I have much respect for entrepreneurs, and especially for Japanese ones, given the culture.
CEO Shinichi Inoue, 53, has been hands-on in nearly every stage of the Izumisano, Osaka-based carrier, from the initial concept to crafting its business plan over the past four years.He describes the concept for the airline as providing “trains in the sky,” aiming to offer flights with the availability, ease of use and cost of rail travel.
All Peach Aviation seating is economy class. Booking tickets online has no service fee, but does if made over the phone. There are also baggage fees and extra costs for requesting a specific seat. There is no mileage point service. But as a trade-off, fares are around half that of major carriers — 4,780 yen for an Osaka-Sapporo flight, for instance.
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Back in January 2008, when Inoue announced plans for the airline, he still harbored doubts that budget carriers would fully catch on in Japan, he recalled. His feelings changed after meeting Patrick Murphy, former chairman of Europe-based Ryanair, the world’s biggest budget airline, … in spring 2008, and asked for on-the-spot guidance. …
“Mr. Murphy changed my mind-set. He pulled me back each time I tilted toward ANA’s way of thinking,” Inoue recalls.
Peach Aviation is banking not just on low prices to attract business, but also its image. This partly explains why its name features a fruit — which simply would not fly for strait-laced Japanese airlines.
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With about a month to go before his company’s inaugural flight, Inoue, whose personal motto is “everything should be interesting,” continues to wrack his brain for ways to wow people.
via 2012/02/02 13:31 – Japan’s 1st Budget Airline Seeks ‘Trains In The Sky’.