Category Archives: Charter Broker Updates

ARGUS Announces Charter Operator Ratings Integration with SimpleCharters.com

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) is pleased to announce a new software integration with the online charter marketplace, SimpleCharters.com. ARGUS is now the exclusive operator ratings provider for the SimpleCharters.com online Charter Marketplace.

This integration allows SimpleCharters.com users to filter their searches to obtain ARGUS rated charter operators, and verify these operators’ legitimacy through a click-to-verify system.

“ARGUS wants to make sure that today’s web-based consumers have the ability to perform high level due-diligence while checking availability and price”, said ARGUS President and CEO, Joe Moeggenberg. “The internet’s ability to connect charter brokers, end consumers and suppliers in an efficient manner has become very important to the overall charter marketplace. ARGUS performs its own research on every website that seeks an integration with our ratings, and we were extremely impressed with how quickly and efficiently SimpleCharters.com allows users to perform their searches and book their trips.

“I couldn’t be more excited to introduce the only online platform that enables clients to book private flights, instantly,” said Charles Denault, Founder and CEO of SimpleCharters.com. “Integrating the ARGUS ratings into our platform was a high priority for us, as many of our customers only fly with ARGUS rated charter operators. We are thrilled to announce the completion of this integration and are very much looking forward to helping the charter marketplace evolve with quicker and easier transactions.”

Source: ARGUS Press Release

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28% Fourth Quarter Growth, 14% Annual Growth Announced by New Flight Charters

Nationwide Air Charter Services Company Jets Over Industry Growth Rate, Reports Increased Charter Demand and a Movement From Light Jets to Midsize Jet Charters.

(Marketwire) February 3, 2016, – New Flight Charters, a nationwide leader in private jet charter services since 2004, announced today a 14 percent increase in 2015 charter business over 2014. Fourth Quarter 2015 saw explosive growth in charter business, up 28 percent over the same period in 2014.

Jackson Hole Jet Charter

New Flight Charters at Jackson Hole Airport

Growth during the year was seen from an increased demand in repeat business, new business and a general move in demand from smaller aircraft to larger aircraft charters. Fourth Quarter saw a notable movement from light jets to midsize jet charters in particular, and December featured large increases in both the number of charters – up 28 percent, and average charter spend – up 18 percent, compared to December 2014.

New Flight Charters arranged over 1,400 flights in 2015.

2015 increases more than quadrupled industry trend numbers for the year; market analyst Argus reported a flight activity increase of 2.9 percent for 2015 across private aviation segments including charter and Part-91, and projects a similar size increase moving forward into 2016.

New Flight Charters attributes beating industry trends to several factors including its continuous flight-by-flight service level, and the company’s unique entrée to the full U.S. Part-135 aircraft market. Not restricted to a sourcing pool or marketing network as is common in the industry, the company can provide more availability and better pricing options, including 218 additional one-way priced aircraft nationwide, along with its Best Price Guarantee for every flight.

“The combination of our aircraft availability, our long term expert team and our service level is growing our repeat business,” said New Flight Charters president Rick Colson. “We continue to gain business from experienced charter fliers and jet card holders who try us, like the service, and come back. Without a large deposit or financial commitment to us up front, we have to earn every single charter. It keeps you on your toes, and not surprisingly our clients like that.” The company was top rated in a previous industry survey.

The one-of-a-kind air charter company features an acclaimed six-member charter service team with a cumulative 48 years in air charter, 49 years FAA-certified experience, 99 years executive management experience, 17,400 hours pilot-in-command, and includes private and commercial pilots and retired law enforcement.

About New Flight Charters

Since 2004 New Flight Charters has arranged private domestic and international flights with top-rated operator aircraft at leading jet charter quotes, along with its Best Price Guarantee, industry empty legs list, and a perfect safety history. Extensive client and industry reviews are available on the New Flight Charters website. As a registered U.S. government contractor, and named to the Inc. 500 fastest growing list four consecutive years, the jet charter company serves a wide variety of clientele including Fortune 500 companies, government heads of state, presidential campaigns, entertainment icons, private families and entrepreneurs.

