Pricing and Distribution Channels: Hilton Amsterdam

Pricing and Distribution Channels: Hilton Amsterdam Selling a hotel room used to be simple; business would literally walk in off the street. No more. As the number of channels a customer can use to book a hotel room grows, hoteliers will be forced to take a more holistic view of their technological infrastructure, as quoted by Bruno des Fontaines (2007), Vice President for Amadeus Hospitality Group Asia Pacific. Revenue Management is a complex phenomenon with many factors affecting the final outcome. Out of these innumerous factors, playing their role in revenue management, price is indeed one the most powerful tools a hotel can use to increase revenue. The key however is to know how to set the right prices and which distribution channels to use in order to maximize your revenue. Tools using which, any product or service is provided to end consumer, constitute Distribution Channel of that product or service. Success or failure of a product relies greatly upon distribution channels. In hospitality business, a successful channel management strategy consists of selling inventory at the highest possible rates, while pushing reservations through the lowest-cost channels. (Barash 2005) It is therefore of prime importance that a hotel chooses most effective distribution channels in order to manage prices and eventually to maximize its revenue. There is, however, a great array of approaches available to manage distribution channels which makes it a very challenging task for hoteliers, requiring for them to understand all distribution options available. In past hotel distribution channels used to be most simplistic, the traditional main distribution channels were: Brochures Advertising guide books mail shots call centers and Travel agencies. All of these modes, even though very simple and easy to manage, are extremely expensive and have a very limited range. They could be effective for local clientele only. With the passage of time and advancement in technology, other sophisticated and complex distribution channels originated that were never even thought of, such as Central reservations Global Distribution systems Hotel Booking Agent Tour Operator Online wholesalers However most of these channels only acted as a go-between hotel and the global-distribution-system (GDS)/travel agent. (Barash 2005). This wide array of distribution channels no doubt provide a great deal of benefit to the hotel in the sense that its availability to customers increases infinitely, customers all over the world can get to know about any hotel anywhere in the world through a travel agent or website etc. however at the very same time this phenomenon makes hotel distribution channels most complex and difficult to manage. Reasons for decline of GDS as an effective distribution channel as reported by HeBS (2002) can be due to following reasons: Slower than expected travel industry recovery and the weak economy Channel shifting from traditional Consumer-Travel Agent hotel reservations to online bookings (leisure and unmanaged business travelers) and self-booking corporate systems. Growing popularity of online business models (e.g. merchant) that do not utilize the GDS. The emergence of direct interfaces between major online agencies and major travel suppliers thus bypassing the GDS. Services like WorldRes, which utilize direct interfaces to the major hotel brands CRSs also undermine GDS distribution. Decreased corporate travel: the latest survey by NBTA (September 2002) showed that 68% of corporate travel managers said travel was down in their companies from last year, in some cases by as much as 20%. Also, 72% of them said that current travel is below the 2000 levels-the last time travel was at normal volumes. Distribution of hotel rooms through traditional distribution channels such as GDS/travel agent and call center/reservation office, proves to be inefficient and extremely expensive, especially in light of the current weak economic situation. Focusing only on traditional distribution channels will result in lower occupancy rates, and higher distribution and operational costs. In this current scenario internet channels are emerging as more popular distribution channels that are being given increasing preference over traditional channels of distribution. Internet distribution of hotels is of two types: Direct Online Distribution Indirect or Third party online distribution Direct online distribution is where hotel pushes its property through a website constructed and owned by the hotel itself. Whereas third party web-based travel intermediaries such as online travel agents, have a certain number of rooms allocated to them that they sell through their own sites where mostly air tickets and car rentals are also offered among other things. The indirect distribution channel can be further subdivided into further subcategories such as channel to sell distressed inventory such as priceline. (HeBS 2002) A hotels revenue is greatly affected by the method that a customer uses to book his/her room. If a lot of middle parties are involved in booking process then hotels share, in the amount that a guest pays for booking a room, can reduce to a great extent. According to Marvel (2004) a room booked through a travel agent and the GDS (global distribution system) typically costs the hotel 15% of the reservations total. Contrary to popular belief, third-party websites are no bargain either for the hotelier, as they keep about 13% of a bookings value. So-called merchant websites (such as Priceline.com or Hotwire) which basically buy inventory from hotels usually average a 33% mark-up on the rooms they sell. Bookings arriving via the central reservation system of voluntary