The Art Of Thankfulness.

What a year it's been!  2011 has flown by, and as I look back at some of my favorite memories, I begin to think about thankfulness.  Every company has a bottom line.  They have a goal for that bottom line.  When they reach, they thank themselves.  They say, "Hey!  We did a great job!"   But what about me?  I'm the consumer.  Without me, you would fail.

In the airline and hospitality industries we call it "Loyalty."  Encouraging our customers to stay with us through Points, Miles, and Rewards.  I've been platinum with Marriott for five years.  I achieved my goal of Premier Executive (soon to be Premier Gold) with the new United.  I'm Fastbreak at Budget (yep, I'm cheap).  I'm Premier at Staples.  I've got a Qdoba card, an Office Max Max Perks card, a Best Buy Rewardzone Card, and some rewards card for Toy R Us.  I believe in rewards.  But I really believe in the art of thankfulness.

Over this past year I've made some awesome memories... Memories with Taco Bueno, Boeing, and Marriott.  These are companies that I have begun to develop relationships with.  And all three are companies who have extended their hand to say "thanks."

None of them sent me a gift card (well, I did win Buenohead of the week one week, which comes with a gift card).  None of them sent a stock letter.  Each one of them talked with me.  They said thank you in special way.

CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and "Loyalty Experts", hear this: It is time to say thank you.  Loyalty should not be a strategy... it should be a way of life.

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

The Reality of Dreams

I remember waking up early one morning in home in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Everything about the morning was normal.  I was reading up on Twitter, my wife was making some breakfast. 

In Everett, Washington, it was raining.  The masses were going about their normal lives, but the Boeing Plant was buzzing.  After several delays the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was about to take to the skies.

I had my eyes glued to the intoxicating glow of my Mac Book Pro.  ZA001 was cleared for takeoff, and history changed. 

I saw the 787 with my own eyes for the first time in November of 2010 when I went to the Future of Flight and Boeing Factory Tour.  From high above the factory floor I knew this dream would change the aviation industry forever.  I also knew I needed to touch the Dreamliner.

See, I touched it!

At EAA’s Oshkosh Airventure I was awestruck as ZA001 circled over the airfield.  She was quiet, graceful, and beautiful.  Her low pass was effortless, and her landing was perfect. 

I stood in line for four hours to experience fifteen minutes in the 787.  I received two things from that event; a great sunburn, and the joy of touching a plane that so many men and women worked so hard to create. 

I was driving from Austin back to Oklahoma City a few weeks before the Delivery of the first 787 to All Nipon Airways.  My phone vibrated just as I passed the Fort Worth Alliance Airport.  It was a direct message from @BoeingAirplanes.  They wanted me to call.  It took me just a few seconds to exit the interstate and make a phone call.  I was invited to join a few other lucky folks during the Delivering The Dream event to pass the key of the first 787 to ANA.  Yes, yes, and yes.  (oh, and a GREAT BIG THANK YOU!)

On my flight to SEA I reflected on the journey to the delivery.  I thought about all of the people who moaned so much about the delays.  (You can read my thoughts about the delays here: Don’t Hate the Delays.)  I imagined what efforts were taken to explore new materials and change wing designs. 

On Monday, September 26^th, I woke up (far too) early.  I showered and donned my favorite Boeing hoodie, and I headed north from my hotel.  Once again, it was raining in Seattle.  I once read a Hawaiian Proverb: Rains gives life.  That day it would give life to a new era of air travel. 

I’ll skip the boring details of waiting around... (which I loved every moment of, it just doesn’t make for good story telling)

The Boeing Employees Lead the Way for the 787

We arrived outside of the 787 bay of the factory to a crowd of Boeing employees and (what I assume were) ANA employees.  No one was deterred by the rainy Seattle day, there were high spirits all around.  The ceremony started with the Grand Entrance of the 787 to be delivered with 500 (my rough guess) Boeing employees clearing its path.  It was an emotional moment for many Boeing workers, as the dream set before them years ago became reality. 

McNerney and Ito look at the 787 during the ceremony.

Shinichiro Ito, the CEO of All Nipon Airways, didn’t give a speech, he told a story of plane and its people who faced many challenges, but joined together, despite a communication barrier, and overcame the mountain in front of them.  His story was filled with sincere thankfulness to have the honor of flying the 787 first, and for the support that Boeing provided, and will continue to provide, ANA. 

