Texas Aviation Start-Up Rise Adds Crowd Sourcing of Private Flights

By Mary Grady, Robb Report, May 10, 2016AdTech Ad

The private-flight service Rise, based in Dallas and launched last year, does not own any airplanes but has created a system to help travelers “crowd source” a charter flight aboard eight-seat Beechcraft King Air 350 twin turboprops.

A Rise Beechcraft King Air 350

With Rise, users pay a $750 deposit and a monthly fee starting at $1,650 for unlimited flights between five Texas cities. The flights are reserved online and scheduled on demand. Multiple users filling up the empty seats on the private plane effectively crowd source each trip and lower the cost compared to a traditional whole-aircraft charter. The company estimates that each private flight saves a traveler 3 hours round-trip compared to commercial flying or driving. Passengers board minutes before takeoff at general-aviation terminals equipped with free Wi-Fi, snacks, a comfortable lobby, free parking, and a bespoke concierge—saving time and energy compared to the main passenger terminals.

8-passenger interior of Rise’s Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft

To date, Rise operates 60 flights per week between the Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Midland airports, but the company says they will expand to six more cities, in Texas and beyond, this year. The company also recently added a new feature, Rise Anywhere, that enables members to crowd source a flight to select destinations including New Orleans, Aspen, and Telluride.

Rise partners with charter flight companies to ensure members will have access to planes, pilots and flights.  The Rise-branded King Air is operated by Monarch Air, a Part 135 charter operator based at Dallas’ Addison Airport.

Source: Article in Robb Report online

Other Charter Alerts about Rise:
All-You-Can-Fly ‘Rise’ Startup Nearly Doubles Texas Flights – Expands Cities
Texas’ All-you-can fly Rise Adds More to Fly
Private Jet Membership Set To Take Off In 2016

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Charter Operators Say Business Booming: “This is a tremendous time to be in aviation”

Tradewind Aviation

Tradewind Aviation

– A chorus of charter executives in the private aviation industry say business is booming due to several factors –  “This is a tremendous time to be in aviation,” according to Cory Rossi, who, with his wife, Shari, owns Eagle Air, a charter operator based at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains.

By Dave Donelson, Westchester Magazine, 5/10/16

“It’s a very large business in this area,” says Linda Schiavone, charter sales manager for White Cloud Charter, which is also based at HPN. “Just think about the number of major corporations and wealthy individuals; this is the area for it.” According to Rossi, HPN is the third-busiest airport in the country in terms of non-airline flights. Only Teterboro Airport in New Jersey and Van Nuys Airport in California boast more private traffic.

According to the FAA, there were about 125,000 charter, air taxi, and private flights at HPN in 2014, which represented 82 percent of the total takeoffs and landings there. What’s more, they carried more passengers than did the scheduled airlines.

It’s not hard to see why private aviation is growing in popularity: Anyone who suffers the agitation of flying commercial from LaGuardia Airport (LGA)—which Vice President Joseph Biden once described as reminiscent of something in a Third World country—could attest to that. Much the same holds true for JFK and Newark. “The all-day hassle with a two-hour flight in-between is becoming more and more common,” Rossi points out. “Our clientele recognizes this and says: ‘First class isn’t at the level it once was.’”

Eagle’s customers, like those of other charter companies we spoke with, experience something entirely different. Rossi describes the charter experience like this: “Let’s say you live within a 20-minute drive to Westchester airport. Your car drives right on the tarmac to the aircraft; the red carpet is rolled out; your catering is on board; and you have WiFi on the plane. The ground crew will handle your bags and park your car, and the plane will depart within 10 minutes of boarding. At your destination, you will have the same experience on the ground.” Sure, it costs more, but what is your time and comfort worth?

The private-aviation business isn’t monolithic. Some companies, like White Cloud, charter only their own planes, which are also at the (occasional) call of the company’s corporate parent, Conair Corporation. Others, like Aircraft Services Group, operate and manage planes owned by others, providing everything from crews to maintenance, as well as charter service for the aircraft, much like a vacation-home owner who rents out a condo when they’re not using it. Eagle Air does both, as does Tradewind Aviation, which is based in Oxford, Connecticut, but offers flights from HPN.

Eagle Air

Then, there are strictly private planes owned by individuals and corporations for their own use. They, along with the charter operators, support another big part of the business, fixed-base operators. FBOs, as they are known, provide hangars, fuel, and on-site maintenance, as well as ground amenities like passenger lobbies, parking, and rental cars, to planes going and coming through the airport. HPN has five FBO facilities.