chains (such as Minotel) can cream over 25% of the clients original payment between travel agent, tour operator and chain fees. Many tour operators working in mass leisure destinations only pay 50%-60% of the normal room pri ce to the hotelier who is lodging their clients. Looking at Hilton Amsterdams site also reveals similar facts, as can be observed from following table: ADVANCE PURCHASE FULL PREPAYMENT, NO REFUND OR CHANGES (price in GBP) Hilton website 243 Laterooms.com 258.76 Orbitz 243.5 Booking.com 254.871 (Rate differences between Hotels website and other online sources: The rate for Twin Hilton Deluxe Amsterdam room, on different booking sites available online, for one day 30th April 1st May 2011. These rates were observed on 4th April 2011) The fact can be clearly observed that best rates for room bookings are given by hotels own website, and obviously so because direct online booking on hotels own website has proven to be the best and cheapest source of distribution for a hotel. eTRAK Full Year 2009 report on hotel bookings by distribution channel as quoted by Starkov (2010) shows that the online channel is the only channel that is growing even in todays difficult economic conditions where demand for rooms is far less than the supply, Internet bookings for the top 30 hotel brands increased by a remarkable 6.6% in 2009 vs. 2008. Whereas hotel room bookings through GDS and Voice Channels, decreased considerably. HeBS findings based on the latest eTRAK benchmark report, surveys and industry data from PhoCusWright and ARC as quoted by Starkov (2010) are as follows: 1) GDS Channel Is in Steady Decline: GDS hotel bookings via the CRS of the top 30 hotel brands declined by 3.7% 2009 vs. 2008, and constitute 23.6% of total CRS bookings in 2009 vs. 27.3% in 2008 (eTRAK). Back in 2006, GDS CRS reservations constituted 31.3% of total CRS bookings for the top 30 brands. GDS share has decreased by 24.6% from 2006 to 2009, when it was reported at the 23.6% level. Travel Agency Share from Total Travel Market in the U.S. dropped from 41% in 2006 to 33% in 2009 (PhoCusWright). U.S. Travel Agency Locations decreased by 7% in 2009 vs. 2008. The number of locations has been decreasing at an average rate of 4% every year since 2001, and the number of travel agencies has declined from as high as 35,000 in 1995 to less than 16,450 in September 2009 (ARC, HeBS). 2) The Voice Channel Contribution Is Decreasing: Voice channel hotel bookings via the CRS of the top 30 hotel brands declined by 2.9% in 2009 vs. 2008, and now constitute 22.2% of total CRS booking in 2009 (eTRAK). Last years decrease is in addition to a decline of 2.8% for the full 2008 vs. 2007 (eTRAK). The Voice Channel is in decline for the 6th consecutive year (HeBS). 3) The Shift from Offline to Online Channel is Permanent: 54.2% of overall CRS bookings for the top 30 hotel brands come from the online channel, which is an increase of 6.6% vs. 2008 (eTRAK). 60% of leisure and 40% of business travel will be booked online in the U.S. this year (PhoCusWright). 45% of hotel bookings in 2010 will be via the Internet (direct + indirect online channels) (HeBS). 4) Direct online bookings are on the rise: In 2009, 70.9% of online bookings came from the direct online channel (i.e. the major hotel brands own websites), while 29.1% came from the indirect online channel i.e. the Online Travel Agencies. Whereas in 2008 direct online bookings constituted 75.2% part of online bookings and indirect bookings were 24.8%. This represent a great increase in the number of bookings made directly on the hotels website as compared to indirect bookings. (Starkov 2010) Hotel management perceptibly has greater interest in promoting the online booking, especially direct booking on the hotels own site, because it is far cheaper. According to a report on E-commerce estimated cost of direct reservations by traditional means (i.e. fax, telephone, e-mail, etc.) could be as much as 300% higher than processing the same reservation through the GDS, which costs between $3-$5.Furthermore, most reservations, passing through the GDS, are generated by travel agents who charge an average fee of 10%. Bookings via a chain central reservation system cost the hotel $6 to $10 and reservations by a toll free telephone number $4 to $8. However for hoteliers the cheapest and most satisfactory mode of booking a room is direct online booking variable cost of which is only about $1.50. (Marvel 2004). Even though GDS still constitutes the major distribution channel for hotel rooms with a 68% share in 2003, their share is diminishing fast due to higher growth rate of the internet, according to Marvel (2004) overall electronic booking increased by only 1.6%, while online reservations rose by 35.5%. However the best source of distribution for any hotel is direct online booking because in indirect bookings the third party intermediaries take away the major chunk of hotels revenue in the form of commission. Therefore the major concern of hoteliers nowadays is to devise ways to attract customers to make room bookings directly to the hotels website. Several examples of such efforts are as follows: Four Seasons do not allow any direct bookings over third-party websites. Hilton (USA) declines HHonors points or air miles for online bookings to all the bookings that are made indirectly i.e. not on Hiltons own website. As of January 1, 2004, Starwood has also take a step in this regard i.e. all bookings made through indirect internet channels will not be eligible for any in-house benefits. Marvel, M. (2004). Therefore all in all direct online bookings are on the rise and they appear to be the preferred mode in present conditions of recession. However in order to take advantage of this