Airventure Discount code

[streffpilot]

So....WTH is going on with this.......Many people are very irritated at the apparent special treatment that some EAA members receive:

http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30166&page=2&p=433921#post433921

[Eric Cernjar]

Hello, I'd just like to take a minute to clear the air on this.

This promotion for discounted AirVenture passes was made available to a small number of EAA members who live in the area and have never (at least as far as we can tell) attended AirVenture. Our hope is to get people to give the event a try so that they can become even more involved in general aviation. This is core to our mission and for that reason we are giving this a try. I'm happy to answer any questions on this, as I understand there are concerns about our willingness to be transparent.

Thanks,
Eric

[azmedic85355]

Wow


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[robert l]

How about a senior citizen discount ? :)
Bob

[rwanttaja]

How about a senior citizen discount ? :)
Bob

Admission is half-price for all members 70 years of age or older, but only if accompanied by their parents.

Ron Wanttaja

[streffpilot]

Sure sounds legit......NOT.

[Floatsflyer]

Hello, I'd just like to take a minute to clear the air on this.

This promotion for discounted AirVenture passes was made available to a small number of EAA members who live in the area and have never (at least as far as we can tell) attended AirVenture. Our hope is to get people to give the event a try so that they can become even more involved in general aviation. This is core to our mission and for that reason we are giving this a try. I'm happy to answer any questions on this, as I understand there are concerns about our willingness to be transparent.

Thanks,
Eric

Eric,

You didn't clear the air, all you did was jack-up the piss-off factor.

What kind of discount admission policy(secret or otherwise) FAVOURS AND REWARDS those who never attend to the detriment, disfavour and penalizing of those that always do? That's FUBAR!!! Why don't you instead reward loyal year over year attendees with that same discount? You should create a loyalty program for "frequent users/flyers" of Oshkosh. Who do you think might be more grateful-the tens of thousands of members who frequently attend or the ones who are apathetic and don't.

With this effed up policy, if you weren't an aviation association, you'd quickly qualify to become a cable company.

And furthermore, why is a particular geographic location a discount qualifier? Hell, I come all the way from Toronto, you should be begging me to attend with all sorts of swag!

[Auburntsts]

Have to agree with Floats on this one. Locals are the last group of folks that need a discount as an enticement to attend. It’s us out-of-towners that are spending lots of cash to attend “our” convention that’s supporting not only EAA but the local economy. I understand the intent, but sorry guys, this was one big whiff at the plate.

[azmedic85355]

I third the motion. Locals at least have the luxury of not incurring hundreds of dollars in additional expenses for lodging like the rest of us do.


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[Eric Cernjar]

I do understand why this could upset people. Here are a couple thoughts into why we went about it this way.

While I acknowledge that we certainly are lucky enough to have visitors from all over the country (and other countries all over the world), Wisconsin has our greatest amount of attendees, and other surrounding states are at the top for attendance as well. From a test perspective, we wanted to try this with those that would be most swayed by a discount. While the discount would be nice for someone coming from California, for example, it wouldn’t have as much impact as it would for someone from Illinois when you consider the disparity of investment to get/stay here. Again, this was a test, and we’re learning (perhaps more than we bargained for!)

Also, while it’s a big pancake breakfast, this is essentially EAA’s big pancake breakfast that subsidizes all our other programs that don’t run a profit. This isn’t a show without the members who routinely attend and invest their time and money into making it what it is. However if we deeply subsidized the expenses for everyone that regularly attends, the net impact is we would not be able to invest what we do into non-revenue generating programs like Young Eagles, Chapters, etc.

We are deeply appreciative of those, such as yourselves, that make the show possible. Our simple intent was to get a few people to experience the show in hopes that they’d realize what they were missing, and would then also become regulars. Ultimately, we’re trying to grow general aviation and that’s the core of our intent. Thank you guys for everything you’re also doing to help GA.

Take care,
Eric

[martymayes]

Once the cat was out of the bag, could anyone use the code to obtain a discount?

That was the claim on some other forums, that they were using the code to get a discount, even calling EAA to verify it was legit.

[Kyle Boatright]

Regardless of the reasoning behind the discount, I don't see how it is appropriate to treat some dues paying members different than other dues paying members.

[robert l]

Admission is half-price for all members 70 years of age or older, but only if accompanied by their parents.

Ron Wanttaja
Har, dee, har, har ! Actually, that was a good one !
Bob

[FlyingRon]

Admission is half-price for all members 70 years of age or older, but only if accompanied by their parents.

Ron Wanttaja

Hey, if I don't get the discount, sonny, nobody gets the discount.

