Why RFD is giving money away

Add comment December 10th, 2007

Chicago Rockford International Airport is running a promotion called:

That’s not to be confused with:

Anyway, why pay people to fly out of RFD? To get first-time customers in the door, said Executive Director Bob O’Brien. He compared it with spending money on newspaper, radio or television advertising, but with more quantifiable results: for every cash-back award made, they’re guaranteed a seat sold.

O’Brien believes that once people see the airport for the first time - with its free parking, free wifi and short lines - they’ll come back for more, even if they get no money back. But it takes incentives, he said, to get them to give RFD a try over O’Hare, Midway and Milwaukee’s Mitchell airport.

His other goal is to pack planes during the winter months to show airlines the routes can do overwhelmingly well here. He said they just care that seats are filled, not how the airport does it. In his mind, it’s no different than spending thousands of dollars on advertising.

Are you a MilesAhead member? Do the airport’s promotions make you more likely to fly out of there? Let me know.