growth in the online distribution channel especially the direct online channel, hoteliers need to make strong and proactive Direct Online Channel Strategy. This strategy should be backed by funds. Hoteliers must carefully employ ROI-centric initiatives, including website redesign, website optimization and SEO, paid search, email marketing, online display advertising and proven social media initiatives. (Starkov 2010) Even in this economy, the budget for internet marketing, and most importantly of direct online channel, should not be decreased or even diminished, because after observing past trends and results of various researches it can be safely said that online channel is the only growth channel for hoteliers and the only light at the end of the tunnel in this environment. Even in these difficult times we see Return on ad spend (ROAS) as high as 3500% from Internet marketing campaigns we run for our clients. (Starkov 2010) Another obvious pattern in Hilton Amsterdams direct online pricing is that the rates given on hotels website are the most expensive when the booking is completely flexible (customer has complete liberty to alter his/her plans as well as they get their full money returned if cancellation is made before or on the day of arrival) whereas other sites give cheaper rates in this situation. However on the other end Hotel website gives best rates in case of fixed reservations i.e. reservations in which no room is available for any changes and in case of cancellation hotel keeps all the money. This could be due to the reason that in case of cancellation hotel has to bear the entire cost whereas booking sites that usually have rooms allocated to them do not have to face any such penalties. ADVANCE PURCHASE FULL PREPAYMENT, NO REFUND OR CHANGES (price in GBP) FLEXIBLE RATE, (Price in GBP) Hilton website 243.524 278.438 Laterooms.com 258.76 277.31 Orbitz 243 262 Booking.com 254.871 273.201 Another observation is that Advance booking rates are different from immediate booking rates. It is an effective tactic to increase confirmed sales. Customers are encouraged to book their rooms well in advance, by offering them lower than usual rates. Booking cycle of a hotel determines how well in advance customers can book rooms, a hotel offers greater discount at the beginning of a cycle whereas higher rates are offered towards the end. (Ismail, 2001). This also helps in managing the bookings in lean seasons i.e. in off seasons lower booking rates are offered to attract greater distribution. Best rate for Hilton deluxe twin room decreases to  £202 from  £243 if the booking date was moved from 30th April to 31st April. Hilton also offers package rates, hotel package comprise of a hotels room combined with any other service of the hotel, most commonly it is room and meal package that hotels offer. There are many kinds of package deals available at Hilton hotel, such as: Bread and breakfast package, where room is bundled with breakfast for two at a discounted price. Another package combines air ticket, car rental and room all three in one package price. Beside package pricing Hilton also offers group rates, i.e. booking a larger number of rooms for a party mostly at a lower rate. Keeping in view the benefits and complexities of using multiple channels in hotel distribution we can say that the key to adopting best distribution channels and increasing revenues is to choose distribution channels as per hotels needs without falling prey to an increasingly convoluted snakes nest of technology. Managing these distribution channels also costs money and considerable time of hotel employees. . (Fontaines 2007) Complex hotel distribution systems are strategically dangerous for a hotel as managing a complex distribution may raise the price for customer who may switch to low cost channels. Spend Analysis: Application and Strategies Spend Analysis: Application and Strategies In spend analysis, skills to do with data analysis are extremely important. However, experts in related fields question the use of a software application to automatically generate the required data. In most cases, automated application does not necessarily give the accurate data as some processes require practical skills needed in the respective field. In everyday life, individuals come across a lot of information and data that is less likely important in decision making. This implies that an individual must possess data analysis skills to identify the information that is required and the less vital. In decision making, some major characteristics of vital information are; consistency, having a pattern and without errors. â€Å"Spend analysis is referred to as the systematic review of historical purchase data† (Pandit Marmanis, 2008). One of the major reasons why spend analysis is carried out is to be able to identify savings opportunities. Despite the fact that there are several indicators used to identify such opportunities, an automated software application would be incapable of successfully identifying such opportunities depending on the order of accuracy and precision. Some of the key indicators in spending analysis require analytical skills such as in price and applying best practice in various processes in an organization or household setting. If there is a consistent increment of prices of goods and services with time, it would be prudent for an individual or an organization to pay more attention to the purchases in specific categories and ensure that the factors leading to the rise in prices is well addressed. Such a process would require data analysis skills with specific attention to identifying a pattern of price increase. The application of best practice has over the years not been fully adopted by businesses. This