Archive for the ‘aviation’ Category:
Social Flights Solving for X
This morning we received a great comment from a reader named Peter. He posts a valid question and I had to think about it for a few minutes before I could bring up a response. Unfortunately, as with most questions, there is a simple answer and a complicated one.
Peter wrote:
I’ll be curious to see if eventually non-stop flights between these four cities will be established eliminating the need to connect through Branson. While this promises to be a great alternative to the airlines the current configuration is still a hub and spokes model. Here’s hoping we’ll see non-stop flights between these cities in the future.
Peter is referring to newly introduced air service between Nashville, Austin, Milwaukee, flying through Branson MO. Admittedly, this is a pretty strange arrangement, especially since Branson only has 20,000 people whereas the other three metro areas have over 500,000 people each.
Who in their right mind would put a hub in the smaller city?
Branson is the Live Entertainment Capital of the Midwest. The community of Branson came together to support these flights with a high level of civic involvement and passenger engagement with a high quality “service” model. Branson is safe, clean, and they even own the airport. The people of Branson are very proud of what they have built and want to share it with the world. They dare to be different.
Social Flights partnership with Branson demonstrates that air service can empower a community, not cowering to the whips and whims from the corporate boardroom of a publicly traded airline.
- Solving for X or solving for Eggs?
A hub airport is like a big egg sorter for people and planes (where people are the eggs and the planes are the cartons).
A big part of our business model is to integrate with what is happening on the ground. Imagine if Amazing places like Vail Colorado, or Chelan WA, or the Grand Canyon were easily accessible. Imagine your next industry conference at a resort in the Ozarks instead of downtown Newark.
***
Now, here’s the complicated answer
If nobody is going to Branson, the plane can just fly the hypotenuse. Try that with hub and spoke
Fly From Milwaukee To Branson MO For Under 100 Dollars
Beginning in June 2012, Branson Air in cooperation with CFM aviation and Social Flights, is offering a limited time 79 dollar special on air service between Milwaukee Wisconsin and Branson Missouri. This price will not last long since the route is filling fast. The next threshold special is 99 dollars…and there is no wonder why tickets are selling fast.
This announcement comes on the heels of air service between Nashville and Branson as well as Austin and Branson. All continuing flights connect all cities. This is a big deal for people who travel between secondary markets.
If you are asking yourself what you would do when you get to your final destination, just check out these posts:
Or, think of it this way:
Do a Google search on “Milwaukee Facebook” and you’ll received 183 Million returns. Next, perform a search on terms: “Branson MO Facebook” and you’ll receive 3.7 Million returns. Finally, do a search on the terms “Branson MO Milwaukee WI Facebook” and you’ll received 1.1 Million returns.
Next, search for airfare from Milwaukee to Branson you’ll find the following result:
NOW, look at the flight from Branson to Milwaukee !!
Hmmm … why does it cost 200 dollars more and take 4 more hours (stationary) to fly from Branson to Milwaukee than from Milwaukee to Branson???
A recipe for opportunity
While this is far from a scientific research study, there is little doubt that many people in Branson know somebody in Milwaukee and vice versa. There are many people in Milwaukee that can find a reason to hop a quick plane out to Branson with all of their friends. Look at the disadvantage that the smaller community has – small communities are SUBSIDIZING the larger community!! The distance is the same so the price should be the same.
By extension – look at all of the communities on the map above that social flight can connect for 1/2 the price and half the transit time of the airlines
Most importantly, there are many things that were never economically possible between these two cities, but now are. That is what opportunity is made of.
People who follow Social Flights know that our business model is hugely disruptive to the airlines. They know that Social Flights opens new frontiers of opportunity. They know that Social Flights liberates stranded communities from Airline Chess Masters. With air service between Branson and Austin for under 100 dollars – this is only the beginning.
So the choice is simple;
There are hundreds of things to do with millions of friends, colleagues, relatives, and business relationships for 200 dollars on a flight that lasts less than two hours. Or, spend close to 500 dollars on a 8 hour boondoggle losing two days of work and spending an two extra nights in a hotel with people you don’t know. The choice is obvious.
Who knew that having fun could be such serious business?