Tradewind, meanwhile, serves yet another part of the market. “We’re best known for our Nantucket shuttle,” explains Tradewind president Eric Zipkin. “It is a shared charter, where people buy individual seats on the flights.” The service started with Friday-through-Sunday flights only but has grown to seven days a week. They fly a similar service to Boston and Martha’s Vineyard. The scheduled service is a good business on its own, Zipkin says, but it also serves another purpose: “Our shuttle service is a good marketing concept because people learn about us, then come back and charter individual flights.”

Tradewind operates 18 aircraft, up from 12 just two years ago. The company owns 11 planes, with the balance owned by others. “Our business was up almost 30 percent in 2015, and it’s full steam ahead for this year,” Zipkin says. “Margins in this business run the gamut. Boutique aircraft management companies like ours are in the 20- to 30-percent range. It’s also a high-risk business: If you lose management of an aircraft or two, there goes your profit.”

White Plains-based Wings Air Helicopters represents yet another variety of local private aviation: helicopter service. Wings’ president, Javier Diaz, says his five helicopters serve three distinct markets, including personal travel. “We do up to seven flights a day to the Hamptons,” he says, adding that Saratoga Springs and other locations upstate are popular, too. “We also have a strong business with the Atlantic City casinos, as well as Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.”

Business travelers take advantage of the versatility and convenience of helicopter service, especially out of Manhattan. “If you want to fly from NYC to Pittsburgh,” Diaz points out, “all you have to do is go to one of the heliports, and you’ll be in the air 90 minutes before you could even get on an airplane from LGA.” About 65 percent of his passengers fly from one of the three heliports in Manhattan. Then there is the aerial-movie-and-photography business, which is so good, Diaz is a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

“As people become busier and wealthier,” Diaz says, “their time becomes more valuable. They need to get to places ‘now,’ and that’s why the demand [for private aviation] is good. The demand will be there for the foreseeable future.”

Speaking of the future, does it hold tailwinds or headwinds for the private-aviation industry? Not surprisingly, regulation and technology may well be the determining factors. Google “air charter Westchester,” and you’ll get about 154,000 results. Almost all of them are for charter brokers—unregulated companies that don’t own, fly, or manage planes and may not even have an office. Brokers aren’t new, but their numbers mushroomed as instant worldwide communication enabled anyone with a cell phone and email address to open shop. Good ones, who can be reached 24/7 and have strong relationships with the charter companies, add value to the experience for both their customers and the airplane owners—but it pays to shop around.

A wave of new private-air-service concepts is rising along with demand in the market. As with anything new, some succeed and others don’t. Beacon Air debuted a Netflix-like subscription service in which passengers paid a flat monthly fee for unlimited flights from HPN to Boston last year, but it has already ceased operations.

ImagineAir, headquartered in Atlanta, started service in 2007 and entered the Westchester market two years ago. Its concept? On-demand private jet service at sharply reduced rates. Its service is aimed at business travelers who might be tempted to drive to their destinations. “We basically turn a three- to eight-hour drive into a one- to two-hour flight,” says President and CEO Ben Hamilton, who adds, “Our average price point is around $1,200, whereas a private jet might be $7,500.”

ImagineAir is able to offer the service because they fly a fleet of Cirrus SR22s, a three-passenger craft that’s very efficient, Hamilton explains. “We do mostly business trips, and the majority of them are three people or fewer. We have enough scale in our fleet of 11 aircraft to mix and match flights and fill dead legs, passing those savings on to the customer.” The company also handles bookings online rather than through a call center and, like a scheduled airline, uses demand-pricing models. “Our average customer books about four days in advance. You can book the same day if it’s available, but the price gets a little more expensive as the time gets closer,” Hamilton explains.

Any number of companies have been hailed as the “Uber of private aviation,” although none have (or probably will) been able to get past the FAA prohibition against selling seats in personal planes flown by amateur pilots. The safety requirements that charter operators have to meet are a major factor. That’s not to say there aren’t companies getting closer. “There are companies who have partnered to market empty seats,” White Cloud’s Schiavone points out. “If you’re in Chicago and want to get back to White Plains, there’s an app for that now. If there’s an aircraft flying empty on a leg, it just makes sense.”

