Posts Tagged ‘Social’
Celebrate Private Air Service to The Kentucky Derby
The most exciting two minutes in sports
Let Social Flights be your source of air transportation service for The Derby Festival and The Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby (always the first Saturday in May) is more than just a two-minute horse race. It is two-plus weeks of parties, entertainment and good times.
From Kentucky Tourism:
The kickoff of the celebration starts April 21, 2012 with “Thunder Over Louisville”, which is one of the largest air show and fireworks displays in the States. More than half-a-million spectators line the banks of the Ohio River to witness the fireworks and music that make it a magical night.
The festival continues with events you don’t want to miss: the Great BalloonFest; the Chuck Wagon to stop the hunger; the marathon and mini-marathon; Great Bed Race; the Great Steamboat Race; and, of course, the Pegasus Parade.
Arguably the most famous horse race in the world is right around the corner and Social Flights is busy filling seats on private aircraft from several locations in the US. When you share a private jet into this event, you enjoy a first class experience with people with whom you can share a lifelong memory.
From Wikipedia
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky,United States, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile (2 km) at Churchill Downs. The race is known in theUnited States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports”. It is the first leg of the US Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, then the Belmont Stakes.
Visit social flights to get an instant quote under “Get a Quote” option, then we’ll notify you as others join your itinerary. The best time to start is now. Or, keep an eye out for Social Flight Kentucky Deby Packages. Our NASCAR Packages have been selling out very quickly so we expect the Derby to sell fast too.
Let us know if you would like to have a Social Flight out of your city!! Invite your family, friends, and colleagues for an exceptional experience at an most exceptional event.
Code Sharing For Private Air Service
Carol Pucci from Seattle Times recently wrote this article about her experience with airlines that code-share:
“With more airlines marketing each other’s flights as code shares, it’s getting harder to figure out who’s actually doing the flying. It also makes it a bit harder to find the best price. Code shares are marketing alliances that allow airlines to sell seats under their own name for flights operated by a partner airline. The airlines share in the revenues and passengers can earn and use their frequent-flier miles on either carrier.”
The irony is that on-line travel agents started a price war that has eliminated the incentive for airlines to distinguish themselves on “service” or even distance. This relieved them of the responsibility to excel. The underlying assumption imposed on the passenger is that all airlines are equal and all flights are the same – until they are not. For example: Air France and Delta are code share partners:
Carol further writes: “Air France was selling a Seattle/Zagreb (Croatia) round trip, with a connection through Paris, for $1,214 versus $1,408 on Delta for the same flights, a savings of $194″.
The law of one price
The problem with code sharing is not that you fly on the other partner’s aircraft, the problem is that the price is does not correlate with the exact same product, rather, it varies by whom you buy the ticket – that, by any definition, is broker’s world.
Private air service carriers and charter operators currently suffer from an extreme form of broker’s world that not only prevents carriers from code sharing, they also keep prices unpublished so the customer has no idea what they are paying for.
Of Brokers and Fixers
Imagine if Air France and Delta and United all had to operate different planes and there was no way for travelers to compare compare prices. Instead, a group of brokers could manipulate supply and demand to maximize their own profits. So for example, if the airplanes fly 1/2 empty, then brokers could charge double the airfare. Obviously, this is an extremely inefficient way to operate an air service industry.
Fly Social in more ways than one
Social Flights is a platform that accommodates code sharing among many partner air service operators while also standardizing the cost of flying on a per-mile / per-time basis. Social Flights performs the same yield management operations for a diverse inventory of private jets as the commercial carriers perform for their shared fleets.
The Social Flights platform permits the private air service operators to sell charter lift on a per-seat, per-leg basis. Instead of generating dead heads (empty legs) operators can code share such that every flight is a primary leg. Operators who are closest to the passenger will inherently be lower cost since a “re-positioning” fee would not be needed. This alone may cut the price of private travel by 50% (half the cost without dead/reposition fee) while also increasing operator revenue by 50% (by doubling the size of the market).
You can call it a code-share or you can call it a ride-share, but Social Flights calls it a breakthrough in air service efficiency.
Social Flights NASCAR Package Nashville to Bristol Motor Speedway
Social Flights Offers a flight from Nashville to Bristol, TN for the Food City 500 NASCAR Race on March 18, 2012. Social Flights announces this public charter flights operated by Corporate Flight Management, Inc. from Nashville.
The Food City 500 is a 500 lap race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on the 0.533 miles (0.858 km) track at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Irwin Tools Night Race, and is considered one of NASCAR‘s best races.
This non-stop flight will leave Smyrna, TN at 8:40 A.M. and arrive in Bristol at 11:00 A.M. The return flight will leave Bristol, TN at 6:00 P.M. and will arrive back in Nashville around 6:20 P.M. Social Flights is also including race tickets and ground transportation for the participants.
