The Drive-Thru Dilemma.

Does this sound familiar:  You pull up to your local fast food joint to see a long drive-thru line and no one is inside.  In your mind it seems straight forward to go inside and get your food quicker.  You walk inside and wait for three, maybe five minutes before someone comes to take your order.  And then the worst thing ever: you wait 20 minutes to get your "fast" food.

The world we live in moves at the speed of light, and we expect our food to be the same way.  We want fast service.  The invention of the Drive-Thru window seems to have some inaccurate history with it.  Mostly, there are a number of places that claim the rite of "First Store With A Drive Thru."  Either way, it works like this: Ford invented the assembly line, McDonald's made it work for fast food, and someone said, "let's add a way for people to not even get out of cars to get their food."

Since then, we have sacrificed quality for speed.  Let me make this clear: I am in no way hating on Fast Food.  If it weren't for Taco Bueno, I would starve. But there's a problem with this drive-thru mentality: a human being is less important than a car.

I've worked at two fast food restaurants: Taco Bueno and Whataburger.  Both of these fast food joints share a common birthplace (Texas) and a commitment to quality food.  Taco Bueno aims for a "show" time of 30 seconds at the drive thru window.

Show Time: Show time is the amount of time that starts when a customer arrives at the drive-thru window or "pickup window" and ends when the customer pulls away.  

Taco Bueno's show time is lengthy compared to that of McDonald's, which aims to be 15 seconds.  Whataburger cared a little less, they didn't really even keep record of the time because their goal was to make the food fresh when a customer orders.

But most fast food chains base performance off of the drive-thru show time.  That's great for the hungry patrons who are picking up a burger between Yoga and Soccer Practice, but what about the customers who come in to the store?

At many fast food joints there are four to five people dedicated to the drive-thru operations and one or two dedicated to the dining room.  And the worst part is, most of the dining room crews are the newest team members, leaving them unknowledgable.  So, you and your family come in to a dining room to eat, and you wait 30 minutes to get your food in an unclean area because the new guy doesn't realize that it's his responsibility to clean it and the manager on duty is only focused on his show time.

But it's not just the drive-thru, what about when you're at AutoZone trying to check out, and the guy waiting on you stops to go answer the phone?  When a person comes in to your store it doesn't mean that they're not in a hurry by trying to use the fastest route, it means that they are taking time out of their busy day to be your patron, and you should put your best foot forward.... but do you?  I mean, really, do you?

It's time to remember that your customers are number one, and if they walk into your store, you should drop everything and wait on them.  (You know, like Five Guys does.)

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

The sign at Five Guys that says it all.

The Difference Between Bigger and Better

There's a lot of buzz right now about a 1000 passenger A380.  As you may know, I prefer to call the A380 the Double Decker Death Trap.  I may not be liked by a number of Airbus employees and fans because of this, but there are many reasons why I worry about the safety of the A380, and moreso a 1000 pax version.

There's a phrase, "The bigger you are, the harder you fall."  Airbus has been number two for a long time.  The reason?  An iconic plane called the 747 (and I'll tack on the 777 as well).  Boeing has always built a better plane, but right now there is a lot of uncertainty in the Chicago headquarters.  Customers are frustrated with the 787 delays, and Boeing has yet to make a decision about a 737 replacement or re-engine.

As is often the case with an anxious company, Airbus feels that they have a lead right now.  They've got the A320NEO, and the A380 flying (well, minus when the engines blow up), and the A350WXB is well on its way with over 500 orders.  Often when a misguided underdog takes the lead, they want to put a great distance between them and their number two.  So Airbus calls for the 1000 seat Double Decker Death Trap.

Airbus, stop, and think.  Is this the best thing to do, or are you trying to compensate for years of being number two?  When Boeing decides to improve on something already great, they extend it some, and change the wing design and systems, not double it in size.  Think about the publicity that could bring: "1000 people dead after A380 falls out of sky for no apparent reason."  Or worse, Air France Pilot error takes the Double Decker Death Trap to its grave (What?  Think that can't happen: AF447 - pilot error,  AF4590 - pilot error [if you don't agree with me on this one, bring it.])

What I'm trying to say is that bigger isn't always better, and the slow and steady company will win this race.  Plus, I'm not riding in an oversized sardine can.

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

Create The Moment

Have you ever heard the phrase "Carpe Diem"?  Okay, right, who hasn't?  It's a phrase a lot of people use when they are sending off a friend on to a new voyage in life.  "Sieze the day!"  Do something great!  It's encouraging.  For some, it means to take advantage of what you can do with your business; for others, it means to live the life you have left because you've been told you have six months to live.  Sieze the day.  Be ready for the moment when it comes.