For charter quotes, information or the latest updates, call (800) 732-1653 or visit NewFlightCharters.com nationwide or new specialty location Denver Jet Charter for Denver, Aspen and all Colorado private jet charters.

Source: Marketwire News Release

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Etihad Airways And Private Jet Charter Company Victor Announce Partnership

Etihad Airways has announced a new partnership with private jet charter broker Victor, to complement and promote its exclusive The Residence and First Apartment cabins, both available on the airline’s Airbus A380 fleet. The partnership also allows customers the ultimate convenience of chartering a seamless private aircraft connection to or from their international A380 flights.

Read full article with information and comments from Victor as well as Etihad Airways, online Albawaba Business.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways

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VolJet: Creating An Online Booking System For Private Jet Charters

The idea of creating a technology enabled marketplace is one of the biggest trends among startups today. However, how does that work for something like the highly fragmented, negotiation heavy business of charter jets? Los Angeles-based VolJet (www.voljet.com) is looking to solve that puzzle, with its online system for booking charter jets, just as you would a commercial flight. We caught up with CEO Susan Sloan to learn more.

Story by Benjamin F. Kuo, from Socaltech.com, 12/7/15

What is VolJet?

Susan Sloan: It’s very similar to a commercial, online booking system, like Expedia.com. It’s very user friendly, and will be a familiar experience to users. You go on to the site, put your city paris in, and you get back several results. You can also get commercial results for commercial bookings. We’re the only system for private jets, which also offers up commercial airline operations as well. Once you go in, you have several options, from taking a commercial airline, to chartering your own jet, joining another charter, and even opening up your own charter to share with others, if you don’t mind sharing with one or two other people.

Who are your customers?

Susan Sloan: The market segment that we are going after, is the market that pays full fare first class, but has never chartered a jet before. If you have ever tried to charter a jet, it’s a real hassle, and it’s very negotiation intensive. You never get a “buy now” price. All of our pricing is buy now, and the price you see is the price you pay, versus many of the extras you have to pay for when you charter your own jet normally. There’s no negotiation, no haggling, no back and forth. The current system is very labor intensive, in that you’ll call someone for a quote, and they call you back maybe 24 hours later, and you have to go back and forth several times. With our service, it’s very simple, you don’t have to self identify until you book a flight. You can go onto our site, cruise around the site, and only when you decide to book a trip do you have to put in your credit card information and name. It’s also non-membership, so you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to get access to information on the site or to book a flight.

What’s your background?

Susan Sloan: I’m a mechanical engineer, and have been in aerospace for 35 years as an executive. I’m also a private pilot. My other founder also is a private pilot. I had been flying private jets, and I realized they were going one leg of the flight back empty. That’s not good for the environment, it’s not goo for the jet, and it’s not good for the customer, or the industry. There are three of us, and my co-founder, Rabe, and I decide there has to be a business here. Plus, we thought it shouldn’t be so hard to charter a jet. That’s how we created this thing.

What areas can people book flights to?

Susan Sloan: It’s all of the U.S. We have our own database we’ve created of 921 airports, and we have created algorithms to make sure the right aircraft is being used for the right city pair and distance. Also, each of the airports have different runway lengths, and offer different services at those airports. Right now, we’re in the U.S. Only, but we’re looking at Europe for our next launch, probably by the end of next year.

The market for charter flights is very fragmented, and there are a lot of charter operators – how have they reacted to your service?

Susan Sloan: It’s been a great benefit to charter operators. Our idea is to be a win-win-win for all around. It’s got to be a win for the customer in terms of ease of booking and saving time, and we want to be a win for operators, by bringing them more revenue and filling more planes. It’s also a win for the industry. The aviation industry is a great industry, and we want to make sure it has a good growth trajectory. On our site, operators have their own portal. There’s both a customer portal, and an operator portal, where they can sign up. They don’t have to pay a membership. Those operators can see all of the groups requesting flights, and where they want to go, what their revenue will be with taxes and everything split out, and they can select a group and assign a plane. That approach is 180 degrees from everyone else. It’s on our tagline, we are bringing people to planes, rather than planes to people. We’re trying to get those empty legs filled. We have a patent pending on our system and methodology, which is definitely unique.

