AIR CHARTER INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS.
Leading air charter brokers and travel professionals use FlightList PRO’s full-market resources, economical rates and marketing opportunities to grow their service level, their business and their bottom line:
• Professional Aircraft Sourcing Platform
• Public Air Charter Broker Directory
• Charter Broker Business Accreditation
Request a free trial here.
More about FlightLIst PRO.
Hawthorne Global Aviation Services today announced that ExcelAire, its private jet charter and management company, has hired a significant air charter veteran as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
Joining ExcelAire with more than 15 years of diverse corporate aviation experience and more than 15 years of diverse corporate aviation experience in both Part 91 and Part 135 operations, as well as a proven track record of successful business development, is Mr. Keith Ruggirello. Prior to ExcelAire, Ruggirello served as Vice President of Management Sales at Priester Aviation (Teterboro, NJ) and as Vice President at Key Air (Oxford, Conn). He was also Business Development Manager for Universal Weather and Aviation (Houston).
“Keith’s dedication to his clients, passion for aviation and his strong track record of success make him a great addition to the ExcelAire team,” said Greg Brinkman, president of ExcelAire. “We are growing quickly and Keith’s appointment will help us continue to build on this momentum and growth in our private jet charter and aircraft management business.”
In addition to his extensive sales experience offering aircraft management and global charter services, Mr. Ruggirello served as a Dispatcher for Part 135 operations and had held a Commercial Pilot’s rating since 1992.
His commitment to the aviation industry had led him to actively participate in various industry groups including serving as the former President of Aviation Professionals Sharing Information (APSI).
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Science from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
A Hawthorne Global Aviation Services company, ExcelAire is one of the nation’s leading private jet charter firms, specializing in worldwide jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance and sales. The company maintains office and hangar space at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), with 9 jet aircraft based throughout the Northeast and Midwest available for worldwide charter.
David Rimmer President, JFI Jets Farmingdale, New York; Long Beach, California; and West Palm Beach, Florida
New York native Rimmer developed two passions by his mid-teen years: broadcasting and aviation. While still in high school, he pursued the former and, after college, rose through the executive ranks in the commercial radio business until ultimately owning his own station in Jacksonville, Florida.
Then in his early 40s, he decided to satisfy his second yearning, joining this magazine as a news and feature writer and immersing himself in the world of aviation. Following a successful stint as a wordsmith, he combined his professional experiences to enter the aircraft management and charter industry, rising to the presidency of ExcelAire, a Long Island operator later acquired by Hawthorne Global Aviation. Notably, and sadly, in 2006, he was a passenger on a delivery flight of an ExcelAire Legacy that collided with a Gol 737 over the Amazon, a tragedy drawing international attention. This past January assumed his current position at JFI Jets. He is a private pilot.
JFI has grabbed attention for flights into Cuba. An important market?
Rimmer: There are few occasions in this business to pioneer a new market. I see Cuba as a huge opportunity and offering flights there was among my first initiatives in this position. I believe there’s pent-up demand and interest among Americans about Cuba, and thanks to the Pope’s well-publicized visit there, the curiosity level is even greater now. Damon Danneker, our director of operations, obtained all the necessary approvals from the various federal departments — Transportation, Treasury and State — and figured out how to get trips authorized. As of October, we had flown three trips, had three more booked and others in the pipeline. Currently, licenses to travel there are restricted to certain mission categories such as media, cultural exchanges and such, but that will change in time.
How else can you differentiate from the big operators?
Rimmer: We just agreed to acquire ACP Jets, a well-respected Palm Beach operation, which increases our fleet to 17 jets, ranging from Hawker 800XPs to a G450. That raises us to the second-tier level of operators but still well below the 100-plus fleets of EJM and Landmark, soon to be Signature. While some customers think bigger is better, and there are some advantages that come with large size, a boutique operation like ours can offer a higher level of passenger attention than can a goliath. And while the big operators can realize economies of scale, they’re not shy about charging a lot for their service. On the FBO side, if the big chains start showing favoritism, we get to vote with our feet, or wings, and go elsewhere. Competition keeps everyone honest.
Charter brokers: a bane or a blessing?
Rimmer: We do a lot of work with brokers. They’re essentially sales organizations and I think they do a better job of generating business than most operators can do on their own. Some brokers are perceived as commoditizing our business, making all aircraft and operations seemingly equal, but knowledgeable customers understand the difference. After all, you wouldn’t select a surgeon just based on price. Operators who don’t want to work with brokers would be well advised to rethink that strategy if they hope to continue in business.