For me?  For me it means, look at all of the other times you've said this, and let a great opportunity pass.  Let me give you some insight into my personal life.  Most people see me as an optimist.  I am eager and ready.  I believe the best in people, and hope for the greatest things.  But the truth is, I hide in that.

I fear the worst.  I assume failure.  Here, try this story: in high school I was in love with this one girl.  She was "everything I ever wanted".  And she had little to no interest in me.  But I was hung up, waiting for her.  I passed up the opportunity to date a lot of other nice girls because I wanted to be ready when the opportunity presented itself.  It never did.


I was so busy waiting for the moment to happen, and thinking about the great things that would come out of this relationship, that I missed every chance I had for something better.

Look at your life.  What opportunities have you missed because you were waiting for the right moment?  Now think about your business.  If you're an entrepreneur (or you want to be), are you still working another job to support yourself?  Are you waiting to quit for that right moment?  If you already own your business, are you waiting for some exact amount of money to be in the bank account before you take your next step?  And is that next step the one thing you need to do to create the ultimate success?

I was at Jimmy John's tonight.  I read something about Warren Buffett.  His son was in trouble at his job, Warren asked, "Is there greater risk to stay or to leave?"  His son realized that the greater risk was to stay, and so quick.  But I have to ask, is the greater reward to stay or to leave?

A lot of fancy business people will tell you that you must always choose the path of least risk.  Did Bill Gates do that when he sold a product to IBM he didn't own?  Did the Wright Brothers do that when they decided to fly?  Don't get me wrong, I highly respect Warren Buffett, but he has.  He's trying to keep the status quo.  For those of us who have not, he need to buck the system.

Waiting for the right moment to come along, that's like me waiting for Warren to call me and offer me a million dollars.  It will never happen.  It's time to forget "Carpe Diem" and replace it with "Face Diem".  Make the day.  Create the moment that you're looking for.

I have a friend who loves Def Leopard.  He lives for them.  His name is Ryan, and his goal was to meet the band.  Ryan took matters into his own hands, and has traveled many times to see them, and invested in their website.  There was a contest to meet them, and Ryan entered, four times.  Ryan created the moment.  His goal was to not leave the band any option, but to meet him.  Yes, I said it, Ryan wanted the band to meet him.  He succeeded.  You can view his meeting below this post.

But when was the last time you said, "I'm ready for Warren Buffet to meet me"?  When was the last time you said, "I'm ready for my investors to invest"?  No, we often wonder "when will my investors want to invest?"  By waiting for the moment, we're choosing to fail.  (Yes, I realize that sometimes you have to wait, but if you're hungry, and need to pay the bills, waiting isn't an option.)

A teacher at my school once said, "You already have your 'no'."  If you don't ask, you've accepted no as the answer.  So ask.  Go get what you want.

I don't care if you have to wait outside of Warren Buffet's house for weeks on end in the rain, go get your yes.  Create your moment.  Get yourself in front of the people you want to meet.  People respect those who try and fail more than those who fail by not trying.

Get the fear out of your head, and dive in; the water's fine.

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

BoeingFan - the 747-8i

There's nothing more exciting than the first flight of a new airplane.  I can imagine that Orville and Wilbur shared a true moment of pur excitement when their "wheels" first left the ground.  It is a common thought that "man has always dreamed of flight" and the Wright brothers had grabbed hold of that dream and made it a reality.

Image © Boeing

In a week (if everything goes well), The Boeing Company will once again experience the feeling of first flight.  The 747-8i is almost ready to take to the skies.  It's sister, the 747-8f, has already flown around 1,600 flight hours, leading the way for the first flight on the 747-8i.

It should come as no surprise that I am eagerly awaiting the first flight of the 747-8i.   There are two main reasons I'm eager to see this beautiful aircraft fly.

First, the 747 is an icon.  While the other major airframer is just now getting around to a real jumbo jet, Boeing has been producing this double decker aircraft since 1969.  By updating the 747 with this major overhaul, Boeing is reminding the world of its place as the premier air manufacturer.  Boeing is also creating a major improvement to the 747's fuel economy to help further its life in the airline world.

The second reason I am eager to see the first flight is because the 747 has long since been my favorite aircraft.  I won't lie, I had a love affair with Concorde, but what #avgeek didn't have that love affair?  The truth is I have always wanted to land a 747.  I think there is nothing more elegant that the landing of a 747 and I would love to see it from the cockpit.