Announcing Air Service Between Branson and Nashville for 79 Dollars
Branson Air, in cooperation with CFM aviation and Social Flights, is offering a special on air service between Branson Missouri and Nashville Tennessee. This limited time price may not last long since the route is filling fast – both of these cities are world recognized for their entertainment and cultural attributes. Now Social Flights brings them together at an astonishing low price.
To put things in perspective, simply perform a search for airline pricing between these cities:
You’ll find that major airlines are willing to give you the privilege of paying 500 dollars and waiting 8 hours (including security and check in) to take the same trip. These cities are only 435 miles apart – you can drive in less time than that. Seriously, who is watching these numbers?
Social Flights will get you there in 1/3 the time and 1/3 the cost of flying commercial airlines. When you fly Social Flights you can often avoid extra overnights, hotel fees, and days off work. You wouldn’t even need to carry all that extra baggage in the first place!
If you are wondering how you can spend all that extra time check out these two lists that we’ve compiled with our friends in each city.
102 things to do in Branson 102 things to do in Nashville
You will find some of friendliest, hard working, and talented people in the United States in these two cities. Now you can experience all the magic and none of the harassment for 1/3 rd the price.
A recipe for opportunity
Most importantly, there are many things that were never economically possible between these two cities, but now are. That is what opportunity is made of.
People who follow Social Flights know that our business model is hugely disruptive to the airlines. They know that Social Flights opens new frontiers of opportunity. They know that Social Flights liberates stranded communities from Airline Chess Masters. With air service between Branson and Nashville for under 100 dollars – this is only the beginning.
Who knew that having fun could be such serious business?
Air Service Between Branson MO and Austin ONLY 99 Dollars
Branson Air, in cooperation with CFM aviation and Social Flights, is offering a special on air service between Austin Texas and Branson Missouri. This price may not last long since the route is filling fast and there is no wonder why.
If you are asking yourself what you would do when you get to your final destination, just check out these two posts:
102 Things to do in Branson 101 Things to do in Austin
Or, think of it this way:
Do a Google search on “Austin Tx Facebook” and you’ll received 134 Million returns. Next, perform a search on terms: “Branson MO Facebook” and you’ll receive 3.7 Million returns. Finally, do a search on the terms “Branson MO Austin TX Facebook” and you’ll received 1.1 Million returns.
Next search for airfare between Branson to Austin and you’ll find the following result:
A recipe for opportunity
While this is far from a scientific research study, there is little doubt that many people in Branson know somebody in Austin and vice versa. There are many people in Austin that can find a reason to hop a quick plane out to Branson with all of their friends.
Most importantly, there are many things that were never economically possible between these two cities, but now are. That is what opportunity is made of.
People who follow Social Flights know that our business model is hugely disruptive to the airlines. They know that Social Flights opens new frontiers of opportunity. They know that Social Flights liberates stranded communities from Airline Chess Masters. With air service between Branson and Austin for under 100 dollars – this is only the beginning.
So the choice is simple;
There are hundreds of things to do with millions of friends, colleagues, relatives, and business relationships for 200 dollars on a flight that lasts less than two hours. Or, spend close to 500 dollars on a 15 hour boondoggle losing two days of work and spending an two extra nights in a hotel with people you don’t know. The choice is obvious.
Who knew that having fun could be such serious business?
Air service between Branson and Austin ONLY 79 dollars
Branson Air, in cooperation with CFM aviation and Social Flights, is offering a special on air service between Austin Texas and Branson Missouri. If you book through Social Flights, you’ll receive an additional 20 dollars discount for a limited time when you mention this post.
If you are wondering what to do when you get to your final destination, just check out these two posts:
102 Things to do in Branson 101 Things to do in Austin
Or, think of it this way:
I did a google search on “Austin Tx Facebook” and received 134 Million returns. Then, I did a search on “Branson MO Facebook” and received 3.7 Million returns. Finally, I did a search on the term “Branson MO Austin TX Facebook” and received 1.1 Million returns.
Next I did a search on airfare Branson to Austin and found the following result:
A recipe for opportunity
While this is far from a scientific research study, there is little doubt that many people in Branson know somebody in Austin and vice versa. There are many people in Austin that can find a reason to hop a quick plane out to Branson with all of their friends.