Looking back nearly a decade, what lessons did the tragedy in Brazil provide?
Rimmer: I support the NTSB’s conclusions that the primary cause of the accident was an air traffic control failure and that ATC could have prevented it. That said, when planning an international trip, especially to a place with known ATC issues, I strongly suggest having a native speaker aboard. Yes, English is the language of aviation, but a native speaker can help alleviate any inadequacies a controller may have in communicating.
As for communicating, is it harder to sell a charter package or write a feature for BCA?
Rimmer: Without question, writing a feature. Just ask Jessica [Salerno, BCA’s executive editor] about how I did meeting deadlines.
After a year of quiet development, Stellar Labs of Palo Alto, Calif., will launch its air charter marketplace platform and app on November 16 at the NBAA Convention in Las Vegas. Stellar aims to bring air charter the same ease of online business-to-commerce (B2C) seen in the hotel and airline industries.
Several similar efforts have faltered since the rise and demise in 2009 of Virgin Charter, but company founder Paul Touw—who co-founded B2B platform Ariba, which was sold to SAP for $4.3 billion in 2012, and foundedXOJet—told Aviation Internatinal News that Stellar has identified and resolved all key issues. Technologically feasible or not, many industry veterans maintain that the complexity of the transactions and the sums involved deter charter customers from booking online. “I fundamentally disagree with that view,” Touw said, citing the growth in online auto sales and luxury home rentals, which initially aroused similar skepticism.
Stellar has raised about $10 million, $7 million of which came in September from venture capital firms. Startup costs are low, Touw said, because developers are foregoing large paychecks they would otherwise command in favor of equity.
For most of us, there are few things more exhilarating than hopping on a plane and flying somewhere exotic. And with private jet travel gaining popularity in South Florida — a 22% rise in the past year alone, to be exact — Miami’s finest are traveling with more luxuries than ever.
Just last week (on a Challenger 601, no less), we had the fabulous opportunity to meet Adam Twidell, CEO of the UK-based PrivateFly, to learn about his company, why private jets are the only way to fly, and of course, why the Magic City is hopping on the trend. Here’s what he had to say, below:
When did you discover your passion for flying? “No one in my family was a pilot. I didn’t think you could just be a pilot! I was studying at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Air Force was hosting a program where they would teach you to fly for two years for free, with no commitment to join. I was taking electrical engineering classes and wanted something more fun to do, so I signed up for the program. By the end of the two years, I just loved flying, so I became a pilot in the Royal Air Force.”
Why do people love private jet travel? “Mainly, flexibility, privacy on board, schedule and time — you depart at your time, when you’re ready. On a commercial flight, you’re fixed by their roots. Private jets can also get to a lot more airports than commercial planes, so they can bring people closer to their destinations. For me, I’ve always thought the holiday starts as soon as you get to the airport. It’s a completely different feeling at a Fixed-Base Operator than at hectic airport, where you’re rushing and worried about baggage.”
What inspired you to start PrivateFly? When I left the Royal Air Force, most people went into commercial flying, like with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Then I discovered that you could be a private jet pilot, and it seemed fantastic. I joined NetJets, a great private air company, and I started speaking to customers there and noticed how unhappy they were; they were always so paranoid they were paying too much. One day, I was flying passengers from London to Nice, and we were flying back with an empty plane, only to go back later to pick them up. I met a crew of an identical plane flying the exact same route, but in opposite directions, and it made me think: If these two companies had known that they were both flying the same track, could they have worked together and worked it out? That’s where the internet came in — I talked to people in the industry and they told me no one would ever book a private jet online. I’m glad I didn’t listen!”
What sets PrivateFly apart from the competition? “When customers come to us with a plane or helicopter inquiry, we immediately tell them what it should cost. Then, the request goes out to market and aircraft operators quote against each other — the customers watch all this going on, and can choose who they want to fly with. They can do all this online or on an app, or if they prefer, they can also do it with our live customer service team that’s around for 24 hours a day. We always know where our aircraft are because our technology actually integrates with the software they use. The difference with PrivateFly is all in its service, attention and technology. We’re doing what no one else is doing, and in the most affordable way possible.”
How far in advance does someone need to book a plane? “Our record for getting someone airborne from inquiry is 42 minutes — and we even had a car waiting for him when he landed. Most reservations, however, are made 2-3 days in advance.”
Why do you think Miami is such a big market for private jet travel? “Because of its location, Miami is a hub where you can fly to markets in all directions. It even has South American access, which is emerging. There’s also a lot of wealth in Miami and it’s so close to great destinations for holiday trips. East, you have the Caribbean, and you’re only 40 minutes from Cuba. You can cover the whole of the United States from Miami. Outside of that, there are so many languages spoken here, and it’s a great place in terms of both lifestyle and weather. Who wouldn’t want to be here?”
For the third year in a row, the international World Travel Awards awarded ElJet the top spot in the “Leading Private Jet Charter Company in North America” category, according to a company press release.
Those companies in the running this year were:
Air Charter Service USA
Blue Star Jets
Celebrity Jet Charter
NetJets
Paramount Business Jets
Prive’ Jets
US Jetways
XOJET
Companies in the running completed a nomination on the World Travel Awards website, and were eligible to be voted for by travel and tourism industry and non-industry registered users, with industry users counting as 2 votes.
“Having competed with NetJets, XOJet and other larger on-demand private jet charter companies and coming up number one once again speaks to how successfully the ElJet message is resonating with our clients and industry wide,” said Ben Schusterman, ElJet’s CEO.
The 2013 and 2014 awards propelled ElJet to achieve a record number of new clients, and flight hours booked in 2015, according to the company. ElJet expects this year’s recognition to continue to help the company soar to even greater heights in 2016.
About The World Travel Awards
The purpose of these awards is to recognize travel organizations in the world through a global industry vote. In these recent awards, nearly 650,000 professionals in the tourism sector voted in 191 countries. Of 8 regions, the North American region had 46 award categories.
Business jet charter card provider Magellan Jets has launched a new Corporate Membership program. The new card for companies committing to a minimum of 100 flight hours promises greater flexibility and value with features such as guaranteed aircraft availability with six hours notice—compared with eight hours for individual members—and no peak-day restrictions, surcharges or black-out dates.
Other benefits of Corporate Membership include aircraft no older than 2004 delivery, compared with the usual 2000 for individual members; members can push back departure times by up to two hours; $100 million minimum liability insurance for all aircraft categories, versus $50 million for light jets; catering included; WiFi guaranteed for midsize aircraft and larger; 15-percent credit for roundtrip flights; and 5-percent credit on legs of more than four hours.
Flight hour rates are between 10 and 18 percent higher than for individual memberships, but the program includes additional long-range jets such as the Gulfstream G550 and G650, as well as the Bombardier Global 5000 and 6000.
New 2014 Falcon 2000LXS operated for charter by Pentastar Aviation Charter.
Pentastar Aviation Charter has added a 2014 Falcon 2000LXS to it’s available charter fleet. The new aircraft based at KPTK Pontiac-Oakland County Airport features 9 seats, berthing for 4, a forward galley, HD+ Cabin Entertainment System and Wi-Fi on board.
This brings to 11 the total charter aircraft on certificate and available from Pentastart Aviation Charter, based at KPTK and at KIND Indianapolis.
All 11 Pentastar aircraft are available only in FlightList PRO; other industry sources list 6 or less.
Pentastar’s full fleet on Part-135 certificate includes 3 long range and heavy jets, 2 super-midsize jets, 4 midsize and light jets, and a Cessna 182 for economical regional hops.
Pentastar and their new Falcon 2009LXS are rated ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Wingman, and registered IS-BAO, as shown in FlightList PRO.
Next month, the United Nations (UN) is hosting a procurement seminar in New York City. The event, “Air Charter Opportunities with the United Nations: A seminar for U.S. Companies,” is on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at the U.S. Mission to the UN.
The seminar will provide operators with information on doing business with the UN and the process to register and bid on future charter opportunities.
Information, including an agenda and registration details is available for download from NATA here.
Citation CJ2 jet now based Santa Barbara CA and operated by CI Jets
CI Jets, a division of Camarillo-based Channel Islands Aviation, has expanded its charter jet business into the Santa Barbara market, reports Sarah Oberman Bartush, chief marketing officer with Channel Islands Aviation.
CI Jets, which is ARGUS Gold-rated and Wyvern-Registered, will begin operating from the Santa Barbara Airport (SBA), and operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The CI Jets passenger fleet includes two Cessna Citations; a CJ2 and CJ3. The CJ2 is based in Santa Barbara.
All 12 charter jets now based at Santa Barbara are listed only in FlightList PRO
Along with the jet charter business, CI Jets also offers aircraft maintenance services, mentor pilots for owner-flown aircraft and jet brokerage services.
Family-owned Channel Islands Aviation was established in 1976 to fly private charter aircraft to the Channel Islands. Today, the company still flies to the Channel Islands and also provides fixed-base operator services, aircraft sales, aircraft maintenance and a flight school.
Pilatus PC-12 N8YU is available for charter and now based at KASE Aspen, Colorado and operated under cert. # 3CRA585M by Bubba Air LLC.
The 2006 PC-12 is one of just three charter aircraft based at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport. Others are a King Air 350 and Embraer Phenom 100 operated by Mayo Aviation.
With seating for up to 7 passengers maximum, the Pilatus PC-12 clocks just a 30 minute flight to Denver, 2 hours 45 minutes to Dallas and 3 hours to Los Angeles.
Aircraft and operator are only in FlightList PRO
Pilatus PC-12 for charter based Aspen, CO
Interior of Pilatus PC-12 for charter based Aspen, CO
Seen by many as the ultimate accolade for companies in the air charter industry, the winners of the BACA Excellence Awards are chosen by the membership of BACA, via a vote from a shortlist of finalists, also decided by the members.
On the 14th October over 380 executives from the air charter industry gathered at London’s Guildhall for the Baltic Air Charter Association’s (BACA) annual awards ceremony.
On the 14th October the winners were as follows:
Best Passenger Charter Airline
(sponsored by The Charter Company) Winner: Titan Airways
Best Cargo Charter Airline
(sponsored by Chapman Freeborn) Winner: Volga-Dnepr Airlines
BACA Global Excellence Award (sponsored by ACS) Winner: Air Hamburg
BACA Humanitarian Award (sponsored by DHL) Winner: AirLec Air Espace
Tony Coe, BACA Chairman paid tribute to the dedication of BACA members in what has been a busy six months since the last association lunch. Tony congratulated the winners and noted that the 2015 BACA Excellence Awards were “an occasion to honour those companies that have performed outstandingly over the last 12 months and upheld the high values and standards that are the essence of BACA.”
Business jet charter broker and card provider Magellan Jets launched its new Corporate Membership program. The new card for companies committing to a minimum of 100 flight hours promises greater flexibility and value with features such as guaranteed aircraft availability with six hours notice—compared with eight hours for individual members—and no peak-day restrictions, surcharges or black-out dates.
Other benefits of Corporate Membership include aircraft no older than 2004 delivery, compared with the usual 2000 for individual members; members can push back departure times by up to two hours; $100 million minimum liability insurance for all aircraft categories, versus $50 million for light jets; catering included; WiFi guaranteed for midsize aircraft and larger; 15-percent credit for round-trip flights; and 5-percent credit on legs of more than four hours.
Flight hour rates are between 10 and 18 percent higher than for individual memberships, but the program includes additional long-range jets such as the Gulfstream G550 and G650, as well as the Bombardier Global 5000 and 6000.
Private Jets For The Uber Economy
Q&A with Shari Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, XOJET
The Economist Group – Lean Back By Mercedes Cardona October 19, 2015
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing marketing: fragmented media, empowered consumers, evolving technology, or all at once?
It’s finding the right client and connecting with them with the right message, at the same time. That hasn’t changed so much. What has changed is the pace of disruption and the tools we have at our disposal; also how our potential consumers are bombarded by so many messages and so many options.
The onus on CMOs today is: How are you creating a message that is compelling and beautiful and aspirational and engaging, so that client will choose to see it? Also, using all the tools at your disposal to craft an experience. I’m lucky I have the canvas of the jet to play with and the whole experience—from my advisors to my client services—in addition to the communications we’re crafting to bring that messaging to life to them.
What are some challenges specific to your brand: the world economy, generational change, consumer attitudes toward luxury?
Disruptions to our industry came a little later than disruptions in other industries, but we’re seeing the same kind of meta trend. It’s a shift from ownership. Traditionally clients would either buy a jet or buy a fraction of a jet. That’s moved to more on-demand models, similar to the model we employ, where clients only use a jet when they want to use it and they only want to pay for what they use.
The business model change has been probably the biggest one in the last three years. Accompanying that is how technology has grafted onto that, not to replace what is necessarily a high-touch experience—because by definition luxury is high-touch—but make it even better.
