Vacation ideas from ‘airline’ never get off ground
David Bear
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Looking for some offbeat vacation ideas?
How about Chain Gang Fantasy Camps, escorted tours through the finest penal colonies in North and South America?
Or Cumulative Four Star vacations, travel packages consisting of your choice of one-star accommodations, attractions and eateries, organized by a one-star airline?
Maybe you would prefer Free Range Airfares, exorbitant rates and outlandish itineraries determined by "Poulet-ulator 1000," not a computer but a chicken pecking on a calculator? A recent routing proposed a 26-hour, 56-minute journey from Brainerd, Minn., to St. Georges, Del., with two stops en route for a mere $3,363 round trip, on a benchclass fare.
Those are some of the wacky options offered on the Web site of SkyHigh Airlines, the low-cost carrier that claims to pursue "Excellence Through Compromise" and whose sales slogans include "Flying is expensive. Let us cheapen the experience."
Even considering the steady erosion in the past few years of quaint notions such as customer service and in-flight amenities on most domestic airlines, no carrier could survive for long offering features like these.
Of course, SkyHigh has one major advantage over the competition. It doesn’t actually exist.
The "unnovative" airline and Web site — www.skyhighairlines.com — were created three years ago by Wong Doody, a Seattle advertising agency, as part of a parody campaign for Alaska Airlines. The radio and TV campaign ran on the West Coast.
"We wanted to reinforce the idea that Alaska treats its passengers better," said Kari Connor of Wong Doody, "and SkyHigh gave us a great foil."
Although the ad campaign ended, the SkyHigh Web site keeps providing plenty of lift. Even a brief visit will amuse any air passenger who has endured a grueling flight or shoddy service.
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