Posts Tagged ‘air transportation’
How ONE Person Can Make a Difference
We at Plane Conversations sometimes pick on the airlines because we hear all too often about the bad experiences people have when flying commercially. But sometimes we hear stories, like the one below, which lets us know that the airlines still have some great employees who get it right!
On a recent flight back to Montreal, a client and friend of ours, Serge Charron, of Pascan Aviation in Canada, had the following airline experience, and wanted us to share it on this site. This is how one person can make a difference to many.
I want to share an experience I recently had while travelling from the United States to Canada, which demonstrated how the proactive quality of an employee, versus a reactive attitude, can make a significant difference to a customer experience. This is an example where each and every employee – from a cleaner, to pilot, and even a CEO, must be dedicated to customer service to ensure a successful and healthy company.
This particular employee did her best to correct a problematic situation, when the cause was clearly out of her control. A reactive employee would have done their duty as usual (a normal turnaround within the normal turnaround time). This would have done nothing to resolve the delay to all subsequent flights.
Her initiative was safe, efficient and cost saving to the company. Her dedication to customer service is invaluable and she is clearly a person with a strong worth ethic and who is looking out for the company.
This is what happened:
We arrived at the terminal in Nashville for our flight back to Montreal. After checking the board, we saw that our flight had been announced 45 minutes late. We were concerned about our connecting flight, since this delay led to us having only 5 minutes to catch our connection in Philadelphia. As most people would, we just sat there. There’s nothing much we can do!
An airline employee came to the small counter at our gate and took the microphone. She announced the delay and explained that she will do her best to shorten the delay for those who have a connecting flight in Philadelphia. She then called for all passengers who had a tight connection to visit her; there were about 10 in total. She upgraded each passenger to the first rows in entrance of the plane, to enable us to exit the plane as quickly as possible in Philadelphia. That was smart!
When the plane arrived, she made another improvement. She called for boarding and made it per row, commencing with the last row in the back of plane. This made it so we were not stuck at the door waiting until everybody had finished stuffing their luggage in the overhead compartment, tightening belts etc before others can continue to the next seat. This was very smart! It facilitated a very quick turnaround. I wonder why it is not always like this?
The professionalism the woman demonstrated and her initiative and customer service skills made the situation bearable, and made my day. I said to my colleague “I wish all of my employees were like her”.
The time she saved in this turnaround gave us 20 minutes for a smooth connection in Philadelphia, and on home to Montreal.
Thanks to Serge Charron, President of Pascan Aviaion in Montreal for sharing this story. One person can make a difference!
Delta – If You Can’t Beat Them, Buy Them!
Delta Air Lines’ recent acquisition of North Carolina-based Segrave Aviation speaks volumes about the airline’s recognition that private aviation / business aviation is a viable part of the air transportation system in the United States.
At a time when major air carriers are reducing capacity, pulling out of small markets, and scrapping to make a profit (which for the most part has not happened in a long time), Delta is doubling the size of its corporate jet charter subsidiary Delta Air Elite.
These guys are on to something.
Maybe they see the real value of a system where General Aviation plays a role that compliments the Air Mass Transit System as opposed to viewing us as the enemy? More and more, airlines seem to be consolidating into route structures that serve the high-density traffic lanes between major US cities on domestic routes and between major US cities and major centers of commerce worldwide on international routes.
Can General Aviation serve as a feeder to the airlines much like their subsidiary and code-sharing commuter airline partners have done over the past 20 years?
General Aviation has the flexibility to move with the markets of demand much easier than the airlines do. Flights can be added at the spur of the moment as demand changes with travel seasons, or even events such as conferences and conventions where thousands of people move to a city for a three day event.
And we all know, for sure, that General Aviation delivers a much more stress free and efficient travel experience than the airlines have delivered so far.
So maybe the mantra should be if you can’t beat them out of business, buy them?
Is EXIM Bank’s Program Good for Aviation?
Our company sells refurbished turboprop regional airlines all over the world. In the last 18 months, in the middle of the worst aviation recession in memory, we have sold and delivered aircraft to Nepal, Canada, Columbia, Venezuela, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Australia,and Zambia to name a few. All of this in a time when used aircraft sales in the United States came to a screeching halt and have yet to recover. And the sales could have been higher. Had small airlines who are looking to expand their fleets been able to get financing, we would have sold twice again what we were able to sell around the world. Albeit there is risk associated in financing aircraft for small airlines in other countries, most of the businesses we deal with are well run and not as highly leveraged as the big airlines in Europe and the United States. These small businesses have not had the luxury of obtaining financing for new aircraft and so they typically pay cash,after saving for years, or finance a very small portion of the purchase.