So, get yourselves ready for the first flight of the 747-8i!

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

Travel With Music - Good Morning and Good Night

Every once in a while I get to do something awesome.  Over the past 5 months I've been working with Signer Songwriter, Maggie McClure.  Maggie and I have worked together much in the past, but nothing has been quite like this.  My friend, Zach, and I traveled with Maggie across the country shooting footage on my Nikon D90.  Below is what we created.  Can you figure out all of the places we went to shoot this video?

Like Maggie's sound, be a friend and purchase her music on iTunes!

Growth at KOKC Means a Brighter Future for General Aviation

Image from Atlantic Aviation

Oklahoma City is home to three of the largest independent oil and natural gas companies in the United States.  It's the home of Sonic (America's Drive In), and it's pretty much just awesome.  But since 1972, OKC's Will Rogers World Airport has only been served by one FBO.

AAR has been king of the roost for a long time, and I've always had to wonder why.  I've heard from a number of people that their staff has been rude, and lacked a since of concern for their customers' needs.  The other problem is that AAR has had a monopoly on fuel prices at KOKC.  And if you've ever tried to purchase a flight to or from OKC on Continental (from IAH), you will find a very steep price of over $300 each way.

But change is on the horizon.  Oklahoma City is also served by Wiley Post Airport (and yes, Oklahoma does have an affection for naming its airports after people who died in plane crashes).  Wiley Post (KPWA) is home to many prive jets and is a good choice for GA operations.  However, OKC provides quicker access to the downtown area.

With that in mind, Plano, Texas, based Atlantic Aviation has decided to expand their operations from Wiley Post to Will Rogers.

On the east side of 35R/17L, just south of ARINC's two year old building, Atlantic Aviation is building a 40,000 square foot building to create some real competition in the OKC GA market.  The most exciting thing about this growth is that it implies that the General Aviation market is on the rise.  I, for one, am excited to see more growth in Oklahoma City as well.  This exciting turn in events is a true indication that the economy is on the rise, even if we're not out of the woods yet.

To learn more about Atlantic Aviation's new facility, visit their website.  You might also want to learn about AAR's FBO here.

But, hey, I'm just some guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?

United - Why I Hate The Airline I Love

© United Continental Holdings

Every frequent flyer chooses an airline.  They pick their airline because of route network, average ticket price, and loyalty program.  In March of 2010, I picked United.  Truth was, I had been flying for years, but never had I been in a place where I could reach a real tier in any loyalty program.  But last year I knew it would happen.  So I worked tirelessly to arrange all of my travel on United Airlines, and while flying home from visiting the Future of Flight and Boeing Factory tour, I became Premiere on United.

As this year started I set out to become Premiere Executive.  A lofty goal, but one I would actively pursue.  I'm already 12 EQS (Elite Qualifying Segments) towards my goal.  But as United progresses with their merger, I've got a few things I'd like to get off my chest.

1. (lack of) Customer Service
I want to start by saying this: most of the United Employees who work at the airports and on the flights are mostly pleasant.  I have had a time or two where I would like to drag a United employee behind a 747, but for the most part, they are good people.  So why would I mention the lack of customer service?

Every flight starts with the booking process.  Booking on United isn't too hard.  Go to their website, pick your flights and you're ready to go.  But what happens if something goes wrong?  Up until a year ago when I would call the UAL Customer Service number I would talk to some nice person in Chicago.  Now I talk to someone in India.  I don't mind people from India at all.  The issue I have with these new (not)United employees is two fold.

First, they understand English, but not American.  When I talk, I say things that are related to my culture.  Things that someone on the other side of the world doesn't understand.  So it becomes hard to get my point across.  This has been an issue over and over.

Second, they work off of a script.  A few days ago I was in IND.  I was heading home and due to weather in Washington D.C. I was going to miss my flight home.  I contacted UAL Customer Service and explained my situation to the lady on the other side of the world.  Her solution was to book me on flights the next day.  I told her that I needed to get home that night and she just continued to say, "I will book you on tomorrow morning's flight".  She didn't understand my needs or how to handle them because it wasn't on her script.  I don't blame her, I blame United.

That also hasn't been the worst experience I've had.  I've been overcharged for upgrades and other anomalies because of the lack of good understanding.

2. The (outsourced) Main Line Service

The last main line service I flew on was UA576 on October 23rd.  So, if it weren't for GoJet Airlines, Shuttle America, Trans State Airlines, SkyWest, and Express Jet (these are the main ones I fly) I wouldn't get anywhere on United.  I enjoy the service I get, mostly on GoJet when I can fly Economy Plus, but I would rather fly in a larger jet with full United service (including on board purchases).

