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Move over Greyhound! If Ash Huzenlaub has his way, travel between Mexico and the U.S. is about to get a whole lot faster-and more affordable
When I think about the special moments in my childhood, I fondly remember when my grandmother came to visit. I would anxiously wait at the terminal until her Greyhound bus pulled in. I couldn't wait to give her a hug and dig through her purse for the goodies she always brought for us. The bus service was the lifeline-and only affordable travel option-that kept my Grandma Benita connected to her four grandchildren who lived hundreds of miles away.
As I child, I often wondered why she didn't fly on an airplane. I knew it would get her to my house much faster and that's all I cared about. As a kid in the '70s, I had no clue that air service wasn't in our budget-and many families were in the same boat until Southwest Airlines lifted off in 1973.
Today, thanks to low-cost airlines like Southwest, most-but not all-people can afford to fly to their destinations instead of take a long bus or train ride. Unfortunately, many of those who still cannot afford even the low-cost airlines are Mexican immigrants who now live and work in the United States, but have loved ones-perhaps little nietos- that they'd like to stay connected to back in Mexico.
For these cash-strapped people, entrepreneur Ash Huzenlaub might have an answer: He plans to become the Southwest Airlines of air travel between Mexico and the U.S. The 29-year-old came up with the idea in 2003, while flying from Fort Worth, Texas, to Mexico City. As a private equity investor, Huzenlaub frequently traveled to Mexico to do business. Each time he flew, he paid between $600 and $700 for his ticket.
"More than 30 million people travel to and from Mexico via car or bus," states Huzenlaub. "Our goal is to be able to offer a fare that is probably one-fourth of what you can get with a major carrier today. If we are able to deliver that, then it will be cheaper to fly by plane than it would be to travel by bus.
With a background in building businesses from the ground up, Huzenlaub immediately went to work writing a business plan. He decided to call his airlines Mexus. Instead of reinventing the wheel, he extensively researched other successful low-cost carriers like Southwest Air and JetBlue. He then took his proposal to well-known airline investment groups and some responded with interest, especially after Huzenlaub pointed out to them that "in 2004, there were over 15 million airline passengers traveling between Mexico and the United States, which represents more than $2 billion paid in airfares."
If you add those additional 30 million people traveling to and from Mexico by car or bus, you have an enormous potential customer base. And just like Southwest Airlines did, he too hopes to get a new generation flying.
He even hired Jose Lugo, a former Greyhound Lines manager to become his chief marketing officer. "I met Ash and he came up with this great idea," explains Lugo. "It was an idea that I could relate to."
Lugo was born in Mexico City and has lived in the U.S. since he was five. He says he doesn't get to see his grandparents, tias, tios and primos as often as he'd like because of the high cost of air travel to Mexico. For both personal and professional reasons, he hopes this new airline gets off the ground.
"Not only is it going to touch me personally, but it will touch our whole community, our whole race. That was one of the main reasons why I decided to join Ash in this venture," Lugo explains.
In an era where many airlines are in the red, starting a new one is no easy feat. Huzenlaub fills his calendar meeting with investors and researching other business models.
"I've traveled the world over the past few months and interviewed most of the CEOs of these low fare airlines," Huzenlaub explains. What he wants to find out, he says, is how they started their airlines and what barriers they faced so that he can avoid problems already faced and solved by others
Huzenlaub's mission is threefold: to provide low fares, great service and safe flights. Huzenlaub also knows that he will benefit, in more ways than just financial, if his airline soars. "I'm not just some guy who's putting money in to start an airline to make money. I am a guy who's trying to deliver a real service. I want to use the airlines as bad as the next guy."
So when can we expect Mexus to take flight? If all goes as planned, Mexus could be booking flights as early as next year. "There is an alternative coming," Huzenlaub promises. "We hope the public supports us."
If Huzenlaub can deliver on his initiative and can help reunite more families-and specifically, more grandparents with their grandchildren-Mexus Air definitely has this editor's wholehearted support.
GUIDE MEXUS
If you'd like to voice your opinion about the type of service and flight options Mexus Airline should offer, fill out their online survey.
www.flymexus.com
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