Cadillac is expanding its reach to the sky with a new Blade partnership. The luxury brand has launched its “Cadillac Fly and Drive” program to offer complimentary flights from Manhattan to the Hamptons this summer.
Blade is a short-distance aviation company that provides short-distance flights to hot areas. In this case, Cadillac will select eight New Yorkers each week between July 7 and August 25 to reserve a seat on a helicopter flight. The flights will depart every Friday for the duration of the program. The first six individuals to book and reserve a seat will also receive a complimentary 2017 Cadillac XT5 for the weekend.
Each flight is also covered by a Weather Guarantee; if the flight has to be canceled, chauffeur-driven Cadillac will be provided instead.
No doubt, the goal is to provide New Yorkers with a luxurious experience courtesy of Cadillac. Book by Cadillac is also exclusive to New York City currently.
“Cadillac prides itself on collaborating with like-minded brands to curate unique and memorable experiences,” says Nathan Tan, director of Brand Partnerships and Experiences at Global Cadillac. “Our partnership with BLADE reflects how our two brands are working together to evolve how customers travel.”
Users will have to keep a close eye on the Blade app and refresh often to secure a seat. If successful, Cadillac will provide a luxurious weekend indeed.
Comments
(*Disclaimer: most of the seats have already been assigned to media people, athletes, supermodels,designers, the Kardashians and Melody Lee.)
The kinds of people Cadillac needs to impress.
Catering to the 1%ers is not how one makes revenue for an automobile company whose majority customers will never use such a service.
CCC
Normally, I cant stand when people use the whole “1%er” card, but I agree with you. Most New Yorkers don’t drive Cadillac’s. I saw this video just last night, and this guy could not have said it better.
(start at 4:00)
https://youtu.be/4W8mHoRKjR4?t=4m
If Cadillac doesn’t cater to the 1%, another luxury nameplate will.
Not impressed Cadillac.
Sean you have this story backwards. Cadillac will be offering complimentary XT5s to Blade customers, not the other way around. Please fix this.
Instead of hair-brained schemes like this from Uwe and Melody, why not spend money on products. Cadillac desperately needs better power plants, interiors, and to fill-in all the product holes in their lineup.
Ferrying folks out to The Hamptons in a helicopter does little to elevate the Cadillac brand or sell cars. Years ago, I received an invitation from Buick to test drive one of their cars and in exchange they’d give me a free domestic airline ticket. So I went in, got the free pass but I didn’t buy a Buick and my mind wasn’t changed one bit. Their offerings were woefully behind the times. Product sells cars, not schemes. Improve your cars Cadillac and you won’t have to bribe people to look at them.
The story is being covered wrong here. XT5s will be loaned out to folks who are already taking a blade chopper to the east end.
Truly sickening. This has Melody Lee written all over it. I guess Melody wanted to hobnob with the Hamptons crowd, so she got GM to fund her latest fantasy. After all, Melody is a Millennial! She holds the key to massive Millennial sales. Or so she has GM believing.
If Cadillac has this kind of cash to burn on flying people to the Hamptons then they surely have the cash to update their stale portfolio . I thought their coffee shop in Manhatten was a waste of money but this is just outright foolish .
I have been to the Hampton’s a couple of years ago for a charity event and I can tell you these folks do not drive Cadillacs . For them a Cadillac is for us a Hyundai .
You may see an Escalade or two but that would be it . I agree this has Miss Lee’s thought process all over this insane idea . Cadillac just is not in the position to cater to this crowd with the products they currently have . They just don’t have the same cache of other luxury automakers .
If Cadillac doesn’t buckle down and get their cars and SUV’s in the market place soon they will never be able to keep up with the likes of the Germans .
Cadillac has been in flux for years , trying ti re-invent itself for decades trying to become something they are not . They need to get back to being their true self or I fear this 100+ year old automaker will not survive .
Well said
Zach,
That’s my fear too. Cadillac may be a storied nameplate with a long history but GM has never shown a willingness to leave in place for long products or brands that don’t make money. Cadillac could very well be on the path of Oldsmobile at this juncture with much improved products but so tarnished an image that the bean counters ultimately pull the plug.
I’d truly hate to see that happen and it’s entirely avoidable but their management seems to be attempting to revive the brand with every scheme imaginable except building top-notch products that sell themselves.
BMW doesn’t have to do fashion shows or pick up and move or hand out helicopter trips. They just build better cars than everyone else, they don’t make excuses, they know who they are and imitate no one, and the consequence of all that is sales. Sadly I don’t think anybody at Cadillac gets that.
They’re still rebadging Chevrolets, making excuses for why things like the XTS are even around, and shamelessly copying others but think they can trick buyers into signing up for a Caddy if they just create a cool-kid vibe for the brand. Seldom does that work.
Cadillac lost the plot.
Spokesperson Nathan Tan, the ubiquitous Melody Lee, and – at the far left – what I hope is not a chopper pilot for BLADE…
https://goo.gl/images/eKhWV8