Clear Channel will be giving away four seats with tickets to the race and ground transportation to those registered for the prize drawing provided by Clear Channel. Interested parties can register for the free seats either at www.wsix.com or at www.1059therock.com. Social Flights has 15 seats available for the flight. One round-trip seat, ground transportation and a race ticket sells for $649.20 (all taxes and fees included) and can be purchased at www.socialflights.com/scheduled/001-002.
Social Flights will be offering many unique and convenient air service to various events across the US which no Commercial Airline could possibly serve. This makes Social Flights is truly a unique and important innovation in travel. Please feel free to contact us with an event on your calendar.
Social Flights Contact
Matt Slosky, Media Relations
Ph: 615-534-4590
matt.slosky@socialflights.com
About Social Flights:
Social Flights is the fastest growing privation aviation network online today. Social Flights is introducing a new paradigm to private aviation that enables the masses to access and buy seats on private aircraft at competitive prices. The Social Flights technology matches buyer intents to supplier availability and creates a new marketplace for air travelers. In just one year, the Social Flights network has grown to 13,866 social fliers and 98 private aircraft operators, encompassing over 600 aircraft available for charter opportunities to communities and individuals. www.socialflights.com.
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
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
###
* 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.
Information Powers Social Flight
From classical economic theory, when the buyer has the same information as the seller, markets are supposed to become more efficient. Then, the online travel agent (OTA) arrived to aggregate all the airline information so customers could get a “the best deal” with all the information presented to them. But that is not really what happened. Instead, customers got lost.
Information Hazard
The OTA industry quickly ignited a race to the bottom on airfare prices with little regard for a “service model”. This led to the unbundling of services (responsible for endless hidden fees on everything from extra baggage to a printed boarding pass), consolidation in the industry, and even bankruptcy of some airlines.
I fought the law and the law won…
Now, endless law suits are being filed over who “owns the customer” as defined by some arbitrary “click” or “like” or “shopping basket”. Other lawsuits challenge the ownership of the information attached to a customer, before and after the flight, etc. You get the idea; this has nothing to do with helping the customer, nothing to do with flying airplanes, and most certainly does not make the market more efficient.
Something different in happening
In fact, the air travel market is more segmented, protected, siloed and regulated than ever – AND, prices are in the tank. Private operators obviously do not want to be a part of this market, however large, simply because they will be drawn into a viscous circle forced to do more of the things that they don’t want to do for less money. Most operators are not looking forward to it.
The Free and The Easy
On the other hand, the Internet has made information free and easy to transport – in formation is the source of knowledge and innovation in any market. There must be a strategy in that can be put in play so private operators can benefit from technology without becoming a slave to technology.
If we told the truth to ourselves…
There is little reason why the private carriers need to compete with each other – the real competition is the dysfunctional mainstream air travel market. There is little competitive advantage to not sharing empty seats and empty legs among each other when we can pull the lucrative premium class away from the commercial airlines.
No Downside to Cooperation
There is no downside to increasing the size, scope, and applicability of the private air service sector. There is little downside to the traditional customers of private services when the airplanes are better utilized, operators are well staffed, and airplane owners are receiving sufficient cash flows and buying more aircraft. There is no downside to steady cashflow.
The Social Flights Platform
Social Flights is building a platform that allows operators to collect their inventory and appear as a single resource to the private travel market. The private air service market should redefine and dominate the “service model” so that the lucrative premium class commercial market can use Private travel as the referenced standard.
And technology is just beginning
Many new technologies are beginning to impact the travel market in many profound ways. The private air services providers have an opportunity to work together and leap frog the commercial airlines to dominate the conversation related to the true value of air travel.
Information Powers Social Flight
From classical economic theory, when the buyer has the same information as the seller, markets are more efficient. Then, the online travel agent (OTA) arrived to aggregate all the airline information so customers could get a “the best deal”. But that is not really what happened, customers got lost.
Information Hazard
The OTA industry quickly ignited a race to the bottom on airfare prices with little regard for a “service model”. This led to the unbundling of services (responsible for endless hidden fees on everything from extra baggage to a printed boarding pass), consolidation in the industry, and even bankruptcy of some airlines.
I fought the law and the law won…
Now, endless law suits are being filed over who “owns the customer” as defined by some arbitrary “click” or “like” or “shopping basket”. Other lawsuits challenge the ownership of the information attached to a customer, before and after the flight, etc. You get the idea; this has nothing to do with helping the customer, nothing to do with flying airplanes, and most certainly does not make the market more efficient.
Something different in happening
In fact, the air travel market is more segmented, protected, siloed and regulated than ever – AND, prices are in the tank. Private operators obviously do not want to be a part of this market, however large, simply because they will be drawn into a viscous circle forced to do more of the things that they don’t want to do for less money. Most operators are not looking forward to it.
