-Los Angeles
-LAX said today that they could have more domestic flights arriving at LAX on November 23 and 24 than any other date of the year, and, conversely, November 28 and 29 could have more domestic flights leaving LAX than any other date. Of course, Thanksgiving is always an extremely busy time for the airports, but what could be putting LAX over the top? Feast Fest.
Think about it, after all--most FF guests arrive and check in on November 24, a few on the 23rd, and November 28 is the last day of Feast Fest, and most everybody leaves on November 29.
"It's a good sign that Feast Fest is having a positive tourism impact that keeps growing," said Event organizer William Vanderbilt upon hearing the news.
Feast Fest packages include 20% of airfare costs, but only if the arriving flight is taken on the 23rd or 24th and if the departing flight is taken on the 28th or 29th.
"It's an enticing offer," said Vanderbilt. "We've had the offer for a number of years now, and we have a very small amount of guests who are in by Wednesday, out by Friday. Most stay the whole weekend."
And with the discounts on airfare and more luscious vacation time, many guests say it's a no-brainer.
Peter Voosk is an office manager from Minneapolis. He has attended Feast Fest ten years in a row, and always leaves on Tuesday and comes back Sunday. Voosk, a very committed worker, says the two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, before Thanksgiving are the only ones he takes off all year apart from his company-given vacation time.
"All my other workers will take 10, 15 days off throughout the year that the company doesn't give them off. I've only ever taken off Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and I will continue do."
Because when FF sets forth a package as hooking as it is, Voosk says, "it's worth it."
Increasing air traffic on Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday, and Monday, may in a few years cause FF to extend their packages further, to leave on Monday and go back home on Monday or even Tuesday.
"If we can get people willing to take the whole Thanksgiving week off, it'll take the strain off LAX and its travelers by giving them an extra day to deal with the Feast Fest influx," Vanderbilt explained, "and it'll be an even sweeter deal for the guests. All of our packages are designed to increase guest influx, increase demand, increase profit, increase guest influx...it's a cycle that brings more and more guests to Feast Fest every year."
But, Vanderbilt warns that, "on the other hand, we can't get it too big, or FF will be compelled to move it to another venue. It's the problem with being both the manager of the event and the hotel it takes place in," he says.
"It makes me biased, I'm afraid."
No comments:
Post a Comment