Late Checkouts | March
Delta wins at SXSW, luxury hotel portfolios, Boeing’s woes continue, and looking ahead to upcoming travel.
We’re back with another edition of Late Checkouts—a quick round-up of retrospectives on travel-related happenings concerning which we’ve recently published.
And we had to be selective here…partly because we respect your time, and partly because March is always a hectic month in travel. There’s Spring Break and the beginning of season’s change, sure, but more importantly: the closing of Q1 marks a pivotal time for the travel industry as we can begin to assess performance at large and within its various segments. The FCJ team, included!
Thanks for reading. And give us a holler with feedback at any time!
Delta wins at SXSW (with First Class Jerk in tow)...
It wasn’t a famed musician or cutting-edge tech company that took over this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference in Austin, TX. Nope, it was a 99 year old airline by the name of Delta—and we were there in lockstep covering their exclusive lounge activation open only to SkyMiles members.
We’re not just saying it was the hottest thing at SXSW because of our love and loyalty for the Delta product…there was a consistent 3-hour queue to enter the lounge throughout the week! And the seemingly endless events were impressive, including speakers from Carmelo Anthony to Jose Andres to the big man Ed Bastian, himself (Delta’s CEO). The three-floor, immersive lounge experience validated yet again that Delta is more than just an airline.
Austin, too, took us by surprise, particularly the depth of its hotel offerings—The Proper, The Four Seasons, Hotel Van Zandt, and beyond. With the millions of people in town attending SXSW and the extreme velocity of ongoing construction/development in the city, it’s as if Austin continues to build the plane as they fly it (sorry, I couldn’t help it). And one more thing: everyone needs to chill. While maybe Austin boasts a few more Cybertrucks and a few less cowboy boots than ten years ago, it’s still distinctively weird. We’ll be back again soon.
A new series on luxury hotel brand portfolios…
We’ve been putting a great deal of thought as of late into the primary decision-drivers for travelers selecting their next destination. There are many sources of inspiration…TV/film pop culture, social media and the world of influencers, cuisine preferences, the arts—the list can go on forever. But there’s a recent driver that we’ve observed to be growing considerably: we’re seeing travelers decide on destinations almost solely based on the in-destination accommodation. In short, they really want to stay at a certain hotel. And this trend is especially prevalent within the luxury segment.
We’re working on a bit of a framework to better explain these distinct travel preferences, but in the near term, we’ve started producing videos highlighting luxury hotel portfolios that we believe have the power to drive tourism. There will be brand names that you’ve heard, of course, but we’re especially focused on the stories of more rarified, lesser-known brands—like Aman or One&Only. Maybe you’ll find something that warrants booking your next vacation. If you do, here’s a reminder for how you should dress at the airport.
Boeing’s woes continue…
Since January, Boeing has been experiencing continuous waves of turbulence and negative publicity that only seems to be accelerating. Beyond the FAA audit of 737 production and quality control practices, the Justice Department has officially started a criminal investigation of the company. It has been said by many employees, current and former, that for years it felt as if quality took a “back seat” in order to meet production targets. It seems the only seat that would have been worse is the exit window (RE: Alaska Airlines Flight 1282).
Now, we’re all familiar with the many safety incidents over the last several months, including the aforementioned flight 1282 and the multiple mishaps under the United Airlines banner—but let’s not forget the two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. Boeing’s safety culture has clearly remained flawed after short term improvements in the wake of these higher magnitude failures. And the aftershocks felt by its biggest customers are meaningful. Go look at United’s recent market cap losses.
We’re hearing more and more stories of travelers excusing themselves from the plane after boarding what they realize is a Boeing product. And as I write this at 30,000 feet looking over the wing of an Airbus A321, I can’t entirely fault them. I’m more comfortable here than I would be in a 737. But with that said, I’d still gladly board a Boeing plane. If that gives you anxiety—don’t forget to check out our tips for the anxious flyer. Go ahead and book the ticket! The world is waiting.
And, of course, an early arrival: looking ahead to upcoming travels!
The April FCJ travel calendar is a bit stacked... so here’s a very brief preview:
We’ll be in Las Vegas for longer than we should probably be in Las Vegas. But we go where the meetings (tables) are! If we’re flying across the country, and we’ve got a free hotel room, we’ll just have to make the visit worthwhile! If you’re around and wish to connect, give us a holler.
We’ll also be making a stop down in the Tampa Bay area to catch some sun and bathe in the Old Florida nostalgia. It’s good for our work.
There’s something else in the works…but we’ll stay silent on that one for now. The modern traveler need not post everything on the internet! It’s healthy to maintain an air of mystery.