is because, this technique is considered as simplified and less likely to come up with a saving opportunity. However, there is always the likelihood that an organization or an individual is overpaying for goods and services. Best practice requires data analysis skills which are applied to areas that provide the best cost saving strategy. Other indicators in spending analysis, such as the purchase price variance (PPV) can use software application to identify patterns or any irregularities from the data collected. According to Barone Franco. (2012) the six sigma methadolo0gy is used to enhance organizational performance through the use of statistical process meant to reduce process variation that characterizes most organizations. Currently, the six sigma methodology is commonly used by many organizations to identify areas of wastage in addition to improving the overall productivity of the organization through the improvement of business processes. The six sigma indicator shows the variation in parts, processes and products. However, of importance to note is that the six sigma method is not used independently in an organization. Most of the businesses that use six sigma also incorporate other lean methods. The six sigma methodology has over the years evolved to become a dynamic process that is used to improve performance and also maintain the process environment. Whats the strategy does is identify the major causes of performance gaps, then propose appropriate methods of addressing the performance gaps with an overall aim of increasing performance. The six sigma uses a sequential method known as the DMAIC, which stands for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. This is the guide that is used to identify the performance gaps and propose remedies to the gaps. Define: This step is expected to identify the performance gaps and develop alternatives that would lead to a higher sigma. Measure: In the step of measuring, there’s the use of metrics to come up with the baseline data to be used to identify the major cause of the problem. In addition, information must be gathered first before any data is incorporated. Analyze: In this step, statistical tools are used to confirm that the problem identified is admissible and that the factors found to cause the problem are the root causes of the problem. Improve: This step seeks to offer alternative solutions aimed at addressing the problem. Some of the key questions that are frequently in this step include; which way is cheaper, which way is faster? There are many solutions that are commonly identified as the alternatives to performance gaps. The most common solutions under this step include; mistake proofing and cellular manufacturing. Control: The control stage is also known as the institutionalization stage. This stage modifies parts, processes or products in accordance to the proposed solutions and also periodically monitor the changes that arise from such substitution. When carried out effectively, spend analysis can be greatly beneficial to an organization. This is because in addition to maximizing productivity and efficiency of business processes, spend analysis also encourages insightful decision making that is backed by both facts and figures. In addition, spend analysis is responsible for viable, cost-saving techniques that assists businesses identify areas of wastage and address the issue for better performance. These roles on spend analysis are more inclined to the financial aspect of business. Most of the problems that spend analysis aims to solve are issues to do with the expenditure and supply management. While most business processes seem intertwined and thus cannot occur individually, the financial aspect of business is the hub of all the performance gaps that spend analysis seeks to solve. By analyzing the concept of ‘spend’ most businesses are able to compare the spending behaviour with the production output and identify areas that need to be improved so that the organization can achieve higher performance. As stated by Ramsey and Silverman, (2002) research has established that businesses that use spend analysis are more likely to improve on performance with an approximated improvement rate of 24% in terms of general efficiency. With such statistics, there is no doubt that spend analysis has immense benefits to an organization in terms of driving performance and through the establishment of viable cost-saving techniques. Considering that spend analysis is a process that is meant to improve on the efficiency of products, processes and parts, there are numerous challenges that most organizations face during the implementation stage. Most organizations consider the spend analysis to be a dynamic process that is difficult to initiate and manage. More importantly, the processes involved in spend analysis require a high level of accuracy. For a business to develop a well leveraging spend analysis, integration of data from various different sources is required. However, a spend analysis is not only made possible by accurate data. There are various other factors that complement the methodology including finance, supply chain and IT. The prevailing economic times dictate that organization take advantage of any spending opportunity that comes across. The best technique to do this would therefore be through spend analysis. References Barone, S., Franco, E. L. (2012). Six Sigma methodology. Statistical and Managerial Techniques for Six Sigma Methodology: Theory and Application, 1-21. Ramsay, J. O., Silverman, B. W. (2002). Applied functional data analysis: methods and case studies (Vol. 77). New York: Springer. Pandit, K., Marmanis, H. (2008). Spend analysis: the window into strategic sourcing. J. Ross Publishing.