You’re participating in the sharing economy, but how are you approaching marketing differently than either other corporate jet companies or transport like Uber and Zipcar on the low end?
What is fresh about what we’re doing—and you can see with our latest campaign—is we’re trying to bring a more modern approach to talking to high-end clients about what is a luxury product. A more fresh, approachable way, seeing it through the point of view of the client who would use our product every day.
A lot of times luxury brands market almost two steps removed. We’re trying to bring it closer and make it that much more intimate.
On the flip side, on the lower end of the market you’re seeing a lot of new entrants that are trying to do what Uber is doing in the private jet industry. That’s fantastic for a certain segment of the market; but when you’re talking about sophisticated clients who fly a lot—just like with hotels and with other luxury products—they are going to want to have a human connection.
Speaking of technology, you launched a mobile site this year. Where does mobile fit into your marketing plan?
If you’re a travel brand, you want to be available to clients when they’re on the move, by definition. Where mobile helps us is by creating a more seamless interaction starting the conversation; but invariably, it always goes to a human on the other side of the conversation. Whether it’s requesting a flight or having a client profile that’s at the ready for our advisors or our client services team, we’re seeing it as an enabler, versus a replacement for that interaction.
Your mid-year report noted that you doubled your Facebook following. Where does social fit in with an upscale brand?
Social is interesting for high-net-worth (clients). Their social circles tend to be tighter, they’re more business partnerships, relationships, friends, family. As we think about the social platform it’s about engaging the community that surrounds that from an influencer or support function, or crews. There’s a whole community about aviation and loving aviation that we also speak to and nurture.
What’s next for XOJet? How is your new brand campaign different than the “Take Command” effort you launched in summer?
This is the next chapter in “Take Command.” With this new campaign we’ve created video ads that are really fresh, looking from the passenger’s point of view.
We worked with Walrus in New York to develop four video vignettes. In addition to digital, billboards are effective for us, particularly around airports, as well as print. But aside from that, we’re doing a lot more internally to create content that we’re distributing to our clients when they’re flying, our advisors are using it, as well as engaging editors and journalists around destinations.
A lot of what we’re doing on the back end is connecting our CRM system. I think Marketing Automation is a misnomer; I don’t think you could ever automate in high-net-worth, but find ways of creating a more intimate, one-to-one conversation with clients about topics that they’re interested in at the right time. That could either be about a kind of aircraft they’re interested in, or tips about a destination they are going to. We’re working on creating a portfolio of content that we can put out through our owned channels.
We’re working with travel writers to create content on destinations, curating lists of top restaurants and things to do in cities where our clients go, and engaging in communities and partnerships around client passion points—be it hobbies, golf, skiing or high performance sports. For us, in connecting with high-net-worth clients, it’s both what we’re saying from a communications standpoint, but also how we’re really connecting in their daily lives and being relevant.
Traditional cargo charter brokers are developing their services as they face competition from new market entrants and customers increasingly gain direct access to airlines.
Speaking at the Freighters and Belly Cargo Conference in Abu Dhabi, Air Charter Service (ACS) group commercial director Justin Lancaster highlighted some the challenges faced by traditional brokers.
He said that the internet had increasingly allowed clients to contact direct airlines directly. Also, the barriers to setting up as a broker are very low, meaning there were many new entrants to the market.
Cargo/freight operators and aircraft certified for cargo are available in FlightList PRO.
He added that freight forwarders were increasingly dealing with charters in-house, a trend led by Panalpina, and passenger networks were being expanded.
Lancaster said: “Airlines are operating more passenger aircraft and looking at routes that were traditionally cargo routes.
“This is a big threat for us and has been ongoing for some time. The airlines have to do something with the passenger aircraft that are coming onto the market and more and more they are looking at routes that were cargo charter routes.
“Airlines are taking the cargo side of the business more seriously than they were.”
Connected to this development was the increased cargo capacity of the new passenger aircraft entering the market and also market over-capacity.
“When I started,” he said, “50% of our revenues came in the last quarter driven by the peak season out of the Far East; maybe it was there last year, but for many years before that business had dried up.
“Once the capacity is gone and demand outstrips supply, that’s when cargo charter brokers can come into the equation and put aircraft that aren’t so commonly known into the Far East.”
Other challenges included: a decline in new cargo charter start-up airlines which relied on charter brokers to market the aircraft for them. Some charter industries such as oil and gas were suffering a slowdown, Lancaster said.
To counter these threats and evolve the role of the broker, ACS is investing in people, developing the skills of its people through training, continuing to develop a global reach with regional offices that know the local market and clients. It also provides local currency transactions, offers rapid response, ensures it is trustworthy, has developed its own compliance department and offers insurance.
“People are the key for us. As a broker we don’t have assets. We have people, data and knowledge,” he said.
Charter Operator Premier Air Charter based at KMYF Montgomery Field in San Diego, CA has added a King Air 200 to their charter fleet. N825KA sports a 2015 refurbished interior and fresh red, white and blue paint scheme.
The only charter King Air based in central San Diego, Montgomery Field is just 15 minutes from downtown San Diego, or San Diego International Airport.
Premier Air Charter now offers a fleet of 5 charter aircraft in San Diego. In addition to the King Air 200 they operate a Cessna Conquest II, two Eclipse 500’s and a Learjet 35A designated for med-flights/ambulance.
The Premier Air Charter full fleet is listed ONLY in FlightList PRO.
San Diego-based King Air 200 operated by Premier Air Charter.
Premier Air Charter King Air 200 Interior – Refurbished 2015
San Diego King Air 200 interior seating floorplan layout
JFI Jets, a leader in private jet charter, aircraft management and maintenance, announced it has acquired ACP Jets, a respected private jet operator, according to a press release from both companies.
ACP Jets is a full-service private aviation company offering aircraft charter, management, maintenance, as well as aircraft acquisitions and consulting. ACP Jets holds an ARG/US Platinum safety rating and IS-BAO phase two certification. With offices in West Palm Beach, FL, the firm operates two Hawkers 800XP’s, a Citation X, four Gulfstream IV/SP/450’s and a part 145 maintenance repair station.
Complete fleet and operator details for both JFI Jets and ACP Jets are available in FlightList PRO.
The combined entity will immediately offer aircraft management, hangar space, charter and maintenance services in the nation’s three busiest private jet markets: New York Metro, Southern California and South Florida. Upon full FAA integration, it will operate and manage a combined fleet of 17 midsize and heavy jets available for charter.
“By merging these two industry-leading companies, we will be the only provider with facilities, aircraft, maintenance and sales offices in the top three U.S. markets for private aviation,” says JFI Jets CEO Robert Seidel. “I am proud our company will be led by two of the most respected and capable executives in the industry: JFI President David Rimmer and ACP co-founder and President Suran Wijayawardana, who will join us as chief operating officer. They will lead an extremely dedicated team of private aviation professionals.”
“This is a merger of two highly reputable firms with strong vision alignment and synergistic cultures that will offer our clients the highest standards of aviation services,” says Suran Wijayawardana. “It is a great honor to join Robert Seidel, David Rimmer, Sohail Ashraf and Damon Danneker on this incredible team, having worked closely with them on the NATA Air Charter Committee and other Industry boards for a number of years.”
Set Jet, the exclusive membership based, private jet charter program headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, announced today that it will be facilitating daily flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas.
“We are very excited to be offering our exclusive service to those who are looking for a hassle-free and better than first class travel experience between these entertainment, recreational and technology hubs,” said Trey Smith, President of Set Jet.
Set Jet will be facilitating daily flights on Bombardier Challenger 850 and CRJ200 aircraft which have been specially configured with 15 seat VIP interiors, for $99.95 per month and from $399 one-way (including taxes and fees).
MAC Aircraft Charter LLC/Maine Aviation is operating two Challenger 850 aircraft for Set Jet at this time, configured for 15 and 16 passengers.
Set Jet Challenger 850 operated by MAC Aircraft Charter
“We have experienced a high level of demand for these flights for some time and we believe these additional routes will complement our already established west coast service.” Smith added.
Set Jet Challenger 850 interior seating for 15 passengers.
Flights will also feature complimentary Wi-Fi, top shelf alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as premium snacks.
Set Jet facilitates this unique members-only based service from non-congested and conveniently located VIP private terminals, without the traditional inconveniences related to commercial air travel, such as advance notice for booking flights, price premiums for last minute travel, time allowance for driving to primary airports, check-in requirements, security delays and parking expenses.
More information about Set Jet including its founders is available on the company website.
Charter operator MAC Aircraft Charter’s details and fleet information are available in FlightList PRO.