Most importantly, there are many things that were never economically possible between these two cities, but now are. That is what opportunity is made of.
People who follow Social Flights know that our business model is hugely disruptive to the airlines. They know that Social Flights opens new frontiers of opportunity. They know that Social Flights liberates stranded communities from Airline Chess Masters. With air service between Branson and Austin for under 100 dollars – this is only the beginning.
So the choice is simple;
There are hundreds of things to do with millions of friends, colleagues, relatives, and business relationships for 160 dollars on a flight that lasts less than two hours. Or, spend close to 500 dollars on a 15 hour flight losing two days of work and spending an two extra nights in a hotel with people you don’t know. The choice is obvious.
Who knew that having fun could be such serious business?
102 Things To Do In Nashville Tennessee
Social Flights is introducing air service between Nashville Tennessee, Austin Texas, Milwaukee Wisconsin and Branson Missouri beginning in May 2012. The opportunities for travelers to access business opportunities, recreational experiences, family connections, and entertainment value has never been better.
Say Goodbye to the Hassle
The social experience of travel has finally been liberated from the boardrooms of the airlines and no longer subject to the fragile and abusive hub and spoke system. No more long lines, luggage searches or irradiation machines. Social Flights takes you where you want to go.
Visit all the Capitals
Nashville is the music capital of the world – without rival. For publishing, recording, and production Nashville has few peers. Nashville is located in the population center of the United States and perfectly accessible to many locations of magnificent beauty, culture, and business opportunities.
Your way, not the highway
There are many great things to do in Nashville and dozens of websites that will help you find the getaway of your dreams. Social Flights now makes these opportunities to a wider market of people than ever before. Fly to Nashville today with Social Flights – lose the hassle. (list compiled by: 365Nashville.com)
7. The Melrose Spring Beer Tasting
9. Glass Night at Flying Saucer
10. Train for the Country Music Marathon or 1/2 Marathon
11. Mulligan’s Pub and Restaurant
12. Frist Center For the Visual Arts
13. Radnor Lake
14. Art By the Glass
16. NashVegas Casino Night at Cannery Ballroom
17. Nuvo Burrito
18. Bluebird Café
19. Warner Parks
21. “8 off 8th” at Mercy Lounge
22. Two for Tuesdays
23. Climb Nashville
24. Nashville Lawn & Garden Show
25. Nashville Haunted Pub Crawl
27. Las Paletas
29. The Billy Block Show from 12th and Porter
30. The Pie Wagon
32. Belmont Mansion
35. Jacks BBQ
36. Volunteer at 2nd Harvest Food Bank
38. Disc Golf at Seven Oaks Park
40. Zumi Sushi
41. Musica Sculpture
42. Bongo Java Roasting Company
43. The Station Inn
45. Crow’s Nest
49. Hatch Show Print
50. Nashville Predators
51. Whiskey Kitchen
52. Love Circle
53. Dozen – A Nashville Sweet Shop
54. Laser Quest
55. Dragon Park
57. Eco-Adventure Canopy Zip Tour
58. Loveless Café
59. Commodore Grille
61. Nashville Zoo
62. Brunch at the Copper Kettle
63. Sweet CeCe’s
64. All Fired Up
65. Downtown Nashville Home Tour
65. Rajin’ Cajun Crawfish Boil
66. Taco Mamacita
67. Nashville Sounds
71. Donut Den
72. Dove Awards
74. South Street
75. Country Music Hall of Fame
79. Exit/In
80. Allium
83. Southern Bred
84. Franklin Rodeo
87. Tuesdays at the French Quarters
88. Music City Roots
89. Burger Up
90. We ART Nashville
91. Nashville Shores
92. Fido
95. Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series
96. Tennessee Renaissance Festival
99. Grassmere Bicentennial Picnic Celebration
100. Memorial Day Blues Festival
101. Movies in the Park
Social Flights Beats Airlines; Case Study
Few people realize the extraordinary opportunity that exists for some communities to literally fly under the radar of the commercial airlines. Far too often, people are trained to believe that the airlines are the only game in town and if they quote a price, flight time, and wait time, then that must be the best deal out there. Nothing gives us more pleasure than to demonstrate quite the opposite.
