Las Vegas-based National Airlines is credited with developing the concept of direct delivery of tourists' bags to a hotel and used the service to differentiate itself from competitors. But National only delivered to hotels belonging to its investor partners, the Rio and Harrah's. It is expanding Friday to the Riviera and, by the end of the month, will have a counter at Alamo Rent A Car. The company also is in negotiations with other properties, including the Bellagio. The company has contracts with America West, Canada 3000, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country and Virgin Atlantic airlines and is in negotiations with American, United, Continental, TWA and a charter carrier, WestJet.
Airlines look at the service as a means of adding value to their product.
Because they are required to check out of their hotel room by 11 o'clock, our passengers can check their bags with CAPS and don't have to worry about them. Privately held CAPS would not disclose details of its financial performance, but Snyder said he expects the company to be profitable by the first quarter of 2001. Marty Moore, vice president of business development, added that the company has experienced double-digit revenue growth, month over month, since the first day of operations. But adding hotels and airlines only scratches the surface of the company's growth plans, Moore said. CAPS is investigating establishing counters in neighborhoods so that traveling Las Vegans can check in well before flight time and avoid lines.