Blue Star Jets, a NYC-based jet broker, recently launched an app that includes 24/7 personal telephone contact, to follow-up on the booking you make on your smartphone. Their business is designed to fill the 30 percent of business aircraft they estimate fly empty to or from their charter destination. The company claims that within four hours of booking a flight, you’ll be in the air.

Still, the industry does face some headwinds. “The uncertainty of the regulatory environment is a long-term obstacle,” Zipkin explains. Potential changes in security procedures, for example, could put a crimp in the private-aircraft experience. “We have internal security, but not the stand-in-line, take-your-shoes-off type of thing,” he says.

Another problem area is a shortage of pilots, according to Zipkin. “The FAA changed the rules for airline requirements for copilots, and that has had a ripple effect throughout the industry,” he says. “We used to pay twice what an entry-level airline pilot would make, because we wanted to attract the best candidates. The airline had trouble filling those seats, so they started raising their pay, which has set off a sort of race.”

Rossi adds one more industry-wide threat: budget constraints on air-traffic control. “The federal government has threatened to shut down operations at a number of small airports around the country,” he says. The ability of private-flight passengers to land at small airports, like Hilton Head Island Airport instead of Savannah International, is a big attraction for the business. “I’d hate to see that becoming a limiting factor on growth of the industry,” Rossi notes.

Overall, however, the private-aviation business in Westchester is strong. As Zipkin says, “The challenges we face are those faced by any business that’s growing. Our product has been very well received, and the market is growing here, so it’s onward and upward.”

Source:  Article in Westchester Magazine online

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“Top 150 Empty Legs” Nationwide Listed by New Flight Charters

Source:  Company Press Release

All types of empty leg charters –  business turboprops through long range jets – available throughout the U.S.

New Flight Charters announced today that it is making available over 150 jet charter empty legs focused on the top private jet destinations nationwide.

These empty legs are available across the country, and are created when an aircraft needs to move for one reason or another, such as to pick up its owner, or returning home from a factory servicing, or returning to base after a charter flight.

This need to move the aircraft can result in low point-to-point pricing, and can be the absolute best values in private jet charter.

For example, a typical empty leg can be booked at around 50% the cost of a regular jet charter.

Currently, a Los Angeles to Las Vegas empty leg in a Beechjet 400A seating 8, lists at $2,900. While, a normal charter rate for this routing is around $6,000.

Click to view the complete list of available empty legs.

“The most common misperception is that empty legs are available between only those cities or airports listed,” said Rick Colson, President of New Flight Charters.

“Empty legs are usually listed as between two certain airports or cities because this is actually the departing and arrival points the aircraft is going, “he added.

“However, a charter can be flown anywhere along that very general route and direction. For example with a empty leg listed from Scottsdale, AZ to Philadelphia, PA, the aircraft can fly a charter from Los Angeles to New York at a discounted one-way price,” said Colson.

One-way charters may have a special cancellation clause because of their price advantage and their need to arrive at the other end.

The aircraft may have a charter booked after the current one-way, which is dependent on it being in that vicinity.

At any given time, hundreds of empty legs are scheduled in the jet charter industry.  New Flight Charters has culled them to 150 of the most popular destinations.  Any other destinations and routings can be searched by request.

Generally speaking floating fleet aircraft have a standard cancellation policy and true empty leg charters are non-cancelable upon booking.

Visit the nationwide empty legs list at NewFlightCharters.com or the specialty location Denver Jet Charter or Colorado Empty Legs for Denver, Aspen and other Colorado private jet charters.

Source:  Company press release

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Broker and Membership Company BlackJet “Abruptly” Ceasing Operations

 

Fortune.com May 5, 2016:

BlackJet, an on-demand private jet service created by Uber co-founder and chairman Garrett Camp, yesterday informed members that it is “abruptly” ceasing operations.

The Florida-based company was launched in 2012, with the financial backing of venture capital firms (including First Round Capital and CrunchFund), tech executives (including Mark Benioff and Matt Mullenweg) and celebrities (including Ashton Kutcher, Jay-Z, and Will Smith).

The idea was basically to be Uber for the jet-set, eventually settling into a membership model whereby people paid an annual fee in exchange for access to a network of private jets on which they could book seats. But there were numerous hiccups (including layoffs and a prior service suspension), largely due to capital constraints that seem to have persisted. During the reorganization, Camp was among those who moved on (and gave up his investment).