The Free and The Easy
On the other hand, the Internet has made information free and easy to transport – in formation is the source of knowledge and innovation in any market. There must be a strategy in that can be put in play so private operators can benefit from technology without becoming a slave to technology.
If we told the truth to ourselves…
There is little reason why the private carriers need to compete with each other – the real competition is the dysfunctional mainstream air travel market. There is little competitive advantage to not sharing empty seats and empty legs among each other when we can pull the lucrative premium class away from the commercial airlines.
No Downside to Cooperation
There is no downside to increasing the size, scope, and applicability of the private air service sector. There is little downside to the traditional customers of private services when the airplanes are better utilized, operators are well staffed, and airplane owners are receiving sufficient cash flows and buying more aircraft. There is no downside to steady cashflow.
The Social Flights Platform
Social Flights is building a platform that allows operators to collect their inventory and appear as a single resource to the private travel market. The private air service market should redefine and dominate the “service model” so that the lucrative premium class commercial market can use Private travel as the referenced standard.
And technology is just beginning
Many new technologies are beginning to impact the travel market in many profound ways. The private air services providers have an opportunity to work together and leap frog the commercial airlines to dominate the conversation related to the true value of air travel.
Challenges Of Technology For Private Aviation
Social Flights will soon release Part 2 of the Operators Whitepaper. Part 1 identified the intrinsic value of private aviation to a travel market. Part 2 will identify some of the technology challenges of integrating with the mainstream travel community.
In short, the next step for private aviation is to integrate with the mainstream market while offering seamless transition with other technologies and transportation modes. The following is a summary of Part 2.
The Technology Challenge
Technology is encroaching on every aspect of the travel industry from on-line travel agencies to Next Generation Air Traffic Management. It is no longer sufficient to have a great looking website, the data that private operators collects and distributes must be compatible with all other services that support the customer long before and long after they cross your threshold.
Compatibility of Pricing
One example is in compatibility of pricing; private airplanes are priced by the flight-hours imposed on a private aircraft. However, commercial airplanes are priced by the market availability of seats. There is no way for the customer to compare these two travel options; as such, these markets are segmented by price incompatibility. The trend is increasing through the unbundling of services like baggage fees and check in fees and convenience fees, hotel, and car rentals contracts, discount coupons, etc.
True Value / Time Value
A vastly neglected aspect of travel is called True Value. For example; the cost of traveling to a hub airport often exceeds the cost of the airline ticket. The time waiting for TSA screening and connecting flights often exceeds the in-route flight time. The total transit time often exceeds the time that the traveler needs to be at the location. Weekend travel is impossible without extra hotel stays and missing one or two days of work. Time is money. Lost opportunity is money. Life is short.
Alternate Technologies
Alternate technologies such as mobile connectivity and social media drive different migration patters of people, business and entertainment. Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Google offer alternate ways for people to communicate in lieu of travel, but they also expose more people to more places that are less accessible by commercial aviation.
The Integration
Today, the travel market is segmented in information silos where companies hoard information in the name of competitive advantage. However, when prices are comparable, the market can apply a time/value formula where alternate technologies enhance the value of travel. Then, and only then can the entire door-to-door travel experience can be fully integrated in an efficient market where everyone playing the travel game shares information, combines services, and collaborate in the best interest of the customer.
It’s a game, let’s have fun
Share a Private Jet to The Preakness Stakes
The most important series of equestrian events is right around the corner and Social Flights is busy filling seats on private aircraft from several locations in the US.
Private Jet traffic can get pretty busy and prices are at a premium. Commercial airlines cannot get you in and out in the same day and booking a hotel can be a nightmare.
When you share a private jet into this event with people who you know from the same town, you enjoy a first class experience with people with whom you can share a lifelong memory. Let Social Flights be your source of air transportation service for The Preakness Stakes.
via Preakness Stakes – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg); fillies 121 lb (55 kg). It is the second leg of the US Triple Crown, with the Kentucky Derby preceding it and the Belmont Stakes following it. The horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown.
The Preakness Stakes has been termed “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” because a blanket of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta, the state flower of Maryland) is traditionally placed around the winner’s neck. The attendance at the Preakness Stakes ranks second in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races including the Belmont Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup and the Kentucky Oaks. The attendance of the Preakness Stakes typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, for more information see American Thoroughbred Racing top Attended Events.
Visit social flights to get an instant quote under “Create a Flight” option. Then we’ll notify you as others join your itinerary. The best time to start is now. Invite your family, friends, and colleagues for an exceptional experience at an most exceptional event.
A Giant Leap For Private Air Travel
Hipmunk is our favorite OTA because they seriously get it. Travelers want to get places easy, safe, and fast.