[CHICAGORANDY]

Eric, ever feel like no good deed goes unpunished?

The optimist sees the donut, the pessimist sees the hole. Keep up the good work.

[biggles1998]

For what’s its worth, I think it’s a decent idea, and the locals must put up a lot with all the shows and related disruption ( it’s not their choice ), would rather have them onside than turn into NIMBY’s ( as we have plenty of over here ) and then cause headaches for future plans.. plenty of other examples like Florida resident discounts, and I’m sure there are plenty of others ..

[Auburntsts]

I’m familiar with the concept having been a Florida resident and have absolutely no problem with it in general. What I object to is the magnitude of the discount. 50% is IMO ridiculous—that large of a discount should be reserved as a reward for sustained participation and not as an enticement to get a first time attendee through the gate.

[Sam Oleson]

Hello guys,

While we do understand the frustration some of you have expressed on this matter, this is a reminder to keep the conversation civil and respectful. A previous post was derogatory and disrespectful and has been deleted. Personal attacks and blatantly disrespectful remarks directed at other users will not be tolerated on these forums.

Thank you.

Sam

[CarlOrton]

OK; I was ticked when I first saw the thread and checked out the link from the first post. I've volunteered every year since 2008 (and willingly say that's good for only about 12-16 hrs/year - nowhere near what some of you do...), and have *never* received a wristband. I've never pushed it; I've been blessed to be able to afford the annual weekly wristband, so I just chalk it up as a donation to EAA, which, in spite of it's warts, is still the best aviation organization out there.

When I stepped back from the discussion above, I thought that "at least they're *trying*...." I may not agree with the vehicle or method in which it was conveyed, but it shows that someone in there is thinking.

We also have to remember that EAA, for all it's name recognition, is not a Fortune 500 company with the deep pockets (or time!) to do focus groups or marketing studies that would support such a move. They tried, they failed (pretty embarrassingly!), and hopefully we'll try plan B in the future.

You'd think that *someone* in there should have raised their hand and asked, "What if the general members find out about this?"

[robert l]

Well, I didn't know anything about a discount until I saw it on here. I also didn't get P/O'ed about it and yes, any discount would be nice. Hey, I save 5 bucks for being an EAA member ! My retirement is my SS and my wife, she's 15 years younger than me and still working so we manage. She doesn't want to come to AirVenture so my flying buddy and I make it our trip. At $120.00 for a week long wrist band and $108.00 each for 8 days of camping, (although we never stay the entire 8 days, my friend has to be back at work) it's not going to break the bank. For us, it's right at a 2000 mi. round trip, so throw in fuel, food, and a couple of nights in a motel, (one coming and one going) it adds up. OH, don't forget the beer ! But all in all, it's a pretty reasonable vacation, (adventure) and we get to enjoy it at a place that has as much as we can stand. And, we don't have to hear, "You're not wearing that are you" at any time ! I do wish my wife would attend with me just once for a few days but whatever. Anyway, I'm just glad the EAA exist and AirVenture is as good as it is and I thank all the volunteers and people that work to put this together every year. God Bless America !
Bob

[rwanttaja]

To get serious for a moment: I can see EAA reaching out to locals, to encourage them to attend and participate. Everyone realizes, I think, what an enormous PITA this has to be for Oshkosh residents. Paid attendance at Airventure crosses a half-million; one can imagine the effect of this on a town of ~70,000 residents. Two to three weeks of crammed streets, overcrowded restaurants, and lines at the grocery store. Don't go anywhere NEAR Wittman field for two weeks at the end of July.

So the EAA tries to make it up to them by offering a discount. The best way to do that would be via targeted advertising...coupons in the local newspaper, or in the weekly "Thrifty Nickel," or flyers delivered to the homes.

The trouble is, each of these options costs money. Lot easier to issue a secret code.

But, of course, security in a case like this just doesn't exist. The word is GOING to get out, and people who aren't the locals targeted find out the code, pass it to their friends, etc. This wouldn't have happened thirty years ago, or even twenty years ago. But these days this kind of thing just won't stay secret.

To quote Benjamin Franklin: "Three people can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

Good intentions by EAA, but it's obviously blowing up in their faces this year.

Ron "Too early to try 'OSH2019'?" Wanttaja

[Mike Switzer]

Evidently I am one of the members that was offered the discount, which I appreciate. The thing is, I never received the postcard, I knew nothing about it until I received an email from EAA this morning. I have never been to Airventure, and unfortunately as long as it is in July I can't attend as that is one of the busiest months for my business. Of course, being self employed I haven't had a "vacation" since my brother & I went to Detroit in September 1999 to see Tiger Stadium one last time.