The CEO of Nevada based online retailer Zappos has reiterated that he has flirted with the idea of running an airline following customer requests.

For those who do not know, Zappos started as a shoe retailer and grew annual sales from one million to one billion dollars in eight years.

Zappos is known for their obsession with customer service and their desire to blur the line between work and play: We seek to WOW our customers, our co-workers, our vendors, our partners, and in the long run, our investors.

The company recruits new staff based on how well they treat their airport shuttle driver! All new staff have to work in the company’s call centre for two weeks. The company will pay people to quit if they are not dedicated.

In the cut throat world of airlines, is there room for a player focussed purely on customer service? What would a WOW airline look like?

Here is a clue: