It's Throwback Thursday on JetBlue's service to Palm Springs

Ever wonder what the Golden Age of Flying was like? Watching Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can” certainly peaked my interest! Well, on November 11-12 JetBlue kicked off their seasonal service from NYC to Palm Springs by brining customers back to the 60’s. The program began with a pop-up Time Travel Agency in New York that was designed with modern décor, music and other cultural props from the 60’s. Customers were greeted with 60’s ticket prices by staff that were dressed like they walked right out of the 60’s with decade specific hairstyles, makeup, and clothing. In addition, at the JFK terminal JetBlue hosted a retro fashion show that featured throwback uniforms before the inaugural flight of RetroJet. I love this idea! Making travel fun is no simple feat and bringing back a time when air travel was considered a luxury is genius. Customers traveling to Palm Springs are getting a memorable experience…one that I am personally jealous of!

Do you want to BE a snowman.......?

My Dad traveled a lot for work when I was kid, but always brought us kids back gifts from his travels. I loved when he traveled during the holidays, because that usually meant that a See’s Candies kiosk would be at the airport and caramel lollipops would be coming my way! Well now not only are kiosks a thing of the past, but now customers can be transformed into snowman at the See’s Candies shop in San Francisco International Airport. Yes, a snowman. As customers approach a TV screen, they are shown in a snow-covered store and are eventually transformed into a snowman. The customers body movement is reflected in the image on the screen. Sales have been said to rise 34% with this unique experience, as customer stay inside the store twenty times longer than usual. Brick and mortar stores need to have more interactive experiences like See’s Interactive Snowman Experience, because obviously its working! Not only are sales increasing, customers are spending more time in the store, but they are providing an experience that customers won’t forget and will share with others.

Think before you drink: VR saving lives

We all have probably been guilty of having one too many drinks during the holidays and getting behind the wheel. For this reason, The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), along with Tombras has developed a virtual reality game (“Last Call”) that mimics a typical night out and challenges your ability to function in hopes of diminishing holiday drunk driving.

The game is targeted at millennial males, as research has shown that shock value does not resonate with this segment, but the game is really for anybody who goes out for a fun night. Throughout the game you’re asked to make different choices, from your drinking (drink meter keeps track of your alcohol intake), talking to your “friends”, playing darts and everything in between…including getting a bit foggy as the night goes on. At the end of the night you are the “designated driver” and get behind the wheel. Based off your alcoholic intake, you are either pulled over and “suffer” the virtual consequences or the police just pass you by on the road.

This game is more or less a PSA, but it's executed in a much more impactful way by making it feel like a fun experience. The idea is if you make it fun and give people a first hand experience as to how drinking affects their motor skills, they may think twice about getting behind the wheel. I think that it's great that the NHTSA is trying different ways to reach people and using technology to do so. VR is being used more and more for different entertainment purposes, but maybe this game will actually save a life or two. The NHTSA reported that over 10,000 people died of drunk driving related incidents in 2015, with 92 people dying every day in December of ’15.