A December 10 article in The Wall Street Journaldiscusses ExIm bank’s effect on Boeing Commercial Airliner sales. The number quoted is that one in four of Boeing’s sales are funded though the ExIm Bank guaranties. Without this government-backed financing Boeing would not be where they are today.
Recently our company was introduced to the process of working through the ExIm program as an opportunity to get backing on the sale of aircraft to a small airline in Central America. ExIm works much like other US programs that guarantee loans for loan underwriters to induce the underwriter to make a loan they might not otherwise make.
In a theoretical sense I believe in the free market economy, but a free market economy needs a level playing field, with rule sets that apply to everyone in the market. In the case of most international trade, and especially in aviation, governments across the world intervene to the benefit of their national industries. So if Airbus gets help from the European Union and its home country of France, but Boeing gets no help in any form from the United States is that fair trade in a freemarket economy?
Let me take this back down to the small business level where most of the jobs in this country are created. In the case of our company a big percentage of the payroll is tied to buying, refurbishing and reselling these used regional airline turboprop aircraft. We have yet to receive any handouts from the government for anything. We haven’t asked for any handouts. We pay our taxes (hard to count how many different ones) like everyone else. So, is it wrong to go to ExIm and ask them to back loans to sell small aircraft to airlines in developing countries who will use these aircraft to develop their own transportation infrastructure?
I don’t know the default rate of the ExIm program’s backed loans. I am not sure it is published and I’m certainly not suggesting a process that encourages bad loans. I am simply suggesting a process that provides capital for transactions that are sound in business principle but outside the realm of traditional banking sources.
Without capital it is hard to grow the economy, both here in the US and abroad. For the case of our small business, when other small airlines around the world can obtain the capital to grow, jobs and profits are created here in the US.
Not a bad proposition?
PBS Frontlines Documentary on the Crash of Flight 3407 a Must See
PBS Frontline’s Documentary investigates the crash of the Colgan Air Dash 8-Q400 flight number 3407.
Reporter Miles O’Brien is a pilot and 20 year veteran of reporting on aviation issues. He gives this story the time and depth it deserves, covering an issue that has long been brewing about the regional airlines hiring and training practices, as well as their dismal pay scales, all driven by the demand to offer seats at the lowest possible price.
No one in the airline industry or the private aviation side of air travel sets out at the beginning of each day making decisions that they believe will lead to a fatal crash of one of their aircraft. So how does it happen, and what part can the NTSB, FAA, DOT and the industry play in doing everything possible to prevent it from happening again?
When is the consumer educated to the point they realize that the airlines cannot deliver increased safety at lower costs? Safety costs money!
This story is worth an hour of your time to gain a better understanding of the issues our air transportation system faces with the economics of safety.
In a world where mainstream media sensationalizes everything and looks for the one minute stories to feed us in sound bites, the guys who have produced this have created a story that will, or at least should, make a difference.
Series 1 – Flight Training Beginnings
Randy Harmon is Owner of Wings of Eagles Flight School, in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a Certificated Flight Instructor CFII, CSIP, AGI, a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the United States Air Force and former Nashville Future 50 business owner.
Here Randy tells us about the beginnings of flight training:
The phone call or the office visit goes like this:
New customer: “I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to fly, but just as I was about to begin lessons, I moved away/got a job/began a family, etc, now I still don’t have much time. My children have moved out or I’m just tired of all the hassles of flying commercially and I still want to see if flying is something I can do.”
Two questions that everyone asks are: “How much does it cost?” and “How long does it take?”
Having trained pilots in the Nashville, Tennessee, area since 1997, and having flown both as a civilian and Air Force aviator since 1977, I can say with confidence that, in our market, it costs anywhere from $7,500 to over $19,000. Those costs depend on two things: 1. the type of airplane you chose to train in, and 2. the time each week you chose to train. I offer a spreadsheet that breaks down all the costs of training, including some that are often overlooked, such as the purchase price of a headset, kneeboard, and the cost of not only the flight examiner, but also the aircraft rental time for the check ride.
As for how long it takes, I tell new customers that if they train (both ground and flight) for six hours each week, then they can get their private pilot’s license in four to five months. If they devote nine hours each week to training, then they can have it in less than three months. If they train five days a week, they can have it within 30 days. And, as with learning any new skill, it requires consistency.