What’s the hardest part of making this business work?

Susan Sloan: It takes time. It takes time to actually get the system perfect and right, with all of that programming. We have several programmers on board who are working on that. It takes a lot of tenacity, you can’t give up. Obviously, we love this business, we love aviation, we love traveling, and we love flying. If we didn’t have that, we would have given up. It’s been a long road, but it’s pretty exciting as we’ve launched and are now getting good feedback.

Finally, what are the next steps for you?

Susan Sloan: Our next step, is to really ramp up the number of flights, and get the word out about VolJet.

Full article and interview in SoCalTech.com here.

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Regal Wings Announces New Private Jet Charter Division

Regal Wings Press Release 12/3/15
SOURCE Regal Wings

Since its inception over ten years ago, Regal Wings has earned a well-deserved reputation as an award winning luxury travel firm which specializes in first and business class ticketing, one satisfied client at a time. With our over the top customer service and the ability to access unpublished fares at the lowest possible prices, we have caught attention from A-list companies and high profile celebrities alike, as well as accolades from Inc. Magazine, Frommers, and Crain’s New York Business.

In our never ending quest to provide the highest possible level of service, we have launched an elite Private Jet Charter division which takes our legendary personal attention and unbeatable fares to new heights. As private aviation specialists we have secured relationships with major private jet operators in the United States, and our strong buying power gives us access to the quality fares that are not available anywhere else.

Regal Wings is proud to announce that we have joined forces for this launch with Steven Kramer who is the founder and CEO of Oceans Capital. Steven brings his boundless expertise of the private jet industry to our new business jets division, and under his watch we will bring an unparalleled experience. Our talented team will serve each client to ensure that every aspect of their journey whether it is domestic or international will meet the unsurpassed Regal standards, and that every jet carries the highest of safety ratings.

“We invite you to fly with our new private aviation team to have us take you to the loftiest of heights,” said Regal Wings CEO Eli Ostreicher. “We are completely confident that with our world class customer service and industry leading rates, that once you embark with us you will never journey with anybody else.”

SOURCE Regal Wings

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Click2Jet Launches Site for Booking Private Jet Charters

Click2Jet.com Platform Streamlines Operator Quoting Process, Eliminates Broker Mark-up; Gives Charter Users Direct Access to Best Priced Jet Charters

Click2Jet, a California web start-up that connects charter users directly with charter operators in the fast growing on-demand jet charter market segment, announced November 6 the rollout of service in its Los Angeles and San Francisco launch markets via this company press release.

Click2Jet contracts with charter operators to offer a lower-priced, real time search and booking alternative to quote-based broker mark-up models that have historically driven the charter market.

“We believe that Click2Jet represents a truly unique market offering in that we have eliminated the traditional middleman to the advantage of both charter users and charter operators,” said John Andruilli, Jr., Click2Jet Founder and Managing Partner. “We contract directly with premier charter operators, like Clay Lacy Aviation & Dreamline Aviation, to offer their aircraft at predetermined prices on the highest demand charter routes from our hub cities. Our operators upload pricing, inventory, and fleet information directly to our platform.”

Headquartered in Carpinteria, California. Click2Jet operator partners include Clay Lacy Aviation, Dreamline Aviation, Sun Air Jets, Global Exec Aviation, Paragon Airways, and MACAIR

Click2Jet.com provides immediate search results similar to traditional online travel sites, but in a departure from other web and app-based private charter companies, Click2Jet’s optimized search results represent the actual price for a specific aircraft flying a specific route from one of Click2Jet’s operator partners. Andruilli noted that many competitors generate quotes based on aggregated marketplace data as the basis for their search function. “The Click2Jet model is direct and transparent. We’re not accessing general data about the 7,000 jets parked around the world, creating quotes and then going back and forth trying to meet a members’ search request.”

