Posts Tagged ‘aviation blog’
When Security Takes Longer Than The Flight
In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Scott McCartney talked about security taking longer than the flight.
Ever since the December 25 bombing attempt, travelers heading to the United States have had to face much tighter security. The federal government issued new rules which made inbound travelers have to go through a number of screening processes which include some pretty intrusive searches. And the crazy thing is people adjust. We have all become indoctrinated to this. We don’t like it, but we just have to do it.
I know this because I flew from Brisbane, Australia to Los Angeles a week after the attempted bombing. I was told that I would have to be at the airport three hours prior to my flight. I went through a number of searches, pat-downs, emptying out of personal belongings and carry-on luggage. I removed my shoes about four times. My teenaged son, who happened to be walking ahead of me alone, with his hands in his pockets, wearing a hoodie over his head, was approached by security to have an explosives test.
The article says: “If you’re coming inbound to the U.S., it’s going to be a tough summer unless we get some creative change in the security rules,” said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, a Geneva-based group that represents airlines around the world.
Airports, airlines and government agencies around the world have hired more screeners to perform the “enhanced” security that the U.S. now requires for any flight headed to or flying over the 50 states.
Airline officials said that government agencies and airports in North America, Europe and Asia have promised that they will staff up enough to prevent long lines and delays as travel picks up this spring and summer. “All we’ve got at this point is their word and we hope their word is good,” said an official at a U.S. airline. “It’s a concern.”
This affects not only those traveling to the US from overseas, but also domestic flights around the country. So, what’s the alternative to removing your shoes and standing in long security lines? You could always get a bunch of buddies, or other business travelers heading your way, to charter a private aircraft. You’d be surprised at the price of dividing a charter flight by six or eight. And you’d love the fact that you can drive to the FBO, grab a coffee and board the plane from the ramp 15 minutes before wheels up. And I haven’t even started on the luxury of the experience yet.
Has Airline Travel Turned into a Mass Production Manufacturing System
With the dawn of industrialization came mass production, and mass production lead to mass marketing. Mass marketing lead to the growth of mass media including Newspaper, Radio and TV.
Everything was driven by costs and profit and pushing stuff out to the consumer who also happened to be part of the mass of producers and marketers. If you make it cheap enough and market it to the masses, they will consume it.
With everything geared towards the masses, mass transit developed in the cities to move people to and from their jobs as workers in the large corporate factories that mass produced.
Mass transit started with the rail system and then added buses and eventually the airlines developed into the mass transit system of the air.
Mass transit is all about price and when price is the driving factor, the needs of individuals are sacrificed for the needs of the masses. Load everyone up like cattle, route them through the hubs, off load and reload on to the next flight that gets you somewhere near your destination, maybe not so quickly or in the most comfortable or sociable environment, but do it cheaply. It feels more and more like riding the metro rail?
So the airlines developed terms for describing productivity and efficiency that sound much like production manufacturing terms:
- CASM: Cost per available seat mile. A seat mile is one seat covering one mile.
- RASM: Revenue per available seat mile. The amount of revenue generated for every seat available covering a mile.
- RPM: Revenue per passenger mile. The revenue generated per passenger flown flying one mile.
All of this sounds like mass production. Are airlines in the business of providing transportation to the flying public or are they in the business of producing ASM’s and selling them at a profit generating RASM?
Is there a point where driving the CASM down to make a profit overrides best safety practices? That is a question being asked in the Frontline Documentary entitled “Cheap Flights”. I will leave that answer up to the safety experts for now.
Does the public merely want to get from origin to destination and back again for the lowest possible cost?
Will the public pay for something better than mass transit delivered at the lowest cost?
In the economy of the future, people will be more aware of the value of their time and they will have the tools to quantify its value. They will also value the experience of travel and quantify that experience in a social cost or benefit.
Just as people are longing for the personal touch and experience of buying their food at the farmers’ market versus buying mass produced food, they will long for and seek out solutions to every facet of their lives, including travel that gives back quality, experience and relationships.
