5 October 2004
Ronco to purchase AstroSphere Airways
Passengers receive Rocket Fisherman after six flights
CHATSWORTH, Calif. -- Ron Popeil, the king of the television infomercial,
announced today that his company, Ronco Inventions, LLC, is
planning the purchase of beleaguered AstroSphere Airways. In a prepared
statement, Mr. Popeil said, "We see the troubles at the airline not so
much an issue of operation as an issue of marketing. Consequently we will
reposition and repurpose the airline to give it better exposure where
we see a growing market: Saturday morning television."
A Ronco spokesperson told Travel Fox that there are no immediate plans
to change the name of the airline even though the company has filed for
a trademark for "Fly-O-Matic."
Travel Fox was able to acquire a sample script from an upcoming
infomercial for the new airline. In part, it read:
... the complete vacation package—roundtrip airfare
from Duluth to Manto Chaniza, seven night's accommodations in a luxury
class hotel, native welcoming ceremony, ground transportation, all
gourmet meals and tours of the ruins, the waterfalls and the
volcanoes—all can be yours, if you act now, for three easy payments of
only $4.99 plus processing and handling fees.
Operators are now standing by.
"But wait! Order today and you will receive a free pair of Ronco anti-DVT
(or Deep Vein Thrombosis)
socks. Pick up the phone now and the complete travel package, including
the socks, can be yours for only three payments of $4.99.
"But wait! If you order within the next 30 minutes, Ron will personally
throw in a set of Ginsu soup spoons. So you get the complete travel
package, the anti-DVT socks and the Ginsu soup spoon set—a total retail
value of over $3,680(!)—all for three payments of $4.99 plus processing
and handling fees.
But wait! When you order....
Travel Fox was unable to attain information about "processing and
handling fees," but was told by one company insider that they approach
$2,500.
Related Travel Fox scoops:
Related Err Travel columns:
© 2004 Applied Psychology
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