Nearly 52 percent of current business jet users plan to fly the same amount over the next 12 months, while nearly 40 percent say they will fly a bit more (32 percent) or a lot more (7.9 percent), according to the just-released results of the Fifth Annual Readers’ Choice Survey from Business Jet Traveler. About half said they flew the same amount over the past year as during the year before, while 21.7 percent flew a bit more and 15 percent a bit less. Only 7.7 flew much less and 5.9 percent much more.
Not surprisingly, survey respondents said “saving time” was the number-one reason that they fly on business aircraft, followed by the ability to fly into airports not served by airlines and the ability to work and hold meetings in flight. Nearly 62 percent of their flights are mostly or almost always for business, while 28.1 percent were an even mix of personal and business flying. Less than 10 percent of flights were categorized as mostly or almost always personal.
According to the survey, the most attractive feature of an aircraft is economical operation, with range, cabin size, aircraft manufacturer and age of aircraft rounding out the top five; baggage space was at the bottom of the list. Respondents’ business aircraft wish list included the Pilatus PC-12 at the lower end and the Gulfstream G650 at the top end.
If you and seven friends can scrap together $40,000, getting to Cuba just got easier.
Private jet booking service Victor will begin offering direct private flights on Monday from 19 cities in the U.S. to Havana, Cuba. The company’s service allows users to enter a destination, see price quotes and then book a private flight.
Travel to Cuba for U.S. citizens is still limited as travelers have to be approved to visit under 12 visa categories. Victor has partnered with Cuba Educational Travel, which organizes travel to Cuba under educational visas, so that its fliers are approved to visit the country and have a set itinerary while there.
The trip involves a custom Cuban itinerary with cigars and rum
The itinerary could include cigar and rum tastings with country experts, riding in 1950s American cars and dinners with prominent cultural figures and historians, the company said. For a group of eight staying four nights, prices start at $40,000.
David Young, senior vice president at Victor, said the company is adding the service because of growing demand for travel to Cuba. “It’s the hottest travel destination,” said Young.
The U.S. has recently moved to normalize relations with Cuba after more than 50 years. Restrictions on trade and travel have been eased, and the U.S. Embassy in Havana reopened in August.
JetBlue JBLU, +1.79% offers weekly direct chartered flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy airport and said this week that it will add a second flight starting in December.
Victor acknowledges that the private flights aren’t cheap, and says it is aimed at a high net worth clientele. Many of the company’s members are involved in entertainment or sports, he said.
Being a member is free, and Victor has more than 40,000. The company takes a fee from each booking and partners with different jet operators. The company, which has raised $26 million in private equity, operates national and international flights with offices in London, New York and Santa Monica, Calif.
BlackJet Technology, Inc., the world’s largest private jet seat booking service, announced the expansion of its network to include service between White Plains, New York and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in response to heavy customer demand over the last several months.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) will have BlackJet seat service, commencing in November 15, 2015, with seat booking available as of October 7, 2015. Thousands of BlackJet members who have flown BlackJet’s service between New York (mostly Teterboro) and private jet facilities in South Florida, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, can now access private jet seats from HPN. The ability to book confirmed seats on private jets affordably and instantly via BlackJet’s proprietary technology, enables travelers to avoid the major airport hassles and the airline cattle-car experience. Today, customers in the New York / Westchester market gain another air travel option – BlackJet private jet seat service from White Plains (HPN) airport.
Service between Westchester County Airport and Fort Lauderdale Executive airport will commence with special pricing of just $1,250per seat. Interested parties can visit BlackJet.com and use the Invite Code HPN1000 in order to obtain this special offer. Seat availability is guaranteed and the annual membership (normally $5,000) is waived for members signing up to BlackJet’s “HPN Seasonal Plan”. This offer expires October 7, 2015.
“Our members in Westchester County have shown tremendous support since day-1, including driving to depart from Teterboro to access BlackJet service. We are very happy to provide greater convenience by adding HPN to the Blackjet service network. Adding guaranteed service from HPN is an important milestone in our development,” stated BlackJet CEO, Dean Rotchin.
Hawthorne Global Aviation Services today announced that ExcelAire, its private jet charter and management company, has hired a significant air charter veteran as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
“Keith’s dedication to his clients, passion for aviation and his strong track record of success make him a great addition to the ExcelAire team,” said Greg Brinkman, president of ExcelAire. “We are growing quickly and Keith’s appointment will help us continue to build on this momentum and growth in our private jet charter and aircraft management business.”
