LAME
Here's the email I received...
From: "Jack Smith" jack@iboarda.com
Subject: iBoardA.com - Sadness, Thanks, Cheers, Let's Go To The Beach!
Allow Myself.... To Introduce..... Myself.
Before getting into the thick of things, I want to thank you in advance for letting me share this information with you. iBoardA.com was created for people who place a great deal of value on their time and I always take that into consideration when adding another e-mail to your inbox.
iBoardA.com lasted more than two years by delivering great value and convenience to frequent travelers. Although this e-mail starts by focusing on how that came to an end, I am incredibly excited to present the new travel company I have partnered with which shares the same strong values and mission as iBoardA.com. So thank you for taking a moment to review this e-mail, and know that, as it has been for the past two years, I take your time and travel very seriously and am incredibly thankful for your trust and look forward to working with you on the newest venture. Now let's get traveling!
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Since childhood, I have watched Clint Eastwood movies. It seemed my dad always had a Western on and many of them starred Clint and the 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' is one of my favorites - something about that whistle. So as iBoardA.com and LoveCheckIn.org come to an end, the title seemed appropriate given the events of the last 2 months.
Since some may not be familiar with THE UGLY events around LoveCheckIn.org and Southwest Airlines, you can get caught up at your leisure by reviewing the posts on our blog. Particularly - this one.
In short, Southwest Airlines decided they wanted to be the only company with the ability to check-in passengers for flights. To that end, Southwest used the courts as 'The Enforcer' and brought legal action against LoveCheckIn.org in mid-November and forced the closure of our site on November 23, 2007.
It is incredibly disappointing Southwest refused to work with us given the fact they pride themselves on their own 'Outlaw Josey Wales' business behavior and entrepreneurial spirit. But after several letters and calls to the Executive Board, Southwest would not cooperate and chose to use 'Magnum Force' against LoveCheckIn.org because they realized we had nailed a new source of revenue they could keep for themselves.
One of Southwest's main arguments presented to the court was the fact they had worked 20+ years to be a first-rate airline where all are equal and that a check-in service created a 'de facto first-class', which is totally against their brand. However, Southwest just launched its new Business Select Fares and the 'A-List', which use the same ideas and concepts iBoardA.com and others successfully pioneered. Southwest CEO, Gary Kelly, forecasts the addition of over $100 million to their bottom line in the first year from these new initiatives alone. Perhaps the title of the update should have been 'Dirty Gary '.
Although the outcome is not what I had envisioned when I started two years ago and could be considered THE BAD, I am incredibly thankful for the experience. Whether you used the service regularly or only once, I sincerely thank you for trusting us with your travel plans. It has been a great adventure and one that I am so thankful for because of the amazing people I have met and the great experiences of the past two years.
Your Support Is Making A Difference!
With your support, LoveCheckIn.org was able to make charitable donations to several organizations who focus on everything from the environment, social services and micro loans including Kiva, Ayn Rand Institute , Humanity First, The Brookwood Community and the The Environmental Defense Fund
THANK YOU to those of you who used our service and allowed us to donate the money we had collected at LoveCheckIn.org - even after Southwest forced our closure. I want to thank you for understanding the mission of LoveCheckIn.org and allowing us to make a difference in the lives of people near and far.
So Let's Hear THE GOOD!
One of the reasons it has taken me some time to get this final update out to everyone is that along with finalizing all of the legal details with Southwest, I have spent the last three months researching my next trvael venture. I have come to realize that I truly love the travel industry and want to continue finding ways to apply the right people, technology and business model in order to create a better experience.
"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come."
--Victor Hugo
iBoardA.com was the right idea, at the right time, with the right business model but with the wrong company. Although a painful lesson to learn, I quickly realized that if I could find that one missing ingredient, the possibilities would be endless. The company I have partnered with (WorldVentures) to launch my new travel community site - FlipFlopFun.com combines all of those ingredients into an organization far greater than the sum of its parts - kinda like chocolate cake!
Tell Me More - How Does It Work?
Using a business model similar to Costco, WorldVentures offers its members wholesale prices on luxury vacation packages. Not bargain travel - LUXURY TRAVEL! Click here to view a short 4-minute introduction (I like to watch it in full-screen).
By using the power of buying premium travel in bulk for their members and taking NO COMMISSIONS, WorldVentures offers three, four and five-star locations and accommodations at one and two-star prices. Vacations are scheduled months in advance on a rolling calendar so you don't have to worry about last-minute planning and are all staffed with a guide so that you always have someone to turn to for questions while on vacation.