Lower charter prices are the result of a more efficient operator quoting process and the absence of a broker mark up, said Andruilli. “At Click2Jet, we’ve developed the platform and partnerships to create a sustainable business that will help grow the on-demand segment with a direct, streamlined booking process providing charter users with more transparency and less frustration in their efforts to book private air charter.”

About Click2Jet

Headquartered in Carpinteria, California. Click2Jet operator partners include Clay Lacy Aviation, Dreamline Aviation, Sun Air Jets, Global Exec Aviation, Paragon Airways, and MACAIR. Expansion to charter hubs across the U.S. will follow the west coast rollout. Operator and investor inquiries are welcome. Please visit www.click2jet.com.

Press Release Nov. 6 2015, CARPINTERIA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)

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Charter Jet App Launches Houston-Dallas Flights

By Joe Martin, Reporter- Houston Business Journal, 11/3/15

A new private jet service based out of Florida is expanding its operations to Houston with a regular flight to and from Dallas.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based JetSmarter Inc. operates a global network of 3,200 aircraft in 170 countries. The company is focusing on the Dallas-to-Houston route because of the high volume of daily travelers between the cities, said CEO Sergey Petrossov.

Jetsmarter

Sergey Petrossov, CEO of JetSmarter Inc., which just launched a regular flight to and from Dallas.

JetSmarter charges an annual fee of $9,000 to be a member. From there, members get access to regularly scheduled shuttle flights from market to market, like the one from Houston to Dallas. In addition, if the regularly scheduled flights don’t work, members are able to create an entirely new flight — for the up-front cost of $1,900, which includes access to four guaranteed seats. Members do have the ability to charter an entire jet for themselves, as well.

The flight to Dallas departs from Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport on Tuesdays at 7 a.m., with a return flight to Houston at 8:30 a.m. On Thursdays, JetSmarter flies out of Hobby at 6 p.m., with a return flight at 7:30 p.m.

The service works through a smartphone app, where members can look at flight availability and create a new flight, entirely from their smartphone.

For now, the JetShuttle flights from Houston only fly to Dallas, but sometime in 2016, the company expects to have more flights to and from other Texas destinations as well as outside the state, Petrossov said.

“Consumers hate travel because of the airport experience. It’s not fun like the golden age,” Petrossov said. “What we’re trying to do is bring aviation back to the elevated experience where it’s fun and exciting.”

In July, Dallas-based Rise announced daily flights to and from Dallas, as well.

Article at Houston Business Journal

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Blue Star Jets Enters Partnership with Luxury New York Development

By Kristin Tablang , Forbes staff

111 Murray Street is now on the rise in Manhattan’s Tribeca.

111 Murray Street is now on the rise in Manhattan’s Tribeca.

The sculptural tower now underway at 111 Murray Street might be planned to top off at 792 feet—but for the high-end building’s soon-to-be residents, the sky’s the limit.

Pioneering the next generation of luxury living, the project’s developers—Fisher Brothers, Witkoff, and New Valley—have entered a first-of-its-kind partnership with Blue Star Jets, offering tenants of the up-and-coming development exclusive access to private aircraft, car services, and hotels across the globe courtesy of Blue Star’s 25 Hour Sky Card program.

Residents of the development will receive 10-20% discounts on jet memberships

The newfangled amenity will allow residents to book custom travel arrangements within as few as four hours no matter the reason or desired destination—whether it be a spontaneous holiday in the Hamptons, or business trip to Shanghai. A single call to the building’s concierge will put residents in direct contact with a personal flight director, to whom they may relay bespoke travel plans (including any personal food, beverage, and in-flight entertainment requests).

Private Jet Charter New York

111 Murray Street residents will be able to book travel arrangements at the touch of a button, courtesy of Blue Star Jets.

