Spirit Airlines announces another raunchy marketing stunt

by Scott Carmichael on

Ah, Spirit Airlines – the airline equivalent of a Beavis and Butthead episode.

After annoying their own staff with their “MILF” promotion back in 2007, the marketing minds at this low cost carrier have decided to ignore all the previous criticism, and launched yet another raunchy promo.

Dubbed “MUFF DIVING“, the promo promises “Many Unbelievably Fantastic Fares to Diving Destinations”. Yeah, we get the joke (and it made me chuckle).

Still – you can’t blame them for trying; their stunt has already caught the attention of many Internet sites (this one included).

So, even if they don’t sell a single ticket, and even when they’ll make their own staff madder than ever — they have created the kind of buzz only smart marketing people manage to create. Kudos Spirit.

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Megabus to offer 100,000 free tickets

by Katie Hammel on

Budget bus travel might not always be the most comfortable or efficient way to travel, but it is often the cheapest. Thanks to low-cost bus service providers like Megabus, which offers routes in the Midwest and on the East Coast, you can often score tickets for just a few bucks. And with amenities like wi-fi and electric outlets, you may actually survive the bus journey with your sanity.

The service offered by Megabus will get even cheaper this winter. How much cheaper? From January 6 to March 20, 2009, over 100,000 seats will be available completely free of charge (well, except for that 50-cent per booking fee).

A limited number of seats will be available on each route per day, so act fast for your best chance at getting a free seat. To book the deal, just use the promotional code GETAWAY.

Gadling brings you the girls of the 2010 VivaAerobus calendar!

by Scott Carmichael on

We’ve done it again – for the second year, Gadling is bringing you the entire lineup of the VivaAerobus calendar. For those that missed the 2009 version, VivaAerobus is a Mexican low cost carrier that publishes a yearly calendar with some of their most attractive employees. The calendars are sold on their flights, and all proceeds benefit the Mexican pediatric cancer research alliance.

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Iceland Express will offer low-cost flights from Newark to Reykjavik

by Katie Hammel on

I’m kind of obsessed with Iceland. Ask me about the country and get ready to endure my lengthy soliloquy on why I love it so much. It’s one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and I’d feel pretty comfortable saying that even as I travel to more destinations, I’ll always consider it so.

Drive a few minutes away from Reykjavik and you’ll see mountains topped with snow, former lava fields covered in moss, volcanic ash beaches, and waterfalls in every shape and size. At Thingvellir National Park, the earth is shifting and dozens of little earthquakes happen every day. At the Blue Lagoon, people soak in steaming neon blue waters even as fat snowflakes land in their hair, and in random fields all over the country, horses will literally come running up to you to socialize. Horsies! Plus: Best. Hot dog. Ever.

Ever since I visited in March, I’ve been plotting my return. Trouble is, the tickets are just so expensive. Because Icelandair is the only carrier that goes from the US to Iceland, they can charge pretty much whatever they want. While they do have sales often, tickets from JFK to Reykjavik regularly range from $500 (in winter) to as much as $1200-$1500 during peak times.

But perhaps finding a cheaper fare may get easier. Iceland Express, a low-cost carrier that already operates flights from several European cities to Reykjavik (often for as low as $200 round trip) will begin flying from Newark to Reykjavik in June. Flights are available for purchase now and seem to be slightly cheaper than Icelandair. For dates I checked in August, flights on Iceland Express were $534 compared to $730 round trip on Icelandair.

Is there a Long Tail for travel?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

There’s been plenty of discussion about author Chris Anderson’s Long Tail theory since it was first proposed in 2004. The theory, which suggests selling niche products can be just as profitable for businesses as the huge blockbusters, has been attracting plenty of attention both from its supporters and detractors. Recently Anderson laid out the case on his blog for how the Long Tail applies to travel.

According to the Long Tail, the most popular tourist destinations have always been places like Paris or Tokyo because they were the cities airlines could fly to most efficiently and that had the greatest demand from visitors. But in the last ten years, the growth of low cost carriers and word of mouth recommendation websites like Tripadvisor has changed that model. We’re no longer forced to take what our travel agent says at face value. Users online tell us what’s worth seeing and the flights have gotten so cheap we’re willing to be more risky about where to go. Now instead of Paris or Tokyo, for instance, you’re just as likely to hear your friend went to visit Provence or Osaka.

According to Long Tail creator Chris Anderson, the numbers back this up. He cites data from the UK between 1998-2008, when visitors to the “Top 50” travel destinations dropped 10% from 36% to 26%, while visitors to “everywhere else” increased by the same amount. It does take a leap of logic to arrive at Anderson’s conclusion – there’s nothing here to account for the effects of the economy on travel, and without seeing the Top 50 destinations, it’s hard to say what other factors are at play. Still, the implication of the “Travel Long Tail” is striking. More of us seem to be throwing the advice of travel “experts” out the window and setting off on our own, and that’s a tremendously exciting trend.