The next questions usually revolve around scheduling, training materials, and instructor-customer relationships. Any flight school or Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) should emphasize safety and customer-centered scheduling. Training should follow a written syllabus and every lesson should end with an assignment for the next lesson. Your instructor should ask you, the customer, how you learn best. Some people need to read and study via a text book, some rely upon computer-based applications, and others need the “tell me, show me” approach. We all learn differently and a good instructor should adapt to your style.
Most instructors I’ve dealt with are very dedicated, but even then, sometimes personalities clash. If you are in a flight school environment, you should let your instructor or the chief instructor know that you’d like to experience another training style. Your training should be enjoyable, after all, it is your money. Most of my personal students have flown with almost all of the instructors at my flight school. Each instructor brings a different teaching style to training, but we all teach to the same standards. It then just becomes a matter of what techniques best fit your learning style. At our school we share techniques frequently and formally at monthly CFI meetings.
For your next step, call a local flight school and schedule your introductory flight lesson. A great resource for finding one is www.aopa.org. Or you can contact us at www.jwnwings.comand we’d be glad to share the experience of flight with you and answer any questions you may have.
In my next post, we will discuss aircraft purchase or rental…..what’s right for you?
Lt Col Randy Harmon, USAF (Ret)
User Fees for General Aviation are off the table – for now.
A February 1 press release issued by the National Business Aviation Association says: “When it comes to the long-standing battle over user fees, it appears that today, we have reached an important and welcome milestone,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The fact that user fees are not part of the President’s 2011 budget proposal shows the tremendous progress we have made over the past year.”
It looks like we won the battle! But, have we won the war? Can we go home now?
The press release goes on to say:
Despite the removal of user fees from the Administration’s FY2011 budget, Bolen said that ongoing vigilance and grassroots mobilization by NBAA’s Members would be needed to ensure that Washington policymakers continue to understand the industry’s support for helping to fund aviation modernization through fuel taxes. “Whether or not this is an indication of a permanent policy shift on user fees, or a one-time development remains to be determined,” Bolen said. “What we do know for certain is that our industry must continue to make its voice heard on this and other issues.”
Knowing how Washington, D.C. works and understanding the power of lobbyists, I would say that we can breathe a sigh of relief but we cannot let up. Mr. Bolen says that we must continue to make our voices heard and I agree. In some ways, the fight will never be over because we as an industry must communicate our value to the politicians and media, but more importantly, to those people who write our paychecks every week – the travelers.
How do we do make our voices heard? The power of social media, where millions can speak for themselves, can drown out the voice of the lobbyist and the campaign contributions that buy that voice. It is a new day and the message is no longer bought, sold or owned by any one person or organization.
I commend the NBAA, AOPA, NATA, and EAA, who represent over a million aviators in this country, for mobilizing their constituents to speak out and be heard by both their representatives in Congress and by the media.
This quote recently posted on AOPA’s site really captures the essence of the battle:
So often we think we have got to make a difference and be a big dog. Let us just try to be little fleas biting. Enough fleas biting strategically can make a big dog very uncomfortable.
– Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund
As USA Today and other mainstream media covered the issues of aviation with a serious bias in favor of the Airline Industry and the Air Transport Association, the voices of individuals who disagreed with the bias were raised and heard. As I viewed the comments on these articles, they were most always overwhelmingly in favor of general aviation. Mainstream media has come to the realization that they must allow the people to speak or be rendered irrelevant.
The airlines need to go back to the sidelines and figure out how they are going to create value in this economy versus trying to blame their problems on everyone else, including General Aviation.
General Aviation, as a way of travel, is part of what makes this country great. The freedom to go by air to meet for business, see family, or just have fun is social and creates value in this economy by connecting people in a time-saving and stress free manner.
So, if the “Big Dogs” in D.C. start acting up again, let’s be prepared to bite strategically again.
Aging Aircraft of US Airlines: Safety Issue or Just a Service Issue?
A February 1 article by A. Pawlowski of CNN titled “How old is the plane you’re flying on?” says the following: “Few people expect luxury while flying, but these days, even the basics seem to be in bad shape. It’s not uncommon to find your tray table broken, the in-flight entertainment system not working and your seat cushion worn — all of which can make you think, how old is this plane anyway?”
“But for now, the reality for many U.S. air travelers is that most of their journeys take place on planes that have been in service for a decade or more and show it, though in ways that have no impact on their safety – like worn interiors, broken creature comforts and less than spotless conditions.”
Sounds more like riding on the metro rail than flying on an aircraft. Maybe that is what the experience ends up being in the future? Mass transit by Air!