“We have made it our mission to provide the residents of 111 Murray Street with thoughtful, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind amenities, and our strategic partnership is the result of a very deep understanding of our clients’ personal and professional needs,” says Fisher Brothers partner Winston Fisher, who notes that buyers—many of whom own second and third homes all over the world—frequently depend on air travel for both business and pleasure.

Sky Card holders will benefit from lower rates at resorts and villas all over the globe

“Blue Star Jets offers a truly unique and comprehensive menu of services that cater to our very discerning buyers,” says Steve Witkoff, chairman and CEO of Witkoff. “Its worldwide access to fleets of private jets and helicopters is on-par with the level of luxury we are providing at 111 Murray Street.” Indeed, the New York-based company boasts access to over 5,000 aircraft worldwide, from a Eurocopter capable of transporting up to six passengers, to an A380 jumbo jet fit to accommodate over 50.

Residents of the development will receive a 10% discount on Blue Star’s light and medium jet memberships (which normally cost $125,000 and $188,000, respectively), and 20% off super-medium and heavy jet memberships (which typically cost $300,000). Astar helicopter memberships will also be available for $30,000.

Gulfstream 550 charter

For 25 hours, 111 Murray Street residents can charter the Gulfstream 550, one of Blue Star’s heavy jets, for $250,000.

In addition, denizen Sky Card holders will benefit from lower rates at resorts and villas all over the globe, including the Fisher Island Club, One&Only Resorts, and Quasar Expeditions. Preferred pricing will also apply to auto and yacht services via Denison Yacht Sales, Gotham Dream Cars, Northrop & Johnson, and International Yachtsman (to name a few).

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Fisher family, Steve Witkoff, and Howard Lorber, whose commitment to building the best in luxury residential development is unparalleled,” says Todd Rome, founder and CEO of Blue Star Jets. “111 Murray Street will be the premier downtown address, and we are honored to be part of this exciting new project.”

Nestled in Manhattan’s Tribeca, the pending residential skyscraper—which broke ground in July—is the joint masterpiece of four of the most renowned names in the architectural realm: Kohn Pedersen Fox, who drafted the 64-floor structure’s distinct flared physique; MR Architecture + Decor founder David Mann, who designed the residences’ modern interiors; Edmund Hollander, who developed the landscape plaza and resident garden; and David Rockwell, who conceptualized the building’s 20,000 square feet of luxury amenity spaces (which include a tearoom, patisserie, Turkish bath, and fitness center with a 75-foot lap pool).

Since sales launched last June, over 50% of the building’s 157 condominiums—spanning one- to five-bedrooms—have already been sold, with the 10 units presently available for purchase ranging from a 791-square-foot one-bedroom home on the eighth floor asking $2.025 million, to a 3,366-square-foot four-bedroom spread on the 54th floor listed at $15.15 million. Yet to be offered are the tower’s two full-floor penthouses, which will each be priced north of $17.5 million.

View article at Forbes.com

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Q&A with CEO of PrivateFly, Adam Twidell

By Jennifer Agress, Haute Living

Adam Twidell, CEO of the UK-based PrivateFly

Adam Twidell, CEO of the UK-based PrivateFly

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?”

courtesy Haute Living

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Charter Broker Eljet Wins Leading Jet Charter For Third Year

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.

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Magellan Announces New Corporate Membership Jet Card

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.

courtesy AIN Online, Charles Alcock

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Magellan Launches New Corporate Membership Jet Card

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.

courtesy AIN Online

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Startup Set Jet Announces Daily West Coast Flights

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

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

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.

Source: Set Jet press release

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Getting to Cuba for $40,000 on a private jet

By Caitlin Huston, Marketwatch

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.

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BlackJet Adds White Plains, NY to Private Jet Seat Service Network

Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —

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.

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Private Jet Services Acquires Charter Broker Arise Air, Joins Forces

Private Jet Services (PJS), a private aviation consulting and charter brokerage firm, announces a new strategic partnership with charter broker Arise Air, according to a company press release.

