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See our slideshow of VIP Dream Trips.
Experience is everything
One reason for the rising popularity of experiential trips is that “people have accumulated a lot of ‘things’ in their life,” says Chris Widdess, VP of Marketing at Signature Days. “They realize that if your life is the sum of your days on earth, then some of those days should be extraordinary.”
Extraordinary is exactly how 48-year-old Joellen Gill describes playing “Fighter Pilot for a Day,” one of hundreds of experiences offered by Signature Days. Last Christmas, Joellen’s older brother, Rick, who’s 56, purchased the $1,195-per-person action adventure for the competitive siblings. When Rick and Joellen, both safety engineers at Applied Cognitive Sciences in Spokane, Wash., arrived at Air Combat USA, they were given an hour-long briefing, then donned flight suits, parachutes and helmets. Joellen and Rick and their copilots then boarded two twin engine Marcheti SF 260 fighter planes.
The moment the plane lifted off, “I got such a rush,” she says. With her instructor by her side, Joellen executed Split S and inverted flying maneuvers while engaging her brother in six dogfights. The pilots filmed the entire sequence. “It was worth every penny,” says Joellen.
While some experience providers quote prices on their web sites, others don’t delve into money matters online, meaning you won’t know the price until you call to inquire. Given that several companies offer similar experiences, it’s worth checking each web site and calling for a price quote before committing.
See our slideshow of VIP Dream Trips.
For the commitment phobic, Signature Days may be the best bet. This online experience provider doesn’t charge for its services. Instead, providers pay the company a commission. And for a $4.95 fee, Signature Days experiences can be transferred or exchanged which means consumers aren’t locked in or need be fearful of losing the 50 percent deposit charged by other providers. The popularity of the Signature Days model is reflected in the up-tick in bookings: In 2006, the company booked 16,500 experiences. This year, Widdess expects that number to reach 27,000.
Andre Verrone, the 31-year-old CEO/President of VIP First Class, has spent the year expanding his menu of lower priced experiences. He plans to add a slew of lower priced packages, some starting at $1,000.
On the other hand, Bluefish Concierge’s party and sports events are available only to those willing to pony up a $5,000 annual membership fee that entitles the member to round-the-clock concierge service as well as free tickets to certain membership-only events. Parties at the Playboy Mansion are among the most popular and sought after experiences.
In June, William Pape, 44, acquisition manager for the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., took his second trip to Los Angeles and the Playboy Mansion. The first time he paid $2,500 for a ticket and was disappointed by the less than stellar guest list. This time he got satisfaction. He even shook hands with Hef and briefly conversed with The Girls Next Door.
For Pape, the best part of the adventure was “bragging rights back in the office. Most people can’t get into a Playboy Party, but everyone wants to go,” he says.
There are some experiences that even the most well connected concierges say would be difficult to arrange. Among the impossible dreams: dinner with Brad and Angie, Bill Clinton or Oprah Winfrey. “We’d find out their favorite charities and then try to arrange something,” says Steve Sims. Then again, donating a million or two to a star’s favorite charity is likely to get you entrée without the services of a concierge.
See our slideshow of VIP Dream Trips.
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