I think I do a pretty good job of surrendering control and privacy at the airport. I give it up at the curb in my departing city and I pick it up again at the curb in my arrival city. Itís always been necessary to give up control when you get on an airplane. Unless youíre wearing wings and holding the stick youíre not in control. Now add a guy x-raying your shoes, checking the q-tips in your carry-on for knives (twice) and pawing through your dirty underwear looking for bombs and you can see why I am beginning to get fed up with air travel. The quality of the travel experience is going down steadily as security protocols add hours to even the shortest flights. I only fly a few times a year but I can see that we are on the brink of something big in the travel industry. There exists huge opportunity for those who can reinvent travel in these uncertain times.

Where are the bus companies?
What if busses were less like airplanes with wheels and more like rolling corporate jets offering premium travel amenities like leather seating, fine food, Internet access, etc? What if a bus was like a home theatre with stadium seating, surround sound, and movies. Maybe that six-hour drive wouldnít be so bad.

Where are the tour companies?
If you have aging parents or you have tried to travel to Florida in the winter time you know about the "snowbird" migration that happens every spring and fall as senior citizens move south for the winter. Where are companies operating special services catering to these special travelers? Companies that can successfully combine car/goods shipment with assisted travel by air, train or bus stand to capitalize significantly as the population ages. The lives of seniors would be greatly enhanced if there were just one airline or charter service that could accommodate wheelchair-using seniors with dignity, ease and comfort. Sure it would be more expensive but enabling people to continue living their desired lifestyle of seasonal mobility would be of value to many people.

Where are the Experience Crafters?
Disney decided that existing cruise ships didnít provide adequate "Disney magic" so they built their own ships. What if they find that bad flying experiences are keeping people away from their park properties? Can Air Disney be far away? What would check-in and boarding be like at Air Disney?

Air Taxi Service
If you have been reading the business press recently you know about the Eclipse, a new airplane that promises to be affordable enough to provide individualized air service using municipal airports. Six passenger jets will fly from point to point for the cost of a first class ticket. While this is a very complex undertaking, it has the potential to bring about fundamental changes to the airline business.

Market Niche players
The travel market will undoubtedly continue to fragment as special operators come in to serve up-market segments and highly efficient discount providers continue to flourish. Cost savings await those who can tolerate the cattle treatment. (Southwest, ATA, Jet Blue) Pampering awaits those who can afford it. (Virgin Atlantic, Midwest Express) Differentiated experiences await in the middle. There is coming a day when humane legroom wonít be enough to truly differentiate one airline from another. (American Airlines)

As people continue to be frustrated by the increasing difficulties of the travel experience the winning providers will be those who can provide a meaningful brand experience that meets peoples needs, exceeds their expectations and delights their sensibilities.

Itís gonna be a great future.