The average age of the fleet of the seven large U.S. passenger airlines – including American, Alaska, Continental, the merged Delta and Northwest, Southwest, United and US Airways – is about 14 years old, according to The Airline Monitor. It found American and Delta/Northwest had the oldest fleets, at about 16 years on average. As of the end of 2008, a small percentage of the merged Delta/Northwest’s planes dated back to the late 1960s.
U.S. fleets are among the oldest in the world, said Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia.
So all of this begs the question about safety and are these aircraft still safe?
Most everyone will agree, as do the experts quoted in the article, that the fleet of airline aircraft in the United States are maintained to the highest standards in the world and that they are safe. The safety record of US airlines have continued to improve each decade due to good maintenance, technology upgrades in the cockpit and better training of pilots and maintenance personnel.
I have no fear of getting on a 16-year-old aircraft operated by a major air carrier in this country and no worry about arriving safely. The professionals who fly and maintain these aircraft are the best in the world, in spite of the bad press of a very few isolated incidents where the pilots are “working on their laptops” and forget where they are.
The Airline Industry is Safe! But what about the experience?
Is the traveling public going to resign themselves to the idea that all they can expect is to safely arrive? That’s all you expect when you hop on the metro rail in any major city.
There is an alternative for the traveler - it’s called private aviation or business aviation and it’s anything but the same old experience!
Nashville Aviators Bring Home Five Haitian Orphans
Even before the deadly 7.0 earthquake, Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries, was filled with orphans; estimated at 380,000 children living in orphanages or group homes. Now, the number is so huge, officials for the United Nations Fund cannot even give an accurate number, only to say that tens of thousand more children have been left without any family at all.
I recently read a story where a child was outside playing soccer in Port-au-Prince when his home pancaked in the devastating earthquake and killed his parents and five sisters. He now sleeps with thousands in a Port-au-Prince park and is forced to search for food in rubble, and find anything he may be able to sell so that he can survive.
There is horrific story after story about these suffering children. But I have also witnessed the outpouring of aid that people from all over the world have given to the people and country of Haiti. It is no wonder my heart strings have been tugged at frequently since the disaster struck Haiti.
I was recently sent a link to a story of a Nashville businessman and aviator (who also happens to be Corporate Flight Management’s Attorney, and friend), Philip North who, along with friend Don Bruce, flew to Haiti to pick up a group of Haitian orphans, to bring them back to their new home in America. They have all been adopted by American families.
It was a mission that was unexpected, as Philip and Don had partnered up with Agape Flight to fly doctors and supplies into Port-au-Prince. But what they ended up doing was flying five unaccompanied, and scared children to south Florida.
The below link is a video from Channel 5 news which tells the story of these generous aviators giving without asking anything in return. Helping those in need, because they can. Just try and not get goose bumps when you hear about Philip singing “Amazing Grace” to the five scared children in the back of that plane!
Bravo to all of the amazing and giving people, working hard to bring relief to the devastation. God knows these beautiful and helpless children need our help.
To donate to the children of Haiti, visit: http://hopeforhaitischildren.org/
“Drive to the plane instead of the airport!” – Fleet Aviation
I recently had the opportunity to be part of an interview with Fleet Aviation executives Doug Brennan (CEO) and Ellen Sluder (Director of Marketing) about how, in a murky aviation market, they are successfully growing their aircraft charter business.
The business model behind this White Plains, New York, based company is simply offering complete travel solutions to the customer that is price competitive, safe, comfortable, convenient and environmentally friendly. It’s what all of the aviation industry wish to do. These guys have a solid history of success since 2005 and are offering a better solution to the business traveler.
So who is Fleet Aviation? And what is their secret? Well, it’s not really a secret at all. Fleet Aviation provides on-demand charter service in small aircraft anywhere within 500 miles of the Greater New York City and Boston areas. At Plane Conversations, from time to time we like to compare the different experience of riding on a corporate or private jet, with the experience of travelling on the airlines. It’s our business, and we love to share with the market what a wonderful experience flying private is. Well, the small aircraft offers the same experience. Being a student pilot and flying in a two-seat Cessna 152 with less than desirable elbow room, I can fully appreciate the comfort level of flying in a four or six seat aircraft; whether it has one engine or two. And these aircraft are not only comfortable and modern, but they are also fun, safe, and can get into any of the 5000 small airports in the US. Only 500 are available to the airlines. So it’s easy to figure out the time and cost advantage of chartering a single-engine aircraft. 