James McNerney, the CEO of Boeing, proclaimed a resounding trumpet of victory.  His team fought through the hard delays, and constant ridicule of the media, to get to this moment. 

The entire ceremony was more beautiful than a wedding, more honoring than a military salute, and more outspoken than a moment of silence.  There was so much pride and joy in the faces of the Boeing Employees.  It meant the world to me to be a part of it. 

A Boeing Employee Celebrates!

The rest of the day included a private factory tour, on the factory floor.  I cannot show you any images, but I want you to know that Boeing is a well-oiled machine.  They know how to make airplanes. 

The whole day can be summed up in this: Boeing doesn’t make airplanes, they deliver the machines that dreams are made of. 

I would like to thank Mike and Bernard for hosting the others and me during this amazing day.  Bernard, thank you for creating this opportunity for me.  Mike, thank you for the wonderful gifts from the Boeing Store and for lunch.  I would also like to thank the entire Boeing Company for taking great pride in what you do.  Your dedication helps create the most amazing flying machines in the world.  Also a special thanks should be given to Eric for working hard on those great videos. 

To conclude: If it ain’t Boeing, I ain’t going. 

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

The Dreamliner at Oshkosh

The ANA 787 infront of the factory.

And just for good measure: Here's United's First 787 (can I get a ride?)

#unitedplanechat - A Well Done Social Project

UA First Officer Tom Rayl and CO Capt. George Rayl
Photo By United

Today the new United held a twitter chat party using the #unitedplanechat hashtag.  The chat was with Twin brothers who work for United and Continental 

Users were encouraged to ask questions and the Tom and George would answer for an hour.  During the event United gave away two model 777s.  The chat was a great way to engage customers, and I hope to see more of this from United.

Now, If I can only get them to have a tweetup in OKC, we'll be doing good!

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

A screen shot of the @united Twitter feed.

The Future Of Super Sonic.

The Paris Air Show is full of concepts.  Two of them have to deal with Super Sonic Transports (SSTs). Murdo Morrison, editor of Flight International magazine told CNN, "Good luck to [the inventors], but I'm very skeptical."1  As well he should be.  There have been many concepts of super sonic travel for the common man, but only two have ever made it to the skies, and most of those planes are filled with concrete to keep them from ever flying again.

For those who have lofty dreams of flying at super sonic speeds, let's break down the reasons that will keep us from joining the few who have moved faster than the speed of sound.  The most important reason is cost.  The development of a plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound is a high price that only countries seem to be able to afford.

Look to Concorde.  When Concorde was created it was through a treaty of two countries, not a business agreement between to businesses.  Concorde was sold to British Airways for the price of 1 Pound.   Concordski (the Russian TU-144) was mostly a stolen design, and America decided against funding the Boeing version.

If a company did have the funds to create such a plane, the next issue is that most airlines couldn't afford it. Richard Branson offered BA the same price they paid for Concorde if they would sell to Virgin Atlantic.

Next, look to the investment that airlines are making in Jumbos and Super Jumbos.  It is often more profitable to carry more passengers slower than fewer passengers faster.  Concorde made BA money, but Air France lost.  It's a hard market to break into, and if your airline doesn't have the right hubs, you can't offer the routes that the rich want to travel.

I want to take a moment to point out that one of the manufacturers that is touting a SST design is EADS, parent company of Airbus -- And, if you recall right, Airbus helped shut down the Concorde program to focus more of its money on the Double Decker Death Trap (A380).

There are other issues with an SST, but most companies won't get past the money issue.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to travel at twice or ten times the speed of sound, but we're a long ways away from that.  But concept are no more than ideas in someone's head.  Find the money and you still have to create a plane that can fly at 80,000 feet on seaweed.

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

---

1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/06/21/concorde.hyper.sonic/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Your Own World

In the song "Secret Crowds", Tom Delonge of Angels and Airwaves says, "If I had my own world, I'd build you an empire."  Today's post is a little less business and a little more introspective.  If you had your own world, what would you do with it?  What would you create?  What would be the silver lining?

Tom talks about spreading "love like violence" and "hope like fire".  Would your world be filled with a violent love, or a love of violence?  Mostly, you should listen to the song.  Listen to all of Angels and Airwaves music because it's good.  It's the music that brought my wife and I together.  So enjoy.

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

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?