One of my surest predictions has been the ever-increasing number of choices offered to wealthy customers. Profit margins are (and perhaps always will be) the best here, which justifies rolling out new offerings and technologies to meet the tastes of elite buyers.

A while back, I wrote of coming underwater five-star hotels. Some of us would prefer to luxuriate in the air. Soon, we’ll have that chance.

Modern air travel is noisy. It’s also cramped (even first class is hardly first class, if you get my drift), and the airport indignities imposed on travelers for our “security” are unpleasant at best. (Isn’t it curious that cargo shipments still are not subjected to the same scrutiny as are passengers?)

Now imagine an alternative. You’re flying high in the sky, but not at an invisible 30,000 feet, nor with jet engines whining at 300+ MPH.

Popular Science reports that the Aeroscraft, a kind of airborne Queen Mary 2, will change how people think of cruising and air travel. It will traverse continents and oceans with stately ease, traveling at a relatively leisurely maximum speed of 174 MPH.

The Aeroscraft is a hybrid vessel. Neither a turboprop nor a blimp, it combines elements of both. Fourteen million cubic feet of helium will carry 2/3 of its weight. The other 1/3 will be lifted by six turbofans, and the whole vessel will be propelled forward by rear-mounted propellers.

Worldwide Aeros Corporation is developing a prototype and expects to have the first vessel completed by 2010. Several cruise line operators have reportedly expressed interest in the project. (It is a natural diversification for them.)

The propellers will be all-electric to minimize noise. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the provider proved to be Solomon Technologies (SOLM: OTC BB), whose expertise in electric and hybrid propulsion systems is gaining world renown in the boating industry. Solomon’s technology could extend the range of these vessels and greatly reduce the need for refueling stops.

A computerized buoyancy-management system will continuously adjust for turbulence and passenger movement. This is expected to provide a very smooth flight experience.

Traveling at just 8,000 feet, you’ll be high enough to appreciate national monuments, parks and waterways. And you’ll be completely insulated from ground noise.

Because it’s not flying high enough to require air pressure, the craft can accommodate 20’ tall picture windows. With the Aeroscraft two football fields in length, passengers will never be herded like cattle, nor told to, “return to your seats,” “buckle up” or “raise your seat back” as if they were wayward children.

There will be no prohibition on going to the bathroom at certain times, nor lines to use it. Food will be available when you are hungry, and it will be excellent fare of your choice.

To sum up, passengers will be treated with courtesy, respect and attention to their needs and desires. From a marketing standpoint, the advantages are overwhelming.

It is expected to support hundreds of luxury rooms, restaurants, and perhaps amenities such as a casino, pool and movie theaters. In effect, it will be a cruise liner in the sky.

Unlike a cruise liner, it will be unrestricted in its potential itineraries, and capable of ferrying passengers from Los Angeles to New York in less than a day. Though far slower than a jumbo jet, the loss of time is mostly illusory. Here’s why…

Much of a conventional trip across the continent or between continents is either downtime or marginally productive. (Who really works well on a laptop perched atop a bouncing fold-down food tray?) One is cut off from telephone and e-mail access for most of the journey. Shockingly, even major airports, such as O’Hare, still lack WiFi access.

Compare that to a journey in which you have full telecommunications support, with a four-star hotel’s quality of workspace, support services and amenities. Sure, the journey takes longer…but you’ll arrive refreshed and happy, without any significant downtime.

For people who value their time in the hundreds or thousands of dollars per hour, a $1,000 Aeroscraft trip will compare favorably to a $400 coach flight. That, as much as novelty cruise travelers, is the market for this new service.

When one considers the indignities and frustrations of conventional air travel, coupled with the inevitable delays, I expect Aeroscraft production to—quite literally—take off.

I’ll look forward to cruising and working with you in the skies!

To Your Profitable Future,
Jonathan Kolber
February 14, 2007

P.S.: The craft will carry a 400-ton payload. In addition to passengers and their luggage, this has the potential to become a new way of delivering exceptionally high value added cargos. I am thinking of rare, fragile flowers, delicate artworks and irreplaceable items.

Penny Sleuth Contributor

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