To step away from my gripes I would like to bring up this point: How is it cheaper to hire another company to do the same job?  I realize that outsourcing happens all the time, and companies do it because it creates a lower overhead, but what is the real cost?

The real cost happens when you spread your brand onto the paper of other companies.  Although SkyWest is a great airline, it's not United.  You can paint the plane, give the flight a UA flight number, have the Flight Attendants wear UA clothing, but it's still not United.  Every time I fly with a different regional carrier I get a slightly different service experience.  The consistency of the brand is lost.

There was a tweet I quoted in another post that said, "Southwest and JetBlue are brands, all others are just airline names."  It's right.  The United brand isn't a brand, it's just a name that is slapped on the side of United, Continental, ExpressJet, GoJet, Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Colgan Air, Mesa Airlines, Shuttle America, Trans State Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines, Cape Air, CommutAir, and Gulfstream International airplanes.

I love this look at branding, "A brand is the essence or promise of what will be delivered or experienced." (persuasivebrands.com)  The only thing that the United brand can really promise is to get you from point A to point B, and sometimes they struggle with that.  United cannot promise what the experience will be like.  In fact, I would dare say that no Legacy Airline can because of their nature with outsourcing.

3. The (missing) Promotions
Ever since United unleashed their new Mileage Plus website, this is what I see:

"At this time we do not have any promotions available for you."  There are a number of things that I think about when I see this.  First, did the idea come, get created, and then fade away?  Why would someone think this was a good idea and then give up on it.  

Second, though, look at what Promotions can do for a company.  I'll start with Marriott.  Every year Marriott runs two or three versions of MegaBonus.  If you stay 20-25 nights in a given three month window you can earn anywhere from 25,000 - 50,000 MegaBonus points.  During the last run of MegaBonus I was one night shy of making my 50,000 point goal.  So, I stayed a night in my home town just to get the points.  

While at Flight Global's Loyalty 11 conference in Fort Worth, Texas, this last week, Maya Leibman (President of American Airlines' AAdvantage Program) said, "People will pay anything for a free trip."  I paid US$80 to spend a night in a hotel (which I didn't actually even sleep at, I just checked in) just to get 50,000 points.  United is missing opportunities left and right to get more money out of me.

Last, look at SAS.  Scandinavian Airlines created a program called Time to Forecast.  The idea was that a customer predicts how many flights they will take in a four month period.  If they are correct, they earn bonus points for the number of flights they predicted.  As a customer, I would love the opportunity to interact with an airline on this level.  It will allow me to help pick my reward amount.  And I promise that I would be the guy who buys one last flight to anywhere just to make sure I got to my award amount.

I want to be given options to win more points.  And I'm willing to pay anything for that free flight to Hawaii, so help me get there!  To United's credit, Optathalon was pretty sweet.  I enjoyed playing games to get free upgrades.  But it's gone now.  

4. (can't seem to) Stay in Touch

If you've flown United, you've seen their ad that says, "Be a Friend, Stay in Touch."  If you haven't seen it, the "F" of friend is the Facebook logo, and the "T" of Touch is the Twitter Logo.  If you've ever tried to interact with United online, you probably haven't gotten much of a response.  I use twitter a lot to seek customer service, and rarely do I get it when it comes to United.  I write many messages to them, and never hear from them.

What's interesting to me is that when United rebooks me on American flights and I tweet about it, I'm pretty sure I hear from every American employee saying that they are glad they can get me home.   I also wonder why Southwest talks to me on Twitter more than the airline who I dedicate all of my dollars to.  

It would seem to me that United needs to get out of their legacy thinking and dive into Social Media, so that I can communicate with them.  But that's just me.

In the same category, I still don't understand why GoGo inflight wireless is only on P.S. flights.  Business travels make up most of United's base, give us a way to keep working in the air!

5. Why I (don't) Hate United.

I can gripe and complain all day long.  I get frustrated every time I call customer service.  I hate that United won't help me get what I need.  But, I still love United.  Nothing beats Economy Plus.  And I mean nothing (except United First, of course).  I love the fact that I can get round trip to Hawaii for 40,000 miles.  I love the people who work for United.  

I don't hate United, but much a good friend, there are some things I would love to see changed.  What bothers you about United, or your airline of choice?  What would you like to see in an airline?  Let me know, I'm curious.  For me, if United just got Dr. Pepper on their flights I would be much happier.  

But, hey, I'm just a guy who likes to look at airplanes, so what do I know?