This is getting frustrating...

Jay Honeck

Jay Honeck

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jun 6, 2008
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Ingleside, TX
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Display name:
Jay Honeck
Okay, kids, for, like, the fifth weekend in a row, I've just taken this phone call:

"Hi, I'm at the airport! Where's the van? And we'd like a room until Tuesday!"

You know the rest of the story. We've been sold out for a week, and there's no room at the inn.

Guys, we are here for YOU. As in NOT for all these "normal" people who don't fly airplanes, but keep reserving rooms ahead of time. They just keep beating y'all to the punch!

I KNOW it's fun to fly somewhere on the spur of the moment, and I know you're waiting to see how the weather is -- but, dang it, we will sell out every weekend from now through Thanksgiving, and you just can't land and expect us to have a car or a room for you.

Here we are, Fourth of July weekend, and for four beautiful VFR days we've had precisely TWO fly-in guests. All the rest have been ground-pounders. Kiwis. Boring, non-pilot types who have money to spend, but nothing to offer in the way of hangar flying and beer drinking! :lol:

Here's the sign out front tonight. Please call more than 20 minutes ahead!

1044056_546441345391764_522956685_n.jpg
 
That is a great "no vacancy" sign. Do any of the ground pounders get the joke?
 
AdamZ said:
Happy to hear you are at capacity Jay!
Click to expand...

I'm glad we're sold out, but, dammit, if I wanted to hang out with non-pilots all day, I could've kept my distribution company. It's great to be full, but we opened these hotels so that we could hang out with pilots all day -- and there is only one pilot (and his wife) here tonight.

That sucks! :dunno:
 
Have you thought about getting a UNICOM station license for your hotel? You still have to turn them away, but at least they'll still be in the air just in case they want to go somewhere else.

--Carlos V.
 
Lucky dog Jay, to be so busy! :yes:

Is it that way year round or is this the high season there? Any shoulder season when it's quieter and still nice to visit?
 
I don't know jack about running a hotel, but could you reserve one room for last minute fly-ins, and if no one takes it, sell it last minute to a "boring, non-pilot type with money to spend"?
 
Time for a bigger motel... ;)
 
Well if you want to hang out with pilots and NOT make money. Just save a few rooms for last minute fly in pilots.
Now if you want to make money be glad you are selling out.
 
Goofy said:
Lucky dog Jay, to be so busy! :yes:

Is it that way year round or is this the high season there? Any shoulder season when it's quieter and still nice to visit?
Click to expand...

Hotels on this island make money for about 110 days per year. We all lose money the other 255 days. From Memorial Day to Thanksgiving, we sell out most weekends. In July, we sell out many weekdays as well.

Shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are the very best time to come. Great flying weather, fewer crowds with the kids in school. Winter is awesome, too, with daily temps usually in the 70s.

It really is a little piece of heaven here. :D
 
Jay Honeck said:
Hotels on this island make money for about 110 days per year. We all lose money the other 255 days. From Memorial Day to Thanksgiving, we sell out most weekends. In July, we sell out many weekdays as well.

Shoulder seasons (spring and fall) are the very best time to come. Great flying weather, fewer crowds with the kids in school. Winter is awesome, too, with daily temps usually in the 70s.

It really is a little piece of heaven here. :D
Click to expand...


I am glad that you have figured out a way to run your business so that you can keep the doors open.

I enjoy renting a cabin in Florida on the river and notice that weekend thing. Tough to find a cabin on the Suwannee River on the weekend but easy during the week.
 
Do you help pilots find lodging elsewhere? So at least the pilots will be on the land and you can still meet up?
 
saracelica said:
Do you help pilots find lodging elsewhere? So at least the pilots will be on the land and you can still meet up?
Click to expand...

There wasn't a hotel room for a hundred miles. Fourth of July + Perfect Weather = Bazillions of Tourists on the Coast.
 
You simply need to increase the number of rooms... ;-)

and/or get a camper for the airport car... worse comes to worse, they stay in the camper. Can you put in some kind of hook up for RVs at the hotel?
 
Maybe the pilots should plan on visiting in the slower periods .fall and winter sound great to me.hang in there
 
"Hi, I'm at the airport! Where's the van? And we'd like a room until Tuesday!"

They did you a favor, are these the 1%?
Anybody that clueless would not be good company and if they were pilots then, downright repulsive. I'd consider a modest rate hike too.
 
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