Our business since 2005 has continued to evolve substantially. While the British Isles remains the mainstay of our business, we have enjoyed solid growth and business activity to our 8 non-British Isles destinations. Additionally we are in the process of launching a significant addition to our golf travel lifestyle options when we introduce, "Golf Cruising by PerryGolf". This is a collection of Golf Cruise programs aboard a variety of ships and barges throughout the world.
Moving forward I intend to spend some time and discuss different destinations and travel options in various destinations around the world, which I believe resonate with affluent travelers seeking a premium golf travel experience.
The one common issue with virtually all international travel, save for a few very lucky people, is air travel. As the airlines grapple with high fuel prices, antiquated labor contracts and otherwise surly staff a few bright spots on the horizon;
Heathrow - Terminal 5 - The new home for British Airways and it is spectacular. The traffic flow is designed for current living, traditional check-in pods have been removed in this online world...BA expects upwards of 80% of their passengers to check-in before arriving at the airport, they will head straight to the Bag Drop area before clearing security. The Terminal sets a new standard for airports and the lounge complex (for premium passengers) is very well done. It will be interesting to see how other airlines respond as this will give BA a clear advantage in the service battle. They currently have a superior onboard service...the ground experience will match it. You may view more details at http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/XYZTerminal5/
I travelled to the UK last fall and took advantage of the opportunity to try Silverjet, the UK based airline offering an "All Business Class" product on board a B767 with 100 seats. Overall,a good experience I would recommend them BUT this is a classic case of the marketing guys running the company. The simple rule of commerce.....expectations must be realistically set and delivery must surpass (http://www.flysilverjet.com/) . It would be entirely reasonable for your expectations to run away if you take their marketing material seriously...always temper your enthusiasm with the "how much did I pay" reality check. Specifically;
The seats are angled, lie flat that I slide on, best comfort is the Z position
Entertainment is a hand held pre loaded digital movie player
Food service is decent. Try to get a second glass of wine with dinner!
Lounge in Newark is fairly basic, landside operation. Lounge in Luton is good, arrival process has showers, but no private basin in which to shave!
Best part of entire experience, and worth the effort to fly Silverjet at least once from Luton...check-in and boarding process through their private security...very slick by any measure.
I hope they succeed although with the current oil price level it will be challenging. They offer a Business Lite product and do not expect any more than that...indeed, they charge a Premium Economy fare and deliver a Business Lite experience...now why can the marketing guru's at Silverjet now sell on that basis!
This week Singapore Airlines, the leader in air travel excellence announced plans to convert it's daily nonstop service to Singapore from NYC and LAX to an All Business Class enviroment. This decision is apparently based on operational costs and also the understandable lack of demand for 18 hours in a Premium Economy seat. They will operate these flights with their flagship Business Class product (http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/new/businessclass/index.jsp) ...for scheduled air service,this is about as good as you can expect.
1 comment:
Good words.
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