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Out To Lunch: Expedia Express

Cheryl DalPozzal
/
It's New Orleans

Back in the 20th Century, when you wanted to fly somewhere you had two choices: you could call the airline and buy a ticket, or you could call a travel agent, who for some magical reason could get you the same ticket for less money.

Then along came the online travel site revolution. Now, instead of making a two minute phone call, we can spend hours, even days, comparing prices and airline schedules before buying a plane ticket.

Although we feel like we’re our own travel agents today, it’s not quite that simple. Behind the scenes, online travel giant Expedia employs around 15,000 people in 20 countries. One of those folks is Expedia’s Area Manager, Ted Bogan, based here in New Orleans.

One of the downsides of flying is, unlike driving, you can’t just leave any old time you want. Unless you start up your own airline and set your own flight schedule. That’s what Stan Little did. Stan started Southern Airways Express in 2013 so he could help others like himself get around the South. His airline flies out of New Orleans Lakefront Airport to 10 Southern cities, including Destin & Atlanta.

Although Stan didn't know he'd be having lunch with Ted till he arrived at Commander's for the show, just before he stepped on the plane in Memphis, Stan signed an agreement to have Expedia sell Southern Airways Express tickets. Stan's announcement was quite an Out To Lunch moment.

If you were looking for proof of the claim that travel broadens your horizons, this spirited conversation will confirm it.

Peter Ricchiuti is the finance professor you wish you had back in college! His insight and humor have twice made him the top professor at Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business. After a successful career on Wall Street, Ricchiuti served for five years as Assistant State Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer for the State of Louisiana. There he skillfully managed the State's $3 billion investment portfolio.