Branson and Nashville
There are no nonstop flights between Nashville and Branson Missouri. Frontier charges $507.00 and the flight – with connections – takes 8 hours. Social Flights can fulfill this route for around 260 dollars for a non-stop flight that lasts only one hour – this is an astonishing 50% cheaper and 80% faster that flying commercial.
Branson and Milwaukee
There are no nonstop flights between these cities. Commercial carriers can provide access but it cost you $335.00 to travel 6 hours. Social Flights provides non-stop service for $290 dollars in only 2 hours.
Branson and Austin
There are no non-stop flights between Branson and Austin. However, Frontier will charge you $523 dollars to leave you in Denver and take an amazing 23 hours! Clearly, it would be faster to drive. Social Flights provides this flight for $290.00 non-stop and will have you there is 2 hours.
The Functionally Stranded
Thousands of communities across the United States are functionally stranded when they need to pay more in real cost than twice the airfare to reach their destination. This creates a substantial friction to a local economy since both outbound and inbound passengers suffer the friction loss.
Keeping it Real
OK, so who cares about places like Branson MO, Tri-Cities TN, Somerset KY, Arlington WA, and Danbury CT? The answer is that millions of people are functionally and economically stranded without global air transportation options – they care deeply.
It does not take long to realize that there are thousands upon thousands of routes and millions of people in our great country where Social Flights can thoroughly and without question outperform the major airlines in the simple task of connecting real people to the real places that they really want to go.
Airline Social Media A Mixed Bag
Debbie Miller is a social media and hospitality blogger who recently outlined some social media efforts of airlines. Her analysis is important for two reasons; first, it demonstrates how the industry can use social media to communicate with travelers and their network of friends and family.
Second, it demonstrates how communities respond to social media inputs; what works and what does not.
Luggage Tracking
Delta Airlines implemented a system for travelers to track their checked baggage. Via the airline carrier’s iPhone app, guests are able to monitor the whereabouts of their luggage at all times. [response unknown]
Influencer Events
In the fall, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s leading airline carrier, announced that its “Inspiration of Japan” service brand would be introduced to the Los Angeles-Narita (Tokyo) route beginning in January. [ANA is threw a big party through social media resulting in 5.4 Million brand impressions]
Choose Your Seat Mate
Recently, Royal Dutch airline KLM announced a new program called “Meat and Seat,” allowing people to choose who they might sit next to on a flight by viewing other travelers’ social media profiles. [Reaction remains mixed]
15 Minute Flights
Last summer, a bridge over LA’s popular 405 Freeway was set to be demolished, leaving a significant portion of highly-trafficked highway to be closed for a weekend in July. As a result, JetBlue Airlines decided to offer $4 flights from Long Beach to Burbank and vice versa on Saturday. [surpassed all expectations and all flights sold out in 3 hours.]
Building a company on Social Media:
Meanwhile, Social Flights is building the company on Social Media – and we are learning many new things. Today we have over 14,000 registered users, over 90 private operators representing 500 aircraft. We have dozens of partners who want to service our travelers.
Social Flights has opened flights between Branson, Milwaukee, Austin, and Nashville. We have flown Football, NASCAR, and Corporate passengers as well as VIPs, Celebrities, and politicians. Apparently, our social media design is working well.
Lessons learned
Ideally, we would like to have a person on the ground in each location to interpret data related to that location to proactively match supply and demand. This person would be able to nudge a community toward the private air service option and educate them to the value proposition.
Now comparing our experience with the airline experience cited above, there are several similarities;
- Each seeks to distinguish themselves by introducing a scalable service
- They operate in a hyper-local domain.
In other words, they seek to improve the travel experience and they have someone on the ground meeting a local need. Those are the activities that work best.
The use of social media in air service industry is still very new, but already we can see important trends for social media usage in air service industries
The 44 Best Event Planner Industry Blogs
I first discovered Keith Johnson’s blog, PlannerWire.net starting with his article 13 Event Industry Blogs and Sites That You Should Check Out. Last July he updated the list to 44 event industry blogs that are important. It it just too hard to resist not publishing the list he compiled. Below (after a few of my comments) please find the best event planner blogs on the Internet, by Keith Johnson.
Why is an aviation company like Social Flights interested in event planners?
