I was in Vegas last week and had the chance to make it out to 'Moon', and by chance, the Playboy Club at the top of the Palms Hotel and Casino.
Three aspects struck me:
#1 Wow. Great products (Moon / Playboy) -- both of them. You can't help but be impressed. Moon is located on the top floor of the Palms and the roof retracts from above the dance floor revealing the night sky (and letting all the smoke out). Amazing Vegas Strip views and three separate areas to take in the music and ambience.
#2 We actually got the the recommendation to go there from the Tao staff. They have a great marketing program. The club was only half full, but they made us wait in-line for about 20 minutes. Once we were in, they had these great 'tables' you could rent with full liquor service. What a way to be a poser! While I didn't splurge, I surely want to look cool and have a comfy place to enjoy my cigar on my next visit.
#3 Security? These places were -loaded- with security... Polite, too. In comparison to, say, airline travel. I never felt the slightest bit of risk while in these clubs. Yet, by 2am, they were wall-to-wall packed with tipsy customers.
What is it about commercial industry that is able to pack 2,000 drunk people into a tiny room and not have issues? Airlines complain about unruly passengers that get drunk, yet the Vegas nightclubs handle this without a problem -- every night. I guess clubs can eject unruly ones but airplanes can not? And yet, airlines insist on serving alchohol? Look, if you're going to serve liquor, learn to deal with it. Get a bouncer. Make the planes 'fun'. I spent 5 hours at the club -- and it was packed! I'd say I had less room than a Southwest customer with '3rd' seating. And, I didn't mind it a bit.
Are airlines failing because of great customer service that no one wants? Not a chance. It's the terrible attitude airlines take against their customers. Airlines continue to drop prices to fill seats. And, that means more low-paying customers crammed into tighter seats and mini-shots of coke. Yet, no airlines ssay, "Hey, we'll charge a bit more but give incredible service". What's a bit more? How about 50% more than a discount ticket? Would you pay $600 for a cross-country vs. $400? Could the airlines survive on $600? Who knows? Certainly "FlexJet" is surviving -- though they charge about $10,000 for a cross country on a private jet. You can get about 6 people on that jet... So, around $1,500 a ticket gets you a private trip...
Lets look at successes. JetBlue (though, they did post their first loss). JetBlue has GREAT service, larger than average seats, extra amenities. Prices are in-line or better than traditional airline costs. Southwest has happy staff, though it's really a padded cattle car and dirt-cheap prices.
Lets face it: Air travel is like bus transportation. It would be hard to compare it to Vegas because airlines are not a destination -- they are the trip to the destination. But, Airlines need to focus on just ONE thing to make customers happy:
Comfort.
This includes dignity of not being crammed into a too-small seat so when the tard in front of you reclines you have to stare at his bald spot and pick his dandruff off your lap. It also means respect for the customers time by being ON time.
For gods sake, it's a machine. Measure americans -- not runway models. Maintain it, and clean it. We've been flying these things for 100 years. It's a straight-forward maintenance procedure by now.