Bryan Ellis, President of Arise Air, will act as the new Director of Executive Aircraft Operations for PJS and Arise Air employees will work out of the PJS corporate headquarters in New Hampshire.

Bryan Ellis - photo LinkedIn

Bryan Ellis – photo Linkedin

In this role, Ellis will oversee all executive jet vendor relationships and sourcing for PJS. Arise Air customers will have the opportunity to work with PJS’ experienced Flight Concierge department and have access to aircraft ranging from light executive jets to VIP configured airliners.

Ellis founded Arise Air in 2005 after helping two of the larger private charter brokerages in the country gain traction in the market place. For 10 years Ellis has served Arise Air clients with innovative programs such as Arise Air’s Boutique Level Jet Membership program and with a commitment to sourcing the safest aircraft available on the market.

According to Ellis, “I am thrilled to join PJS. They have been a leader in the private aviation space for quite some time and I am looking forward to introducing my Arise Air clients to the unmatched customer service PJS provides. My goal as Director of Executive Jet Operations will be to ensure that both Arise Air and PJS customers have unrivaled access to the newest and safest jets available for charter.”

Private Jet Services CEO Graig Raiff

Private Jet Services CEO Greg Raiff – photo PJS

Founder and CEO of PJS, Greg Raiff, said, “Bryan’s expertise will help PJS maintain its competitive edge and continue to provide an unbeatable customer experience. We are excited for him to join our team and look forward to working with Arise Air’s clients for years to come.”

In 2013, PJS secured a $10 million line of credit with RBS Citizens bank for the purpose of acquiring complementary organizations in the private aviation space and forming strategic partnerships. Regarding the line of credit, Raiff said, “the substantial funding by RBS Citizens provides the unique opportunity to work with many companies, including Arise Air, that do a fantastic job in our industry, and we are looking forward to partnering with the best of them.”

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RayJet Acquires Charter Broker FlyBlackJet.com

Caribbean-based ReyJet acquires private jet charter broker FlyBlackJet.com, according to a 9/21/15 ReyJet press release.

In a move to secure a foothold in the US private jet charter market, Dutch Caribbean St. Maarten-based ReyJet, has completed an agreement with the site operator of the privately-held FlyBlackJet.com to take over the website’s operations for an undisclosed amount. The website’s operation will be completely assimilated into the ReyJet website at www.reyjet.com.

ReyJet is a service of the St. Maarten-based virtual airline operator, AirStMaarten, owned and operated by Terrance Rey. AirStMaarten, which specializes in organizing shared charters in and out of St. Maarten to Caribbean islands such as St. Barths, Anguilla, Tortola, Virgin Gorda and St. Vincent & The Grenadines, has spun off its private jet charter operations under the brand name “ReyJet.com”. With this month’s acquisition of FlyBlackJet.com, the group of travel companies owned by Terrance Rey, expect to expand its operations into the continental USA market, according to the release.

Commenting on the acquisition, Terrance Rey said, “ReyJet will leverage the FlyBlackJet.com’s internet marketing infrastructure and operators network in the US market to deliver even greater service and quality to its discerning Caribbean-bound private jet clients. We look forward to seeing the benefits this acquisition will bring to the private charter clients of both AirStMaarten and ReyJet.”

AirStMaarten arranges inter-island private charter connections throughout the Caribbean, especially between the destinations of St. Maarten, St. Barths and Anguilla. According to it’s release, the goal of ReyJet is to create awareness among the AirStMaarten clientele to garner significant market share in the private jet charter business from the mainland of the United States to the Caribbean utilizing the ReyJet.com brand, the press release states.

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Stratajet Set to Launch Online Charter Booking Engine

Online charter booking engine Stratajet is set to roll out its service to private aviation consumers on September 28. The UK-based company, which claims to offer the only real-time online booking engine for charter flights, has established a database of up to 500 available aircraft for which its software will generate live pricing information.

In a project called Operation Long Reach, Stratajet spent April through August visiting 50 charter operators and FBOs in 30 cities across 14 European countries to promote its technology. The main aim was to persuade operators to link their operations software with the Stratajet system and so make aircraft available for direct booking by customers.

