World traveler Will Allen
recently blogged about his experience flying Emirates Air in First Class. It was a decidedly mixed review. Once onboard one of their new 777s with the latest in furnishings and electronics, Will was favorably impressed. Comfortably ensconced in his first class suite, the service was impeccable. Great food, Dom Perignon champagne, caviar if you're flying the right time of day, 500+ on-demand video channels, and attentive flight attendants, even during the overnight hours.
But landside, Will reported an entirely different story. Apart from a good First Class lounge in London, the experience elsewhere was disappointing. Dedicated First Class check-in lines somehow lacked personnel to process the first class passengers. Crowded First Class lounges in Dubai and Jo'burg had inadequate seating. Chaotic boarding procedures prevailed in the Dubai hub; there was no priority boarding, or even boarding by rows, but an everyone-for-himself rush to the gate when the doors opened.
That got me to thinking about a new class of First Class air. I call it Premium Door-to-Door First Class.
Fantasize about a first class experience that begins the moment you leave home ... and lasts until you arrive at your destination. Parts of my fantasy are cobbled together from ideas and products currently being offered, and other parts are just a wistful "what if?"
Precisely two hours before flight time, the private limousine provided by your airline arrives at your front door. No run-of-the-mill limo driver, this is a Customer Service Manager specially trained by the airline. She or he inspects your travel documents and does a passport check if you're flying internationally (no more leaving home without it!). Using a special handheld computer device, not only are you are checked in but your boarding passes are handed to you and luggage tags are printed with PRIORITY labeling and attached to your bags. All before you leave your front door!
Your luggage is put into the trunk of the limo, and you will not have to handle it again until you arrive in your destination hotel room where it will be waiting for you.
You are driven to the airport and taken to a special First Class Terminal (such as the one that Lufthansa now has at the Frankfurt airport). While a skycap takes your bags from the trunk, you are met by another airline agent who escorts you directly into the First Class Lounge; remember that everyone being driven here has already been checked in. TSA security checks take place as you enter the lounge, and biometric information is taken and saved to expedite your security formalities in the future. Once in the lounge, there will of course be complimentary computers, wireless internet access, complimentary food and beverages, and comfortable seating.
First Class passengers will be boarded ten minutes before the plane is actually ready to push back. As Lufthansa is already doing at Frankfurt, you will be driven directly to the plane. Once you are strapped in, the flight departs.
The fantasy continues... Upon arrival, the baggage of Premium First Class passengers will be taken off the plane first and sent ahead to the First Class Terminal. Arriving First Class passengers will be driven to the special terminal. If this is an international arrival, special immigration and customs agents will be stationed there to process the arrival. You will be whisked into your waiting limousine and driven to your hotel. Your limousine driver/customer service manager will be in touch with the hotel en route so that, when you arrive, you will already have been registered. You will be met at the door by a hotel manager (and your baggage by a sky cap) and escorted directly to your room. Of course, as a Virtuoso client, you will enjoy a complimentary upgrade!
So what do you think about my fantasy? The crucial element in what I have described is the human element. Airlines would have to hire and train thousands of new employees to care for their Premium, door-to-door First Class passengers. This would be an expensive undertaking, but bear in mind that I'm not talking about a product that is priced like today's first class, nor do I have in mind a product that you can upgrade to from coach or business. I'm talking about a premium product that adds real value to the flying experience and that would be priced accordingly.
Many upscale travelers want the ultimate luxurious experience when they leave home on a special trip. They pay top dollar for every other aspect of their voyages. I imagine there would be a good market for Premium Door-to-Door First Class.
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