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Will business travelers actually fly on these silly looking all-purple planes?


JetPurple Airwayz (yes, with a Z) has announced that it will soon be flying out of Scottsdale Airport, operating nonstop service to Las Vegas, San Diego and Sonora, Mexico. The airline also has plans to eventually operate flights from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California to Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore. If its plans (and its planes) get off the ground, JetPurple will offer public charter first-and-business-only flights, flights that will cater to those business travelers who wish to travel in all-purple planes, including purple leather seats, purple carpet and purple wall coverings.

JetPurple's ultra long-haul and ultra short-haul services are both supposed to begin operating in "the first half of 2016," although it has some aircraft to purchase first. JetPurple president and CEO Adam Blumenkranz (with a Z) says that the carrier has plans to purchase one or more Boeing 737-800-BBJ (Boeing Business Jets) planes and that the airline will have lie-flat seats and private staterooms for its "highest paying passengers."

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The carrier says that it intends to provide "literally private jet travel for the public" and will offer free checked bags, complimentary meals, snacks and drinks, as well as free parking near the private terminals where it will operate. Those private terminals are a crucial part of its setup; Blumenkranz hopes that part of the carrier's appeal will be that the passengers will not have to wait in lengthy TSA lines and that the time saved at these smaller airports like Scottsdale and Burbank will make up for the fact that JetPurple's proposed livery of Airbus ATR-42 twin turbo-prop planes will fly about 100 miles per hour slower than larger commercial jets. Blumenkranz said:

"So, if you do the math: combine the relative difference in air speed with the fact that JetPurple Airwayz flights will depart and arrive at private, general aviation ramp VIP terminals, just like private aircraft – then calculate how long a period of time it takes to get from the curb to the gates at Sky Harbor, San Diego'sLindberg Field, Las-Vegas McCarren International and LAX. The equation is simple [...] We are the sensible and speedy option."

But are sensible business travelers going to clamor to fly on a carrier whose logo is based on a peace sign and whose interiors look like Prince's laundry hamper exploded? Also, Department of Transportation regulations only allow public charter flights – like JetPurple – to operate each route four times a week. How will that affect its desired customer base?

"Purple Airwayz is Plane Power for the People," Blumenkranz said, presumably with a straight face. We'll just have to wait until the first half of 2016 to see who those people are.