<<>>
From: "Jack Smith" jack@iboarda.com
Subject: iBoardA.com - Sadness, Thanks, Cheers, Let's Go To The Beach!
Allow Myself.... To Introduce..... Myself.
Before getting into the thick of things, I want to thank you in advance for letting me share this information with you. iBoardA.com was created for people who place a great deal of value on their time and I always take that into consideration when adding another e-mail to your inbox.
iBoardA.com lasted more than two years by delivering great value and convenience to frequent travelers. Although this e-mail starts by focusing on how that came to an end, I am incredibly excited to present the new travel company I have partnered with which shares the same strong values and mission as iBoardA.com. So thank you for taking a moment to review this e-mail, and know that, as it has been for the past two years, I take your time and travel very seriously and am incredibly thankful for your trust and look forward to working with you on the newest venture. Now let's get traveling!
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Since childhood, I have watched Clint Eastwood movies. It seemed my dad always had a Western on and many of them starred Clint and the 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' is one of my favorites - something about that whistle. So as iBoardA.com and LoveCheckIn.org come to an end, the title seemed appropriate given the events of the last 2 months.
Since some may not be familiar with THE UGLY events around LoveCheckIn.org and Southwest Airlines, you can get caught up at your leisure by reviewing the posts on our blog. Particularly - this one.
In short, Southwest Airlines decided they wanted to be the only company with the ability to check-in passengers for flights. To that end, Southwest used the courts as 'The Enforcer' and brought legal action against LoveCheckIn.org in mid-November and forced the closure of our site on November 23, 2007.
It is incredibly disappointing Southwest refused to work with us given the fact they pride themselves on their own 'Outlaw Josey Wales' business behavior and entrepreneurial spirit. But after several letters and calls to the Executive Board, Southwest would not cooperate and chose to use 'Magnum Force' against LoveCheckIn.org because they realized we had nailed a new source of revenue they could keep for themselves.
One of Southwest's main arguments presented to the court was the fact they had worked 20+ years to be a first-rate airline where all are equal and that a check-in service created a 'de facto first-class', which is totally against their brand. However, Southwest just launched its new Business Select Fares and the 'A-List', which use the same ideas and concepts iBoardA.com and others successfully pioneered. Southwest CEO, Gary Kelly, forecasts the addition of over $100 million to their bottom line in the first year from these new initiatives alone. Perhaps the title of the update should have been 'Dirty Gary '.
Although the outcome is not what I had envisioned when I started two years ago and could be considered THE BAD, I am incredibly thankful for the experience. Whether you used the service regularly or only once, I sincerely thank you for trusting us with your travel plans. It has been a great adventure and one that I am so thankful for because of the amazing people I have met and the great experiences of the past two years.
Your Support Is Making A Difference!
With your support, LoveCheckIn.org was able to make charitable donations to several organizations who focus on everything from the environment, social services and micro loans including Kiva, Ayn Rand Institute , Humanity First, The Brookwood Community and the The Environmental Defense Fund
THANK YOU to those of you who used our service and allowed us to donate the money we had collected at LoveCheckIn.org - even after Southwest forced our closure. I want to thank you for understanding the mission of LoveCheckIn.org and allowing us to make a difference in the lives of people near and far.
So Let's Hear THE GOOD!
One of the reasons it has taken me some time to get this final update out to everyone is that along with finalizing all of the legal details with Southwest, I have spent the last three months researching my next trvael venture. I have come to realize that I truly love the travel industry and want to continue finding ways to apply the right people, technology and business model in order to create a better experience.
"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come."
--Victor Hugo
iBoardA.com was the right idea, at the right time, with the right business model but with the wrong company. Although a painful lesson to learn, I quickly realized that if I could find that one missing ingredient, the possibilities would be endless. The company I have partnered with (WorldVentures) to launch my new travel community site - FlipFlopFun.com combines all of those ingredients into an organization far greater than the sum of its parts - kinda like chocolate cake!
Tell Me More - How Does It Work?
Using a business model similar to Costco, WorldVentures offers its members wholesale prices on luxury vacation packages. Not bargain travel - LUXURY TRAVEL! Click here to view a short 4-minute introduction (I like to watch it in full-screen).
By using the power of buying premium travel in bulk for their members and taking NO COMMISSIONS, WorldVentures offers three, four and five-star locations and accommodations at one and two-star prices. Vacations are scheduled months in advance on a rolling calendar so you don't have to worry about last-minute planning and are all staffed with a guide so that you always have someone to turn to for questions while on vacation.
<<>>