Ethics Game Dilemma Essay

The Ethics Game simulations of The Mysterious Rose and The Cold Feet Dilemmas address the following ethical issues: The first ethical concern is regarding a company employee by the name of Gayle Dornier. Gayle has received unwanted flowers from an unknown person, multiple times per week, and to this day Gayle has no idea who is sender of the flowers. Receiving a large quantity of flowers has begun to make her feel uncomfortable. Therefore Gayle is taking the proper Chain of Command to find a possible solution to the problem. After speaking to Rian Brown who is the company’s Ethics Officer, I decided that the most important issue was to maximize complete confidentially during my meeting with Gayle, because her issue seemed to be a very important to her. I also had to figure out key shareholders who were directly involved in this case, as well as who’s directly affected. Decision making steps involved in addressing this issue were mainly to figure out what the issues actually are and to break it down into small parts ensuring proper investigation, as well as proper facts regarding the case were identified. The main issue is to determine if a Sexual Harassment issue is present or not. The Ethical Lens used in addressing this issue was Rights/Responsibilities and the Results Lens. The Rights and Responsibilities Lens is based on the duties that everyone in our community has towards each other, and how we live by certain principles of integrity, for example, treat other the way you would like to be treated. The Results Lens is based on the actual results that we want to accomplished, and create the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Ensuring that the company’s reputation is not affected, as well as the well being of all parties involved should be the best outcome. The Ethical Lens is very important in the determination of my final decision; I was fully aware of the individual feelings of all parties involved. The Ethical Lens also helped to with the proper final determination was made on fairness and facts. As Gayle’s Immediate Supervisor, I feel it is my responsibility all employees have useful information about processes to protect themselves in any situations of potential harassment. The Cold Feet simulation of Ethics Game Dilemma involved company researchers Phillip Waters and Nikolai Zubanov. Who both submitted reports, but two different results were given to me. Nevertheless Phillip Waters have suppressed information causing elimination of adverse information enclosed in the reports, the ethical issue in this case deals with integrity and submission of fraudulent information. There is a decision to make in regards to what should be done if it is declared an employee has falsified a document. The Ethical Lens used was Relationship and Reputation. The Relationship Lens is centered on processing the systems for an ethical organization. It protects the basic liberties of all people. Everyone is entitled to their rights; regardless of income status everyone is deserving of fair process. The Reputation Lens is focused on exhibiting the virtues which are valued in the community for people who are in roles. These ethical lenses affected my decision making it ensured that I was open and honest in all facets of the concern. The ethical perspective is not always making everyone happy, because it is virtually impossible to make everyone happy. Ethical perspective focus on making the best decision for the good of all individuals involved as well as setting the standard in future situations. These ethical lenses helped to influence my decisions based on the information that was provided. It allowed me to be fair towards all individual concerns as well as a guide provide me with the proper steps to handle the issue. The concepts of this simulation relates to my personal workplace. Since the conception of my new office six months ago we have went without set standards practices for employees to follow. People became frustrated and overwhelm and decided to leave. Lucky, a strong Senior Management Team is currently being developed to help my office transition into new define standards practice. I believe there should be standard practices in the workplaces by using proper ethics, and treat all individuals fairly. Treating people the same way that you would like you would like to be treated will usually ensure that the proper ethics are used in all situations.

