact
Matt Slosky, Media Relations
Ph: 615-534-4590
matt.slosky@socialflights.com
Branson AirExpress is an indirect air carrier providing public charter air flights, and offering vacation packages in Branson to its customers. All flights are filed and approved by the Department of Transportation and operate under Part 380 CFR (Code of Federal Regulation). The company began providing scheduled Public Charter flights in 2009. The idea behind Branson AirExpress is there are several markets that will be good air markets to Branson, but are not yet ready for main-line commercial service. The Airport used Branson AirExpress to develop air-service markets for Airlines like AirTran prior to them taking over service in Chicago and Houston last year. The new partnership with CFM will now enable Branson AirExpress to serve as a conduit to public-charter operators like CFM to serve markets like Austin and Milwaukee using the Brand that has been developed over the last several years to help sell seats on their charter flights.
About Corporate Flight Management:
CFM is one of the largest Part 135 private aviation companies in the USA operating 30+ aircraft in Smyrna, TN, Atlanta, GA and Danbury CT. CFM is one of the highest rated private aviation companies with an ARGUS Platinum rating for outstanding quality standards in safety and operational excellence. CFM sells, services, trains, operates and provides a variety of air services and has done so successfully for the last 30 years. Employing close to 200 people and servicing over 250 flights per month makes CFM an outstanding aviation company with a long list of dedicated customers and loyal employees. www.flycfm.com
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* Advertised public charter fares are one-way; they include Federal Excise Tax of 7.5%, Federal Flight Segment Taxes of $3.80 per person per flight segment, and a convenience fee of $10. Sale fares must be booked 7 days or more prior to travel. These fares are capacity controlled and may not be available on all seats on all flights. The convenience fee of $10 per person, each way, will be charged when booked by calling 1-888-FLY-BKG1 or through BransonAirExpress.com. Tickets purchased at the airport are not subject to the $10 charge. Fares are subject to availability at the time of booking, and are subject to change. A $20.00 checked-baggage fee will apply for the first checked bag and $25.00 for a second checked bag per person. Each checked bag weighing over 50 pounds will be assessed a fee of $50 in addition to the checked bag fee. Dates of the advertised flights are subject to change in accordance with regulatory requirements. Cancellation is subject to administrative fee when permitted by regulatory requirements.
Technologies to Revolutionize Everything
A visualization of Human Edits to Wikipedia where each color represents a different page
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal January 30, 2012 online edition: The Coming Tech-led Boom, identifies three technologies that will have as profound an impact on the world as electrification, telephony, and the dawn of the automobile age.
Even as we all see these technologies approaching, much like our 20th century contemporaries, most people cannot even begin to grasp the implications. One thing is certain, industries that are unable to adapt, will not survive in their current state.
Social Flights is Flying into the next century with eyes wide open
In January 2012, we sit again on the cusp of three grand technological transformations with the potential to rival that of the past century. All find their epicenters in America: big data, smart manufacturing and the wireless revolution.
Big Data and Wireless Technology
Big Data is at the core of some of what have become the most disruptive innovations of our time. Processing power, data storage, and data transmission are almost free. The handheld device has more computing power than the supercomputers the 1970s. The internet is moving into the cloud and away from the so called desk-top. All data is converging to a single place where it can be accessed and combined in countless ways. Every second of every day creates an astonishing amount of empirical data that creates an unimaginable diversity of information and new knowledge.
At thge top of the food chain is Social media creating data – data does not create social media. Data is made by people; data does not make people. People create, data does not, etc. Likewise for most services in the next century; people will determine where airplanes fly – airplanes will no longer determine where people will can go.
A hub airport does little more than sort people and planes. At Social Flights we use data to sort people and planes. What if we could replace infrastructure with data? All this would take is for communities to “perform a simple calculation” among themselves. Nothing is stopping this from happening today.
The implications of the radical collapse in the cost of wireless connectivity are as big as those following the dawn of telegraphy/telephony. Coupled with the cloud, the wireless world provides cheap connectivity, information and processing power to nearly everyone, everywhere. This introduces both rapid change [and great opportunity].
Many people don’t understand how this could happen but Social Flights sees the possibility everyday, for example: A handheld device will become the hub, the scheduling agent, the point of purchase, and the boarding pass – all with a swipe across the “reality augmented” sky. The data already exists that can determine how many people from any point on earth intend to travel to any other point on earth and when. Putting these data sets together creates a remarkably different landscape for air travel … and commerce in general.
Social Flights in new. Social Flights is visionary – anyone who joins us on this voyage will be joining a revolution much greater than simply a ride sharing service. The point should be crystal clear - Social media creates data, data does not create social media.
