ATF: How will the weight factor effect how much baggage a passenger will be allowed to carry?

VH: We expect most of our passengers to be same-day business travelers with at most a standard overnight bag and a briefcase. If people have heavy sample cases, tool boxes, presentation projectors or other luggage the system optimizer can accommodate them as long as people are truthful and tell us about it out front. What we can't have are surprises.

ATF: You recently announced that the first five DayPorts will be Boca Raton, Gainesville, Lakeland, Pensacola and Tallahassee. What is a DayPort?

VH: DayJet will have a physical presence at every airport we serve. By that I mean a customer-service facility staffed by DayJet employees rather than a generic counter run by the airport's FBO.

ATF: How are you selecting DayPort locations?

VH: The primary consideration is the amount of existing and potential business travel to the area, particularly people arriving by car from places 100 to 400 miles away. But there are other factors. Availability of good ground transportation, for one. Business travelers don't want to be dropped off in a cow pasture, they need mobility.

ATF: Let's say I'd like to DayJet from Boca to Gainesville. How do I book a flight? What will it cost?

VH:Every member will have access to an online reservation portal and a 24/7 call center.

ATF: Why do I have to be a member to fly?

VH: DayJet is not for all business travelers all the time. It is for priority travel and that means we have to meet very high standards of reliability and predictability. It is very important that we be able to accommodate customers' flight requests on their first call to us. We're not requiring memberships because we're elitist, the fee will be very affordable. We're just trying to balance supply and demand by controlling the number of people using the system.

ATF: Given the limited number of aircraft Eclipse is expected to deliver by the end of the year, how tough do you expect the initial balancing act to be?

VH: Part of the decision-making that went into selecting the first five DayPorts involved predictive analysis of service demands and our ability to meet them. Based upon that research we expect our rejection rate to be under 15 percent.

ATF: OK, I've got my membership number and I'm logged on to the reservation site. What happens next?

VH: You'll select your departure and arrival DayPorts from a pull-down menu and enter the time you need to arrive and the earliest time you're willing to leave. The system will display the flight duration and you'll have the option of selecting a time window for the flight. If you elect to make your time window really tight, like 30 minutes, the flight will be fairly expensive, close to $3 a mile. If you loosen your window, your cost will be closer to $1 a mile.

ATF: Can you explain that a bit more?

VH: While we will always work within a customers pre-determined time frame, a bigger window allows the Astro program to take everyone's requests and work out an optimum schedule for our aircraft. If you have a big enough window we may even schedule one short stop - though never more than one - enroute. In return, you get a lower seat price. As the schedule changes we may give you back some extra time - call and tell you to arrive at the airport one hour early instead of two, for instance - while maintaining the lower price.

ATF: What if nobody else wants to go from Boca to Gainesville when I do?

VH: Our acceptance of your reservation is not contingent on anyone else traveling. We will never cancel your flight or raise your price because you turn out to be the only passenger.

ATF: Given the amount of time, study and research DayJet has done getting to this point I'm sure you've already got five- and ten-year plans on the hard drive. Can you tell those of us who tend to think in the shorter term what the next 12 or 18 months will hold?

VH: We plan to launch service between the first five DayPorts in Q4 with 12 aircraft, ten operating and two in reserve. Come January, we expect to really step up the pace and expand service outside of Florida. Beyond that, we will announce DayPorts in new states and additional DayPorts in states we're already servicing on a quarterly basis. By the end of our first operational year we should have 20 DayPorts in at least four states.

ATF: Thanks for the insider view, Vicky, I'll definitely put a DayJet membership and that trip from Boca to Gainesville in my next letter to Santa.