Carpets for FBOs

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Photo by: Julie Jantzer-WardA couple weeks ago, we noticed a CNN.com post about Carpets for Airports, a Web site that waxes critical on the artistic and design merits of carpets in airport terminals around the world.

Like many of the best Web sites and Internet memes, it is a bemusing way to waste some time.

So knowing that many of the pilots who use AC-U-KWIK have down time between flights, we invite all to send us photos of carpets at FBOs. Like the contributors who place the airport carpet on a pedestal, anyone submitting photos of FBO carpets should include the airport and FBO name and an analysis of the carpet design.

To show that nothing is sacred, we at AC-U-KWIK will add the first carpet photos to the gallery ...

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MMC Conference to Feature Aviation Historian, Author Giacinta Bradley Koontz

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The 26th Annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Maintenance Management Conference keynote address will be given this year by renowned aviation historian Giacinta Bradley Koontz, an award-winning author and expert on aircraft mechanics history.
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Paragon Aviation Group Adds Four FBO Members to Network

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Paragon Aviation Group (PAG) announced the addition of four new FBO members to the network. Effective January 1, 2011, Maguire Aviation (VNY) joined Paragon Aviation Group. Additionally as of February 1, 2011, Aero Air (HIO), Galvin Flying Service (BFI) and First Aviation Services (TEB) have all joined the network.
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Building Long-Term Profitable Customer Relationships, Part 1: Are You the Restaurant Owner?

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The lifeblood of any FBO is building loyal customer relationships. The success of these relationships can be measured in two ways:

Are they long-term, and are they profitable?

Studies on consumer behavior show a loyal customer:

  • Keeps coming back
  • Is willing to pay more, thus providing better margins
  • Loves your FBO and tells other pilots, aircraft owners/operators
  • Lowers your customer “churn” rate — you don’t have to replace a satisfied loyal customer
  • Boosts your long-term revenue and prevents profit erosion so you outperform your competitors

In the end, the effort we put into building these kinds of relationships will pay high dividends year after year, so let’s examine the process.

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AC-U-KWIK Announces Acufuel.com to Simplify FBO Fuel Price Data Management

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AC-U-KWIK, business aviation’s leading flight planning resource, announced today its new “single point of entry” feature of acufuel.com. Acufuel.com empowers airport FBO managers, who currently upload fuel prices to dozens of fuel programs and websites, to save countless minutes or even hours by organizing this information in one central spot.
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FBO Fuel Pricing: Seeking a Silver Bullet

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Ever since the Lone Ranger first loaded his trusty six-shooter with silver bullets, I’ve been intrigued with the idea of formulating a single straightforward solution for pricing fuel at FBO operations I’ve managed over the years.

This search for the silver bullet is a subject we discuss at our FBO Success Seminars, and FBO managers in attendance often voice their concerns about how to effectively price fuel. On one hand, they’re concerned about the bottom line. On the other hand, they don’t want to price themselves out of the market and lose valuable customers in the process.

Indeed, it’s a two-edge sword. The trick is to maximize both cutting edges. Let me explain.

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New Android Software Allows VIP Control of Aircraft Cabin

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Flight Display Systems announced it has introduced and successfully installed an Android software application for use with its Select Cabin Management System (Select CMS). Now VIP aircraft passengers can control all cabin functions from the familiar setting of their mobile phones or tablet computers. The software is now available for all Flight Display Systems Select CMS customers.
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AC-U-KWIK Launches FBO Connection Blog

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AC-U-KWIK has tapped FBO operations and marketing veterans John Enticknap and Ron Jackson to write a weekly blog column specifically aimed at the FBO community.

On the blog, called FBO Connection, Enticknap and Jackson will provide insight into winning strategies to help FBO owners, operators and managers run a more successful operation. The column can be found in the monthly release of the AC-U-KWIK Alert e-newsletter, and starting in February, it will appear on the home page of acukwik.com.

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Welcome to AC-U-KWIK's FBO Connection Blog

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We would like to welcome you to AC-U-KWIK’s FBO Connection, a source for discussion, ideas and general conversation on the FBO business. Here you’ll find weekly contributions from seasoned FBO professionals, sprinkled with bits of wisdom and peppered occasionally with some hot topics. We like to call it “Sage Advice for the FBO Community.”
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FAA Director of Flight Standards Service to Speak at Air Charter Safety Symposium

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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Director of Flight Standards Service John M. Allen will speak at the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Air Charter Safety Symposium on March 15-16, 2011, at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Training Center in Ashburn, Va.
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