Flight 001
Summary: Until the late 1990s, Brad John and John Sencion worked in
different areas of New York’s fashion industry. During a flight from New York
to Paris in 1998, the weary travelers came up with an idea for a one-stop travel
shop targeted at fashion-forward globetrotters like themselves. They called it
Flight 001 and began selling guidebooks, cosmetics, laptop bags, luggage,
electronic gadgets, passport covers, and other consumer products. Now, Flight
001 is one of the most exciting businesses in the industry.
In addition to selling useful travel merchandise, the New York-based retailer
offers a unique shopping experience: Flight 001 stores resemble airplane
fuselages tricked out with retro airport décor and accessories. In the years to
come, the founders expect to be in every major city in the United States, Europe,
and Asia.
Cofounder Brad John is determined to make Flight 001 the international
authority on travel, but ambitious plans will require changes to the company’s
staffing, merchandising, and financial planning. With all the talk about
expansion and new product lines, it will be increasingly important that Flight
001 not become distracted from what makes it special in the first place:
