Operators in the travel space think about their own silos – generally. Airlines think airlines, cruise ships think cruise companies. Trains think trains. Hotels think hotels. And so on.
How can we get hoteliers to think airlines, or at least air transport, and how happy hotel guests are so happy if everything goes right – or not seriously wrong? There’s a debate right now, for instance, as to whether or not peanut butter is a ‘liquid’ and thus cannot be taken through security, see above.
There are some airline-hotel crossovers. In Vancouver, there’s a FAIRMONT right in the terminal. In New York, JFK’s former TWA terminal is now the TWA HOTEL. There are many hotels attachhed to terminals but few luxury hotels. Exceptions include Surindeer Arora’s SOFITEL TERMINAL FOUR at London Heathrow.
Trains? The Eastern&Oriental Express, when it ran all the way to Singapore, partnered with RAFFLES SINGAPORE. On this trans-silo platform, the prize should go to TAJ MAHAL PALACE MUMBAI. Why? Because check-in for the six-night Maharajas Express train, en route to Delhi via Rajasthan is right in the hotel.
Private aviation is really important on the trans-silo stage, and here Dubai-based Jetex is undoubtedly leader. Jetex has packages to such exciting destinations as The Maldives. Its partner there is WALDORF ASTORIA ITHAAFUSHI. It does seem that it is the super-successful who are prepared, with success, to break out of traditional Silos.