Participating operators are eligible to use the company’s Stratafleet software, which uses the Stratajet search engine to generate flight quotes and more efficiently sell their available capacity. Its also offers the StrataFBO software to allow FBOs to interface with the main website.

Stratajet is now setting up meetings with operators in the U.S., Middle East and Russia to expand its database of available aircraft. The company also has just appointed David Lee as its chief financial officer. Lee has more than a decade of experience in developing Internet businesses and was recently named by the Institute of Chartered Accountants as Finance Director of the Year.

Stratajet Charter booking

The Stratajet team includes (left to right): Olivia Scarlett, head of marketing, Mike Gadd, head of operator and FBO relations, Cecilie Øyäs, co-pilot and operator and FBO liaison and Jonny Nicol, CEO.

“Following an exhausting few months, flying around Europe in our Chieftain aircraft, it is very rewarding to be able to confirm that we have hit our targets in relation to the number and range of aircraft available on the Stratajet platform,” commented CEO Jonny Nicol. “The positive response we received throughout the campaign has proven what we knew all along: the industry needs technological development in order to grow. I think one of our greatest achievements is that we gained the understanding from the operators that other companies, claiming to do what Stratajet does, are simply not delivering.”

Stratajet has been in development for the past four years while Nicol and his team refined the algorithm that he says delivers the charter industry’s only 100-percent accurate, real-time charter booking system for consumers. Essentially, the system is intended to calculate the true cost of a so-called “partial empty leg” by working out the net difference in cost of the requested new trip and any empty leg involved.

“This means that the consumer pays less and the operator makes a greater profit margin,” Nicol told AIN. Stratajet employs a research team to ensure that the system includes up-to-date information on all relevant costs, such as airport landing and parking fees. Customers pay a 5 percent commission on the price of flights booked either online or by phone.

Article by Charles Alcock, courtesy AIN

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Air Charter Broker Launches New Jet Card Concept

Florida based charter brokerage, Airstream Jets, announced a new jet card concept with the launch of its Distance Card, with pricing based on distance flown rather than hours, according to a company press release.

“The Distance Card pricing model is revolutionary for its simplicity and flexibility. There is nothing else like it on the market. All other jet cards offer only the hour-based pricing model in some form or another. The level of flexibility and cost transparency the Distance Card provides is unprecedented” said Airstream Jets CEO, Pete Maestrales.

Each trip is billed according to distance traveled using a formula (Total Miles Flown x Price Per Mile = Total Cost) based on a tiered price per mile system where mileage rates decrease as travel distance increases. Customers may move between aircraft categories and choose the most appropriate aircraft size for their travel on a trip-by-trip basis.

Mileage rates start at $7 per mile for small jets and with packages starting at $25,000.

Source: press release

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Private Jet Services Group Named to 2015 Inc. 5000

Private Jet Services (PJS), a worldwide aviation consulting firm, has been named one of the nation’s fastest growing companies on the Inc. 5000 list for 2015, according to a release by the company.

PJS, now in it’s 12th year, achieved 136% overall revenue growth over the recent 3-year period 2012-2014, and ranks #2,688 of 5,000 on this year’s list. A repeat appearance, PJS achieved #2,410 on the 2014 list.

“It is an honor to be recognized among the fastest-growing companies in the country. This type of recognition really validates our success in meeting the evolving aviation needs of our expanding client base,” said PJS Founder and CEO Greg Raiff in the statement. “To have appeared two years in a row speaks volumes about our exceptional repeat client rate.”

Based in Seabrook, NH, Private Jet Services Group clients include Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, collegiate sports teams, the world’s biggest bands, private fliers and government workers. PJS offers fully tailored, on-demand aviation solutions to its clients. Founded in 2003 by Greg Raiff, PJS procures on behalf of those clients both VIP and standard configured airliners, regional aircraft, as well as light, midsize, and large cabin executive jets.

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