INNOVATORS Gold Award - New Orleans City Business

INNOVATOR
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Kenneth Purcell, founder and CEO of iSeatz, has added On My Way to his Web-based travel assistance system, which helps travelers make plans when affected by flight delays or other travel disruptions.
On My Way — iSeatz
Key innovation: On My Way, a travel assistance service
offered on Air Canada’s Web site for customers affected
by flight delays or travel disruptions.
Biggest client: Northwest Airlines
Where they’re based: New Orleans and New York
Top executive: Kenneth Purcell, founder and CEO
Year introduced: 1999
2007 sales: $8 million
VALENTINE’S DAY 2007 was not very romantic for
JetBlue customers in New York. An ice storm gripped the
Northeast that day and most airlines cancelled flights and
sent passengers home. But JetBlue thought the weather
would break. People who were already on planes sat for
hours.
One of those passengers was Kenneth Purcell. “I had a
new puppy on my lap,” he said. “Then the power on the
plane went out, and all the TVs went off.” From this experience
was born a concept called On My Way, a travel
assistance service for customers.
“If you have a ticket and your flight gets delayed, some
people feel entitled to some kind of accommodation, and
they are really not,” Purcell said. “Air Canada wanted to
enhance their service. They had a concept but no way to
execute it. With On My Way, customers can add insurance
to their plane ticket, which enables you to get a hotel
or rental car, meal vouchers and ground transportation to
the hotel.”
Purcell created a Web site called iSeatz in 1999, which
allowed visitors to make restaurant reservations online.
He soon realized that he needed to go further with his
idea.
“We realized that just doing restaurant reservations is a
hard way to make a living. We had to get profitable. The
cost of building our own brand would cost millions of dollars.
But we could power other people’s Web sites, and we
began to expand to the hotel and rental car business.”
And expand they have. In 2007, iSeatz had more than
$8 million in revenue. This year, it is expected to go up to
$40 million. iSeatz now has clients such as Northwest
and Delta Airlines and is about to go international this
year, which will involve the complexity of multiple languages
and different types of currency.
Purcell’s team consists of executives who previously
worked for companies such as Hotels.com, Expedia and
Delta Airlines.
“We are improving upon the deficiencies of other
companies. We’re more efficient and make decisions
quickly and effectively.”
After Hurricane Katrina, Purcell moved his operation
to New York.
“My goal by the end of the second quarter next year is
to have all of my people back in New Orleans,” he said. “I
am thrilled to be home.”•
— Lisa Bacques
New Orleans CityBusiness 27A