Nobody ever suggests that UAL or Alaska Airlines would ever ask anyone who intends to stay on the ground that day what their opinion is regarding airline service. Airlines are too busy to worry about what happens before and after their clients board their planes. The airlines are in the business of filling seats so why would they care about the communities whose collective posteriors occupy the spaces in between the lines on their balance sheets?
Maybe that’s the problem with airlines.
Social Flights has every intention to understand the needs of the travelers for whom we provide air service. We exist because the communities we serve tell us to exist. Communities of travelers tell us where to fly and when to fly. They tell us how many people they need to arrive at any geographic point in North America and how many people to depart from any point. Without event planners, there is no reason to travel. Think about that for a moment.
To our esteemed readership
There is some incredible information in these links. Reach out to these bloggers ask how you can help. Send them your best Routes and ask them what’s going on between any two points. They’ll know better than you – they’ll know who wants to share a jet. If you are a charter jet firm, you can either take out a full page ad in the New York Times or you can send these bloggers your empty leg schedule and let them talk about it.
That being said, here are 44 Event Industry Blogs That You Should be Reading, checking out, or know exist. Compiled by By Keith Johnson
Jeff Hurt – Midcourse Corrections
Michael McCurry – McCurry’s Corner
William Thomson – Gallus Events Blog
Peter Straube – Events for Change
Traci Brown – Trade Show Institute
Adrian Segar – Conferences that Work
Janet Rudolph – Team Building Unlimited
Lara McCulloch-Carter – Ready 2 Spark
Michelle Bruno – A Fork in the Road
Christian W. Frei – Meetings Industry Blog
Heather DeLoach – Constellation Communication
Keith Johnston and Teresa Nelson – FamIt!
Heidi Thorn – Promo With Purpose
Alison Smith Jenks – The TBA Global Blog
Rob Hard – Business Travel Destinations
Rob Hard – About.com Event Planning
Emilie Barta – Professional Tradeshow Presenter
Emilie Barta – Virtual Event Host
Thomas H Hallin – THe HTH Business Solutions Blog
Bonuses (Suggestions from readers)
Hotel Desk (this one is interesting, connects event planners and hotels)
Social Flights Offers Air Travel Development Services
Source: World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) 2011
Communities, industries, and economic development agencies are looking for solutions to the travel gaps caused by airline consolidation, regulation, and lack of alternate modes of transportation. Millions of American citizens are literally stranded in travel access dead zones.
Besides developing revolutionary social technology for buyers and suppliers of alternative air services, Social Flights also provides professional services to organizations, institutions and governments wishing to improve air service to their constituencies. Our services portfolio is designed to serve national and international markets including Asia, Europe and South America as well as local and affinity group communities.
Social Flights Consulting Services
Our service portfolio is aimed at providing 21st century air service solutions created from innovative data-driven assessment, analysis and strategy. Our professional services team includes resources with credentials in private aviation, airline operations, aircraft manufacturing, statistical analysis, management consulting, strategic development, engineering, planning, yield management, route planning and aircraft acquisition.
Our services include:
- Air Service Determinations
- True Flier Intentions Base Determination & Definition
- Air Services Strategic and Tactical Planning
- Economic Impact & Opportunity Analyses
- Demand Opportunity Analyses
- Private Aviation Services management
- Social Media Marketing, SEO, Community Organization
The genesis of Social Flight Consulting Services came when we all sat in a room together and each looked around at the talent and experience that was looking back at us.
Our people have operated airlines, we have managed airport operations, built substantial FBO operations and facilities. Our people have held top engineering positions in aircraft manufacturers, we have worked for the Federal Government, we are world travelers, global businesspersons, and economic development professionals. The people associated with Social Flights are pilots, mechanics, authors, and teachers. We have world famous social media experts, top travel bloggers, and we come from hospitality industries, event planning, and entrepreneurial communities.
Let us share ourselves with you.
In upcoming blog posts, we will share the details of each of these services as well as case studies, documented accomplishments and personnel highlights.
Our hope is to bring the private air services industry closer in collaboration rather than further in competition. We strongly believe that private operators are far stronger when united than in competition. With airline failures and increase air travel demand, we need to work together with our communities. We are here to share what we have learned with travelers, communities, tourism / hospitality industries, and economic development agencies.