Meaning and Origin of the Last Name Cohen

The Cohen surname, common among Eastern European Jews, often indicates a family claiming descent from Aaron, brother of Moses and the first high priest, from the Hebrew kohen or kohein, meaning priest. The German surname KAPLAN is related, deriving from chaplain in German. Surname Origin:Â  Hebrew Alternate Surname Spellings:Â  KOHEN, COHN, KAHN, KOHN, CAHN, COHAN Fun Facts About the COHEN Surname Some Jews, when faced with being drafted into the Russian Army, changed their surname to Cohen because members of the clergy were exempt from service. Famous People with the COHEN Surname Ben Cohen - co-founder of Ben Jerrys Ice CreamSamuel Cohen - known for inventing the W70 warhead, or neutron bombLeonard Cohen - Canadian poet, novelist and contemporary folk singer/songwriterSasha Cohen - Olympic figure skaterSteve Cohen - critically acclaimed magician Genealogy Resources for the Surname COHEN Get started researching your Jewish roots with this guide to basic genealogy research, unique Jewish resources and records, and suggestions for the best Jewish genealogy resources and databases to search first for your Jewish ancestors. The Cohanim/DNALearn how DNA can help identify whether you are a member of the Cohanim (plural of Cohen), direct descendants of Aaron, brother of Moses. COHEN Family Genealogy ForumFree message board is focused on descendants of Cohen ancestors around the world. DistantCousin.com - COHEN Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Cohen. Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out First Name MeaningsCant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. Sources Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

The Wright Brothers Famous Quotes

On December 17, 1903,  Orville Wright  and  Wilbur Wright  successfully tested a flying machine that took off with its own power, flew at even speeds, then landed safely without damage and started the era of human flight. The year before, the brothers tested out a number of aircraft, wing designs, gliders, and propellers in order to understand the complexities of aerodynamics and hopefully create a powered craft capable of prolonged flight. Throughout this process, Orville and Wilbur recorded many of their greatest quotes in the notebooks they kept and interviews they made at the time. From Orvilles thoughts on hope and living to both brothers interpretations of what they discovered during their experiments, the following quotes encapsulate the thrill the Wright brothers felt when creating, then flying, the first self-propelled airplane. Orville Wright on Dreams, Hope, and Life The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our  ancestors  who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through. The  airplane stays up  because it doesnt have the time to fall. No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris†¦[because] no known motor can run at the requisite speed for four days without stopping. If birds can glide for long periods of time, then†¦ why cant I? If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance. We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity. Orville Wright on Their Flight Experiments In our gliding experiments, we had had a number of experiences in which we had landed upon one wing, but the crushing of the wing had absorbed the shock so that we were not uneasy about the motor in case of a landing of that kind. With all the knowledge and skill acquired in thousands of flights in the last ten years, I would hardly think today of making my first flight on a strange machine in a 27-mile wind, even if I knew that the machine had already been flown and was safe. Isnt it astonishing that all these secrets have been preserved for so many years just so we could discover them! The course of the flight up and down was exceedingly erratic, partly due to the irregularity of the air, and partly to lack of experience in handling this machine. The control of the front rudder was difficult on account of its being balanced too near the center. When the machine had been fastened with a wire to the  track so that it could not start until released by the operator, and the motor had been run to make sure that it was in condition, we tossed a coin to decide who should have the first trial. Wilbur won. With 12 horsepower  at our command, we considered that we could permit the weight of the machine with  an operator  to rise to 750 or 800 pounds, and still have as much surplus power as we had originally allowed for in the first estimate of 550 pounds. Wilbur Wright on Their Flying Experiments There is no sport equal to that which aviators enjoy while being carried through the air on great white wings. More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost if you can conceive of such a combination. I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success. We could hardly wait to get up in the morning. I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for 50 years. The fact that the great scientist believed in flying machines was the one thing that encouraged us to begin our studies. It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill. The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of the air. Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.