From Hipmunk Website:
As you know, we’re obsessed with taking the agony out of travel and providing you with the best options for your unique needs. In our dedication to make all traveling easier, we’re very excited to announce the availability of regional business jet service through our new partner, Linear Air.
Linear Air is the premier air taxi operator in the US operating an exclusive fleet of Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets based at several convenient airports in the North East.
From The Linear Air Website:
Our mission is to democratize personal air travel. Traditional private jet travel is expensive. At Linear Air, we’ve found the perfect formula to turn it into an affordable productivity tool for people who value their time.
The Integration Has Begun
Now Linear Air and Hipmunk have achieved what may emerge as one of the most important innovations in air transportation. Hipmunk and Linear Air have developed the ability to list private jet inventory along side Commercial Airline inventory.
Yes, private travel is expensive, but on a time/value analysis, there are many situations where private travel is categorically less “costly” than commercial airlines.
- Single day and weekend travel is virtually impossible with commercial airlines
- Commercial seats fill up and fares skyrocket close to departure date making it impossible to travel at the SOT (Speed Of Twitter)
- There are only 30 airline hubs for 50 States, and shrinking – what’s wrong with this picture?
- Only 6 airports have direct train service and 12 connect to trains but only after a public transit hop – seriously, who is planning for seamless travel to the other half of the country?
- Countless businesses would use smaller airplanes on direct flights if they were available
A Future to Strive For
At Social Flights, we see a future where all private jet inventories can be listed on a per-seat basis and aligning into collective schedules. We envision a future where private operators “code-share” inventory with other operators matching the right aircraft to the right mission at the right price without creating wasteful empty legs. We foresee a market where operators are no longer dependent on brokers who hoard information only to maximize their fees.
At Social Flights, we see private aircraft as a way for the commercial airlines to reconnect with small communities. Private air services can eliminate a great deal of fragility and volatility inherent in the hub and spoke system. Private air service can absorb overbooked traffic or disaggregate low yield commercial flights into the private domain instead of leaving communities stranded .
Social Flights sees a future where small communities can lease, own, or contract to operate their own aircraft deploying them to the social graph representing their priorities, not the priorities of the corporate boardroom of an airline conglomerate.
A Giant Leap for Social Travelers
As such, we see that Hipmunk / Linear Air partnership as a critical first step in the ability for the information age to restructure the air transportation industry to reconnect the traveler to those special places where they can enjoy great conversations, fine food, and splendid views.
Social Flights To Publish Operator White Paper
Social Flights is preparing for release an important document which spells out the relationship that Social Flights seeks to create with private jet operators across the United States.
The document is a written specifically to operators of private aircraft fleets. Our objective is to demonstrate how Social Flights can increase their fleet utilization, aircraft yields, and overall business success.
The first part of this paper begins with a discussion about empty legs and finishes with a discussion of all the ways that empty seats on empty legs can be converted to cash flow.
The second part of this document discusses the challenges of technology in aviation. While airlines use big data to maximize their profits, the on-line travel agencies use big data to minimize airline profits. The resulting game of cat and mouse creates pricing silos that distort markets.
Social Flights can convert your seats to cash flow one way or another, but cash flow nonetheless. Social Flights restores consistency among the pricing silos so that travelers can compare true door-to-door value of a private flight vs. a commercial flight. Social flights creates true transparency to increase the efficiency of the market.
***
Travel is the most expensive advertising vertical in the world. Airplanes act as market amplifiers for products, services, and events. A great deal of marketing value can sit in those empty seats and there is no way for operators to convert that value to cash. Social media is an amazing marketing tool that can amplify a message across a broad landscape where content is king and reputation is currency.
NextGen air traffic management will increase the number of airplanes that can occupy the airspace, but it does little for ground traffic or traveler comfort – yet this same technology will open smaller airports and private routes to private operators. Social Flights will act like “code sharing” agreements that the airlines have adopted for years.
Finally; the door-to-door value of the Social Flights experience must include integration with ground transportation, hospitality, events, tourism boards, corporations, communities, and ultimately, economic development policy. This is where the commercial airlines utterly fail in their profit calculations.
Social Flights air services will provide a platform of shared legs, shared inventory, and coordinate consistent route structures from a pool of operators and aircraft using the same yield management and fleet management principles of a large commercial airline. Social Flights brings these stakeholders to the table, converts their data to a shared value format, and provides a seamless travel experience that is always unique, always fast, always luxurious, and always safe.
In return, we ask that operators provide Social Flights with data feed to their inventory. This may require an operator to add a business process to their day-to-day activity, but it is our intention to be able to deliver far more value than what the operator invests. In short, you will be able to calculate the ROI on your association with Social Flights.
Let’s fly together!