A lodge that sent two jobs a month sends none for six weeks. Nothing was said and nothing obviously went wrong, which is the most common way an operator loses an account and the version they find out about last.
The four reasons
They have less work. Their own season changed, their occupancy dropped, their programme ended. This has nothing to do with you and is the most likely explanation.
Somebody was slow once. A request that sat four hours on a day that mattered. They did not complain; they called somebody else and it worked, and the habit moved.
A person changed. The contact who knew you left, and their replacement has a list that does not have you on it.
Or something went wrong that you did not hear about. A passenger complained to them rather than to you, which is the normal direction.
How to tell which one it is
Ask, plainly, without a pitch.
"We have not seen a booking since April — has something changed at your end, or did we get something wrong?" That sentence does the whole job, and it produces an honest answer far more often than operators expect.
What not to do is send an offer. A discount arriving unprompted after a silence answers a question nobody asked and signals that you think the issue was price, which it almost never is. We show a "from" price per route; the final fare depends on the date, the group and the baggage, and is confirmed in writing before booking.
When to ask
Sooner than feels comfortable. Six weeks rather than six months.
The reason is recoverability: a habit that has moved for six weeks can move back; one that has held for a season has a new default and a relationship with whoever is now doing the work.
What the answer changes
If they have less work, nothing is wrong and you should say so and leave it. Chasing a counterparty who has no bookings to give produces irritation rather than volume.
If somebody was slow, fix the answering rather than apologising. Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment. An apology addresses the feeling; a stated cut-off and somebody who can hold a request addresses the cause.
If a person changed, introduce yourself to the new one properly, with the field record and the aircraft details rather than a reminiscence about the old contact.
And if something went wrong, you have just learned something you had no other route to. A Tortuguero transfer at 53.4 nautical miles where the waiting arrangement surprised somebody is a fixable problem you did not know you had. We quote waiting time and aircraft overnights at the destination: tell us whether you return the same day or the aircraft waits, and we include it in the price.
The one that does not come back
An account lost because your category stopped fitting what they need. A lodge now hosting groups of ten is not a single-engine operator's client any more, and no conversation changes that. The specific aircraft is assigned on confirmation, based on passenger count, baggage and the destination field.
Recognise it and refer them rather than competing for work your aircraft cannot hold. A Drake Bay run at 83.5 nautical miles for eight passengers referred honestly keeps the relationship alive for the four-passenger job next month.
Frequently asked questions
Why do counterparties go quiet without saying anything?
Because usually nothing dramatic happened. A habit moved, a person changed, or their own work dropped.
What should I ask?
Plainly, without a pitch: has something changed at your end, or did we get something wrong?
Should I send an offer?
No. A discount after a silence signals you think the issue was price, which it almost never is.
When should I ask?
Six weeks rather than six months. A habit that has moved for six weeks can move back.
What if somebody was slow once?
Fix the answering rather than apologising. An apology addresses the feeling; a cut-off and somebody who can hold a request addresses the cause.
Which loss does not come back?
One where your category stopped fitting their needs. Refer them and keep the relationship for work your aircraft does hold.
Let us talk
Operators we bring on evidence current certification, insurance and fleet documentation before receiving a first assignment.
See also: Lodge relationships · Agency relationships · Repeat client economics · For operators