Originally published in The Inquirer and Mirror on April 27, 2006
By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
Two new services available on Nantucket both hope to make airline traveler’s time in skies more enjoyable.
Linear Air and Luggage Forward both offer services that are already provided on Nantucket, included in regular air travel or at lesser cost, but both hope to provide a higher lever of service to Nantucket’s wealthier population.
Linear Air, which has been serving Nantucket for the past two summers, is back again this summer with a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans that offer luxury flights from Hanscom Airport outside of Boston to Nantucket and from Teterboro, N.J. to the island.
Both routes will be weekend-only services with flights into Nantucket on Thursdays and Fridays and back again on Sundays and Mondays. While the flights are more expensive than traditional air carriers at $438 and $698 round-trip respectively, the president of Linear Air said he expects another busy season.
“We have valet parking right at the plane, a private terminal, complementary food and drink, more leg room, air-conditioned cabins with a private-jet style-interior,” said Bill Herp.
Each turbo-prop plane seats eight passengers and two pilots and will make trips starting this weekend for the Daffodil Festival, and then every weekend starting Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Luggage Forward, a new company, wants to take the hassle out of traveling by picking up your bags or golf clubs at your house ahead of time and shipping them to your destination so you can breeze through airport security lines and avoid waiting at baggage claim following our arrival when you really want to be out on the links.
With a website that allows you to see how much it will cost to ship your bags without having to know the exact weight, Luggage Forward allows for a foolproof way of making sure your bag is not one of the thousands that is lost by airlines every day. And, in the unlikely event they do loose your bags, they have back up items, like golf clubs, and insurance policies that will reimburse you with cash for your inconveniences, all included in the price.
