DayJet on NPR and My First Air Taxi Experience

Today, DayJet was featured in a great story on "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio. I found the four minute show a great primer on air taxi operations, in particular DayJet and Ed Iacobucci. Like the other visionary air taxi industry leaders, Ed is a true believer and has spent millions of dollars and five years developing the product. Just last week, I was elated to learn that DayJet is now flying into South Carolina, including Charleston.

The NPR commentary includes the usual industry analyst skepticism, and perhaps I am overly optimistic. But, like Ed, the first time I took an air taxi flight, I became an instant believer. I know many others now feel the same. Ed's comments on NPR today reminded me of that first flight and why an air taxi makes so much sense to a business traveler. Here's the story I have shared with many others:

In the summer of 2006, my first flight was on SATSAir in a Cirrus from my hometown of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to Greenville, South Carolina. Traditional airline travel for that one day trip and route was out of the question in terms of cost and the inefficiency of hub and spoke connections. I had to go to Greenville for a day trip and a meeting involving an all-day mediation of a case that I was working on. In the past, I would have gotten up at 4am to get on the road by 5am for the 220 mile, 4 hour interstate drive hoping not to spill my Starbucks coffee along the way. I would not have had time for my usual morning routine which includes reading the local paper and the Wall Street Journal. I also would have had to prepare for the mediation the day before. Assuming no accidents or traffic on the interstate, leaving at 5am would get me to Greenville by 9am for the mediation to commence by 930. At day's end, I would have opted to drive back around 5pm getting home at 9 or 10pm with some departure traffic, enjoying a fast food, drive-thru meal en route. Worst case, if the client wanted to meet early in the morning before the mediation and the mediation lasted too late, this easily could have turned into a three day evolution with two nights in the hotel.

In terms of dollar costs and hard expenses, that's a few meals, two tanks of gas and perhaps one to two nights in a hotel room (maybe $400.) In terms of professional and personal costs and value of my time, that's a long 8 hours on the road. Since my retention agreement with the client provided billing for travel time, that's easily over $2200 in billable time. Regardless, that routine makes for an exhaustive day. Pulling it off in one day results in another "dark to dark" day when I don't see my family and children in an already overly-traveled life.

In comparison to the traditional routine of vehicular travel, the air taxi experience was unbelievable. I woke up around 530am, read the newspapers, got my Starbucks and arrived at the sleepy Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (no hassle parking), a few miles from my home at 645. By 650am, I heard the overhead buzz of the Cirrus as it circled the field for landing. I walked out of the FBO to the aircraft and met the pilot. Within 10 minutes of his landing, we were airborne arriving at the Greenville Downtown Airport a little after 8am. There, a rental car was waiting for me, pre-arranged by SATSAir. The ride in the front seat was smooth, comfortable and fun. While I opted to chat with the pilot en route, I was free to listen to the available satellite radio, to review file materials or to just sleep.

I was at the mediation location in 15 minutes after landing and ready to go by 830am. I had an hour to collect my thoughts and prepare for the mediation. Fortunately, we settled the case and I was back at the Greenville airport by 430pm. Ironically, the impending aircraft departure time had the added benefit of actually pressuring the parties to reach closure. Plane and professional pilot ready and waiting, we were airborne by 445pm. Enjoying a good tail wind, we landed around 530 pm and I was at my house by 545pm in time for dinner with my family.

How much did air travel cost? Utilizing a traditional mindset focusing solely on the dollars and cents, it was not inexpensive (good lawyer double negative). It was about $500 per hour from engine start to engine shutdown for a total of a little over $1000. The rental car was about $30. The trip was worth every penny and at the end of the day, an overall costs savings that made it more economical to the client!

The success of the air taxi model requires a more practical analysis of the intrinsic "time value of time," a focus on one's quality of life, and an acknowledgement of opportunity cost savings. I was able to convince the client to pay for the ticket because it was cheaper than paying for 8 hours of billable travel time, hotel rooms, meals and gas. As a further incentive to the client, I offered not to charge for the travel time in the aircraft. I was home not nearly as exhausted as I would have been after driving. Instead, I got a good night's rest at my home, in my own bed. Most importantly, I was able to tell my children "good night."

For business travel, air taxis surely make sense. I acknowledge that the economic model is not for everyone and not for every trip. (I will discuss the various methods and models the existing air taxi services use to charge for travel in a future post.) But for many, if you focus on the value of your time and your quality of life in a fast-paced business world, it is a great new life-altering choice. A new alternative. That flight, on hot summer day in 2006, was an eye opener for me. It all made sense.