Day Charter SParKS Debate

Four

In her piece “Smaller Yachts, Shorter Terms, Instant Gratification” [November/December 2015], Kim Kavin is incorrect in her statement on day charter when she claims: “The concept is unheard of in the world of luxury yachts—a company that promises a charter yacht within a day of users hitting the ‘ send’ button on a computer, tablet or smartphone. You read that correctly. Yachtster says it can get you a charter yacht not with one week’s or one month’s notice, but inside of one day—and sometimes on the same day, depending on what time you click to book.” My company has been doing this for years. I specialize in last-minute charters. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. author’s response: Like many charter brokers, Ms. Blake no doubt works diligently to respond to last-minute charter inquiries. When a client clicks the button on her website, Blake probably searches through databases of available yachts, works the phones to reach captains she knows and uses every personal connection she can to make the lastminute booking happen. Yachtster is different. When a client clicks the button on the Yachtster website, he has actually booked the charter vacation, just like booking an airline ticket online. The client has already selected everything from his charter itinerary to the food that will be on board, just as he might click to select his flight layovers and vegetarian meal on an airline’s website. Yachtster is yet another example of what so many travel agents and other types of brokers are experiencing nowadays: disruption by technology.

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