And let’s not forget that people want their time back, spending it how they choose, and not how the systems of mass production forces them to spend it.
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?
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)
It’s All About the Baby Boomers!
There are 77 million of them and, according to an online article on Barron’s website, Baby Boomers are being ignored by marketers. What’s more, they are being ignored when they are the group who has driven 45% of all consumer spending for the last 60 years. In the next few years, it is estimated that the number will grow to 52%.
So who are the marketers going after? They favor the 18- to 49-year-olds, as they are the age group who are forming opinions, forming families, and are making major purchases like homes, cars, etc. However, they are not the age group with their wallets out ready to spend. Look at most advertising done today; it is aimed at the younger, hip crowd, in spite of the fact that over half of spending comes from the 45 to 63 year olds. And this trend is expected to continue for the next 20 years, Barron’s says.
So what about the traveler? Do we, in the aviation industry, target the Baby Boomers or Gen Xers? Do we even know?
Travel Marketing Decisions interviewed a series of experts to gather insight into this enormous and potentially lucrative segment. Below are some truths about Baby Boomers and the marketing implications for the travel industry.
1. Boomers consider travel a necessity, not a luxury. This is good news for the industry on two counts. First, the sheer number of boomers traveling will cause business to grow. Second, since travel is a necessity, Boomers engage in it no matter how scarce their time or money. Their travel behavior, therefore, is less dependent on life stage or the economy.
2. Boomers have traveled more than their predecessors. While their parents first visited Europe when they retired, Boomers criss-crossed the Continent as students. They’re already seasoned travelers, and know what they like and don’t like. They also seek out more in-depth ways of experiencing familiar places.
3. Boomers want to have fun. It’s not surprising that adult teenagers put a premium on having a good time. Although fun, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, Courtney Day, of a New Jersey research and marketing firm, said companionship, stimulation and the cultural/social experience make travel fun for Boomers. She added, “Part of the enjoyment of the experience is knowing it’s unique - that’s part of the rush.”
4. Boomers demand immediate gratification. Unlike their Depression-era parents, Boomers grew up in times of plenty. Easy gratification bred a desire for still more and quicker rewards. As a result, Boomers don’t wait to take the trips they want. If they don’t have the money, they just use plastic.
5. Boomers are not passive. They want a measure of control in designing their travel experience, and, once on the road, they want to choose their activities. “If you tell them they’re going to do A, B and C, they might want to do E or F,” noted editor Malott. The challenge for travel marketers is to make it clear their product offers plenty of options.
6. Boomers think they are special. Having always been a force to be reckoned with, they are very demanding consumers. Whether they go budget or luxury, Boomers tend to want the best.
7. Boomers like creature comforts. This fact, according to Malott, actually keeps Boomers from booking the exotic locales they profess to like. Day puts a slightly different spin on the issue. “A tent is OK,” she said, “but it better have a great view and great food. Even if you’re in the wilderness, luxury is being served a delicious meal without having to lift a finger.”
8. Boomers are time deprived. To get relief from their stressful schedules, Boomers vacation where they can do absolutely nothing but be pampered. Or they may go to the opposite extreme, choosing adventures that are physically or mentally challenging – or both. When booking travel, Boomers also need time-saving devices. They like 800 numbers, the Internet, videos and virtual reality because they offer convenience and interactivity. Internet use is so common among Mature Traveler readers, editor Malott automatically lists website addresses along with phone numbers. Day pointed out that Boomers use the Internet more for information gathering than booking. “It’s human nature to want to feel connected to what you’re about to sign up for,” she said. However, she added, Boomers also like the freedom of not involving other people when they are exploring a subject. Their attitude is, “When I’ve decided, I’ll initiate the next move.”
9. Boomers will pay for luxury, expertise and convenience. ATM fees, nannies and bottled water prove Boomers are willing to pay for what they want.
Seems to me Baby Boomers are the perfect customer for the private aviation industry. So how do we reach them? We should concentrate on adding value to the process of buying experiences. So…a Citation XLS or a Lear 45?
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!
“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.”