21 BRAND STORY between two major metropolitan areas. It is not a novel concept.” In fact, SeaPort Airlines itself is not a novel concept. Craford and several business partners initially launched the airline in 2008, but he left the following year after the business took off in a direction he didn’t agree with. It later landed in bankruptcy in 2016, but Craford never lost sight of a future opportunity. In 2011, he and some investors acquired a small commuter airline in Juneau called Alaska Seaplanes, which has grown into a fairly large regional service that, along with SeaPort and Island Air Express, boasts 300plus employees and two dozen aircraft. He kept the focus on Alaska, all the while knowing that when the time was right, SeaPort would return. That time came in May, when the airline, an entirely new, well-funded company, kicked off its daily commuter flights. It runs routes every 45 minutes during peak times, up to 24 flights per day. The cost per flight currently starts at $279. In addition to the short flight time, SeaPort also positions itself as a speedier, more convenient option than anything else, including other airlines. “I call it a conveyor belt in the sky,” Craford said. “It’s like boom! You’re here. It’s like a time machine.” Passengers, who need only arrive 20 minutes before their flight, can park for free at the terminals in Portland and Seattle, which are mere steps from the runway and the awaiting aircraft. There are no Transportation Security Administration checks or security lines, and upon arrival, it’s easy to hail a rideshare to get to a final destination. SeaPort also keeps passengers out of the ever-more-crowded and always-underconstruction terminals at PDX and SeaTac. “All of this airport infrastructure in this day and age, it’s all focused on how to make your suffering more comfortable,” Craford says. “Let’s give you more lounges and more pretty stuff to look at while you’re waiting — and all the while, your most precious thing in life, your time, is just being burned away. And we’re here to say, no. Just leave all of that in the dust.” About 17,000 people travel between Portland and Seattle every day, the vast majority up and down I-5. Craford says SeaPort hopes to capture just a small percentage of that traffic to really succeed. Some of that may come from adventurous folks who might not bat an eye at a quick day trip to Seattle or Portland, but the vast majority will be busy businesspeople who value their time. Even in the era of the perpetual Zoom call, Craford believes in the enduring power of in-person business meetings — and SeaPort’s ability to make those happen. “There’s always some new technology that is saying, ‘There’s an easier way. There’s a shortcut so you don’t have to travel,’” he says. “It’s always a siren song. As soon as you start ignoring the importance of the person-to-person connection, you’re falling behind. Part of our business is predicated on the, I think, correct notion that those who are more successful and productive recognize the value of business travel and meeting in person. There’s just no doubt.” For more information, visit FlySeaPortAir.com. “Part of our business is predicated on the, I think, correct notion that those who are more successful and productive recognize the value of business travel and meeting in person. There’s just no doubt.” KENT CRAFORD, CEO, SEAPORT AIRLINES SeaPort Airlines commuter flights from Portland to Seattle take about 41 minutes, and passengers need to arrive only 20 minutes before their flight. Plus, parking is free at the Atlantic Aviation terminal, where SeaPort Airlines takes off.
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