Charter Broker Updates

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

“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

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

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.

Update: Private Air is no longer operating - has ceased business.  Suggested is the 14-year charter powerhouse New Flight Charters with their best-price-guarantee for any flight, and largest aircraft selection and pricing options.

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All-you-can-fly between Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa/Clearwater/St Petersburg for a monthly fee of $950 is now offered by new Miami, FL-based company Private Air.  According to a company press release, flights will start in October and Private Air is accepting membership applications from those in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa/Clearwater/St Petersburg areas. Private Air is also launching a Florida-New York all-you-can-fly membership program for $9,900/month, between Miami/Ft Lauderdale and Teterboro NJ, using Hawker 400XP aircraft according to the company website.[website is down] Stephane Hoinville, President of Private Air, is a 25-year aviation veteran with experience as an executive jet and commercial jet pilot for South Florida executive and airline operators until he co-founded a successful Miami based aviation company 19 years ago as part-owner and president. "We are truly excited to bring to South Florida a really unique experience which is going to revolutionize air travel in our state. We are pleased to offer our members access to the world of executive aviation with its efficiency and convenience at a fraction of its normal cost and for a cost much lower than using airlines," said Hoinville.  "Members can fly as much as they can between the areas of Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Tampa/Clearwater/St Petersburg and will also be able to fly unlimited to other areas in Florida once they are added for the same low monthly fee covering all areas.  Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Palm Beach are some of the areas we plan to add in the near future." Florida and New York flights are provided by FAA Part 135 certified Air Carriers selected by Private Air.

Air Partner plc, the air charter brokerage and global aviation services group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Baines Simmons Limited, a world leading Aviation Safety Consultant for a total net cash consideration of up to £6.0 million.

Founded in 2001, Baines Simmons is a trusted consultant and adviser to more than 750 aviation organizations and more than 40 aviation authorities and has helped develop the skills and expertise of more than 120,000 aviation professionals. The business has grown to be recognized as a leading authority in Aviation Safety Consultancy, specializing in aviation regulation, compliance and safety management, advising clients across civil and military markets such as KLM, SAS, Thomas Cook, Thomson, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, The Isle of Man Government, BAE Systems, MoD, Rolls Royce, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Airbus, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Military Aviation Authority (MAA). The reputation of the Baines Simmons brand and the expertise of its employees within the aviation sector are key elements which should enable the business to help shape the evolving safety requirements in the industry and in particular, the sub-sectors of aviation regulation, compliance and safety management performance. Baines Simmons will provide Air Partner with the opportunity to extend the Group's service and product capabilities which will complement and enhance its existing brokering business. The acquisition reiterates Air Partner’s commitment to maintaining the highest possible standards in aviation safety.   Baines Simmons brings with it an unrivaled client list built on a solid foundation of expertise coupled with a strong and credible industry reputation. Mark Briffa, Chief Executive of Air Partner, said: "The acquisition of Baines Simmons is an exciting step for Air Partner. We look forward to working with the team at Baines Simmons on a range of strategic and complimentary growth opportunities from new regulatory changes, busier skies, greater organisational complexities, geographic expansion and new performance products and services." Following acquisition, Baines Simmons will continue to be managed by its current executive team led by Managing Director, Andrew Parker and founders, Keven Baines and Bob Simmons.

Skyjet, an air charter broker and holding of Directional Aviation, announced the release of the Skyjet app for iPhone. The app is the first of its kind in the private jet charter industry to integrate with Apple Pay, allowing users to book a private jet with a touch of the finger.

“We’re extremely proud to see Apple Pay take flight with the Skyjet mobile app, which creates an unparalleled booking experience for travelers that’s faster, safer and more efficient than traditional charter booking.”

Skyjet brings a seamless booking experience and provides users with an intelligent MPR (Market Price Range) tool for real-time price estimates. Within seconds of entering a user’s desired trip itinerary into the app, price estimates are displayed on-screen based on current market pricing and what other clients recently paid for their trips. Users also have direct access to aircraft specs, a detailed trip itinerary and instant access to a Skyjet dedicated aviation expert.

“The Skyjet mobile app bridges our 18 years of industry experience, smart technology and exceptional service to make the process of booking private jets as smooth as possible,” said Skyjet’s President Greg Richman. “We’re extremely proud to see Apple Pay take flight with the Skyjet mobile app, which creates an unparalleled booking experience for travelers that’s faster, safer and more efficient than traditional charter booking.” Security and privacy is at the core of Apple Pay. When you add a credit or debit card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on your iPhone, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on your iPhone, and each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code. To celebrate the launch of the mobile app, Skyjet is offereing the first 50 new clients to book a trip with the Skyjet app an Apple Watch Sport* or iPad Air.

JetHub, a private jet charter broker based in Scottsdale, AZ, has launched the JetHub Members Only program, according to a JetHub press release.  The program is based on annual dues from its members, and then offers lower hourly rates on private jet charter.  Individuals, families and corporations can join the program without a long-term commitment or a large outlay of cash, according to the release.

Individual and family annual memberships are $10,000 and corporation memberships are $25,000.

The JetHub Members Only program features unlimited flight hours during the term of membership.  Members can also fly on any size aircraft at any time with no black-out dates.  The program is good for any routing or destination in the Continental U.S.

“We wanted to develop a program that provides all of the best features of traditional industry programs,” said Kevin Lippert, President of JetHub, “without the large upfront cash commitment, without flight hour restrictions and without limiting the type of aircraft our members utilize. The JetHub Members Only program has some of the lowest hourly rates and our members find the unlimited flight hours to be invaluable,” concluded Lippert.