Understand this, and you will understand Social Flights.
Does More Information Equal Perfect Information?
Amazing new innovations continue to appear in the travel segment. This is understandable. When a person leaves their home, all the things that a home provides can now be offered up as a product. From sleeping comfort, to safety, to community; “home-on-the-road” is big business.
Planning a trip is getting easier and faster. The problem is that there are so many options available that YOUR best options rarely appear in the first few pages of a Google Search. Increasingly, the traveler needs to interface with someone who really knows your “home-on-the-road” as if it were their own.
via Stay.com Takes Social a Step Further This Week – {Travel Daily News}.
Norwegian travel guide/trip planning startup Stay.com has just announced a new set of features to an already award winning travel platform. Named Time Magazine’s top travel site of 2010, Stay offers a new take on DIY trip planning. This week’s news centers around travel guide building using tips from various social networks.
The idea is that people can find all of their needs at the destination of interest, download their “tourist map” to their cell phone, and then ask their friends on social networks for recommendations. It would seem that Stay.com tends to favor larger metropolitan areas where more people have visited as well as the more famous landmarks rather than that perfect hole in the wall. What happens when you get competing or conflicting recommendations? I also wonder if a wide social network converges to a more focused assessment of quality, or diverges to less focused assessments.
At Social Flights we have a mirror-image situation. We search for all the people who want to know more about a certain subject, opportunity, or location and we seek to match them with people who know a great deal about that subject, opportunity, or location. Then we’ll use our private aircraft to bring these people together for a truly valuable experience. Together, such person matching represents supply and demand in their own private economy. This is the same situation that hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions have. I would imagine demand for such a service would be stout.
When social media applications learn how to form and use a knowledge inventory, home-on-the-road applications will deliver an everlasting travel experience as well as an ever expanding and relevant social network. Our bet is that innovative companies like Stay.com will eventually arrive at this magical place of perfect information.
When Business Follows The Airlines Out of Town
Ok, now this airline game is becoming serious business. It is bad enough when small communities that never had air service options have given up trying to grow (where new opportunities fail to materialize and young knowledge workers move away). It’s a whole different matter when companies pick up and leave a community because the airlines pull the plug on air service.
[via When Airlines Depart Cities, Businesses May Follow : NPR]
Last month when Chiquita announced it was moving its corporate headquarters from Ohio to North Carolina, it said it was lured there in part by the number of flights in and out of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Cincinnati came out on the losing end of the deal because like so many other cities, it faces a shrinking airline hub, which can affect the city’s business climate.
US Cities are vulnerable to decreased economic development due to Airline Service loss
Regressive Economics
When a company leaves town, it takes with it the self-identity of the people who worked their entire careers to make that company great. When people are forced to migrate to find new work, they impose a cost on their families and futures. While corporations maintain economic freedom to make decisions in their own best interest, the public does not have the economic freedom to respond in their own best interest.
Daily Departures
Cincinnati; At peak, 2005: 673 daily (5 international); Current: 200 daily (1 international)
Pittsburgh; At peak, 2001: 579 daily (3 international); Current: 145 daily, (1 international)
St. Louis; peak 2001: 595 daily; Current: 250 daily
And, this is ONLY THREE Cities.
Looking at the above statistics; well over 1000 flights per day have been eliminated from these three not-so-small cities. That is 365,000 flights denying economic equality to over 50 million travelers in a single year. The scale of entrepreneur career-years alone squandered due to lack of air service is absolutely catastrophic for the American Economy. The irony is that people who move away need to travel more to stay connected to families. The economic friction imposed on communities is staggering.
“I remember coming here a few years ago and it was a hub of activity, you know, with all three concourses,” he says. “Now there’s only … one concourse left, if that, and it’s just really amazing to see this huge infrastructure supporting very little flights.”
Van der Horst with the Cincinnati chamber says she doesn’t expect Delta to go back to 673 flights a day at CVG, but she knows that for Cincinnati to attract and retain more business, it will mean landing more flights.
Social Flights is working overtime to create a Community Air Service Program that allows communities to access modern jet aircraft to fulfill their own travel needs whether they need direct flights, hub flights, corporate shuttle flights, or charter jet operations. Social Flights has the operational experience to teach communities how to manage their own air transportation operations through their own airports, FBOs, and responding to their own social priorities with modern aircraft.
Economic Freedom belongs to everyone. This is the cornerstone of the Social Flights business model – Social Flights is the people’s airline. Let us know where you want to go, before someone else does that for you….