But what is the experience like? Ellen Sluder says, “The experience of flying Fleet starts well before you arrive at the airport for your trip. You can either reserve online or call our concierge service. Once you have confirmed, you get a personalized itinerary that includes the name and phone number of your pilot. Should there be any concerns or questions, you can always call us or the pilot directly. When it is time for the trip, you can drive right out onto the tarmac and your car will be valet parked and washed for your return. You step out of your car, hand your pilot your bags, climb right into the plane and can be taxiing in 5 minutes. Skip the crowds, lines and connections associated with major airlines. And, because you are flying private, we are completely on your schedule – if you arrive a few minutes late, we simply wait for you.”
Fleet Aviation keeps a clear business focus on regional travelers and aiming to attract a new market -those who might not have ever thought about aircraft charter.
Face to face is important for Fleet Aviation, but the social media trend has clearly started to penetrate the aviation industry. “I fully believe that Social Media should be about getting feedback and creating a discussion. ”Engaging” in the truest sense of the word”,Ellen says. ”Ultimately, I’d love to get to the point where I’m generating hundreds of hits and interactions – driving people to our website and getting actionable feedback. But for now, the focus is really twofold: to provide fodder for folks who are doing due-diligence on Fleet Aviation, and use it as a tool for education. We want to challenge the conventional thinking on regional travel. I read upwards of 30 blogs a day, and sift through to find topics I think would resonate and be relevant to regional travelers and then put the private aviation spin on it. Sometimes it’s about highlighting destinations that are best reached through private flying, sometimes it’s commentary on the current system”.
To visit the great folks at Fleet Aviation, go to: www.flyfleet.com
“With Fleet, it’s smooth, simple and straightforward, from booking to landing.”
Social Media and Business Aviation: What if?
Part 4 in a Series on Social Media and Business Aviation: Written In Collaboration with Jay Deragon
Over the past few weeks I have posted several articles on social media – the new method of communicating to the market. I am an admitted novice in the world of social media and technology, but my eyes are starting to open to the possibilities created when social technology and business aviation collide.
We have discussed the opportunity social media presents to fight the war the airlines have declared on general aviation by getting our message out in an unfiltered way. We have also discussed social media as a means to increase our visibility to the market as well as to communicate with that market in order to innovate and better meet its needs on its own terms. All of these are game changing strategies.
So now I want to ask some what ifs!
What if there was a social grid or network built for the purpose of becoming the e-marketplace for private and business aviation travel solutions? What if this social network allowed, encouraged and facilitated the market to come together to aggregate a demand that is currently outside of the supply that traditional channels of distribution make available to the market?
What if the market could then go to the suppliers of private aviation and request trips or routes of travel where individual travelers could buy seats, filling the aircraft, driving the price down? Maybe the price would still not be as low as mass transit airline travel, but still would be much lower than today’s pricing of private aircraft flights.
What if travelers could input their travel profiles into the social grid in such a way as to speak to the entire market and to form affinities around common travel patterns? Would travelers be willing to share their travel information with the market in a profile, sharing where they go, when and how often? Would travelers talk to each other about their travel needs if those conversations led to more new, innovative and efficient travel solutions than have ever existed before?
What if all air charter providers and small scheduled airlines (niche airlines) could input supply into the grid, including empty legs? What if on-demand charters were quoted instantly so that the market had real time visibility to the solutions they need? What if all of these suppliers could participate on a level playing field and in a system that costs the users only when a transaction takes place?
What if the other parts of the business travel supply chain were able to participate as well? Would the hotels, resorts, rental car and limousine services have an interest in participating in the grid?
What if private aviation operators could collaborate to create a bigger market? What if we woke up someday and realized that we’ve been monopolized by technology controlled by some organization that isn’t even in our business? What if we all created a new collective “social grid” in which the general market of travelers realized they could use our system rather than the old commercial system?
What if we could collectively reinvent ourselves as an industry with the aim of serving the larger market? What would be required? Who would agree to collaborate? Who would agree that if we don’t, someone else will? And we’ll all lose when we should have been leading all along?
If we could simply start to build a dialog around all of these questions what could we do? Should we do it? If not, then let’s not even try to answer these questions. Let’s keep doing what we’ve been doing. Einstein once said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” What happens if we all decide to be sane?
If you think we need to do something else then join me and invite others to join us in creating a new future where we can all win.
Who will jump into the dialog? Who will invite others to do so as well? Is there anyone out there?
Where are the answers to all of these “what ifs”? Could they be out there in the market of conversations that could create the new system that creates the answers?
The answers are out there in the minds of people wanting to create a new future. Are you one of them?