In fact, TechCrunch inaccurately reported last month that the company had shut down, an incident that BlackJet CEO Dean Rotchin appears to have cited among the reasons for today’s decision (the story was later updated with a correction). A bigger one, however, was financing.

“We probably did more with less than anyone but it’s a critical mass business… There’s a reason why ‘critical’ is part of ‘critical mass,’” Rotchin tells Fortune. “The members were super supportive, the VCs wanted to see our progress continue over a longer period prior to jumping in. There are some aggressive interesting models out there today, someone will make this work.”

Below is Rotchin’s full email to members:

Dear Member:

It is with great regret and personal disappointment that I need to report the following.
Recent events have resulted in abruptly ceasing BlackJet operations.

In the last few days, there was some inaccurate bad press that stunted membership sales, a critical team member stepped down unexpectedly, near-term and longer term financing opportunities were delayed, and it became impossible to continue.

I personally appreciate the amazing support from most of our members. Perhaps I did not do a good enough job of reinforcing the fact that the membership was the key to the ability to deliver the service. Some members were so supportive, and I feel it is important to highlight this aspect because it became evident how most members tried to be as helpful, flexible and cooperative as possible. This was and is very much appreciated.

We are widely considered the pioneers in this field, and we know someone will leverage our learning and crack the code for making the private airfields and private jet fleet affordable and accessible as a part of the US transportation system. Your vision and involvement as early adopters helped to progress this ideal closer to fruition.

Please accept my thanks for your support, and also my sincere apologies for the inconvenience and disappointment this causes.

Sincerely,
Dean

Source:  Fortune online article May 5, 2016

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Exclusive Charter Launches Fixed-Rate Flights to Cuba

Exclusive Charter Service is introducing special fixed-rate charters from various U.S. airports into the country’s main gateway, José Martí International Airport, according to a release from the company.

Flights in one of the company’s seven-passenger Piaggio Avanti II twin turboprops from Palm Beach International will be priced at $9,000 each way, or $10,000 from Fort Lauderdale or Miami and $11,000 from Orlando.

In a Hawker 800XP, the Palm Beach rate is $10,500, rising to $13,500 from Fort Lauderdale or Miami and $15,500 from Orlando.  The same aircraft charter from New York’s JFK International Airport is priced at $19,500.

Exclusive’s clearance to operate into Cuba extends to 17 other airports in Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Key West, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Fort Myers, Tampa and Washington. It can also offer another 10 different aircraft types, including the Gulfstream G650.

Cuba flights are operated by Custom Jet Charters, LLC.

Meanwhile, the Florida-based company recently launched a membership program called Aero Club. With an annual membership fee, members receive fixed point-to-point flight-hour pricing for various categories of aircraft.

Source:  AIN Online

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Announcing New California Jet Charter Operator (listed only in FlightList PRO)

JetsPlusAvailable only in FlightList PRO, charter operator JetsPlus flies their Citation light and midsize jets from their base at KFAT Fresno, CA, within easy positioning of the San Francisco Bay Area (132 NM), and Los Angeles (165 NM).  The aircraft are operated under FAA Part-135 certificate CVDA043D.

JetsPlus also operates for charter a Cessna 182 Skylane single engin piston based at Fresno Yosemite Int’l Airport.

JetsPlus is listed and available only in FlightList PRO.  Free 30-day trials upon request.
Full access for 3 users is available at only $90, no contract, cancel any time.

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Burning Man Contracting Charter Services Beginning 2016

Editor’s note – Private charter companies highlighted below, and charter airline proposals noted – 

Burning Man has its eye on the sky.

In an effort to get more Burners to fly to the 70,000-person event in the middle of the Black Rock Desert, organizers have been reviewing proposals from air carrier services that would start offering flights directly to the playa this year.

Charter companies and private pilots have been flying to the event — an annual, weeklong arts party in early September — since the late 1990s. This, however, would be the first time that the Burning Man organization would contract a company, or a few, to do the job. Additionally, instead of shuttling five or so people, contracted charters would be expected to shuttle about 30 people in an aircraft at one time. Flights would potentially depart from Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

While Burning Man organizers were set to decide in early April which company or companies would be contracted, there is still no word as to whether any contracts will go forward this year. Burning Man has released no details as to which companies submitted proposals before the late February response deadline.

Covered with playa dust, Brielle Gearson, left, and Dina Nadezhdina wait to check-in for their flight home to Los Angeles Monday morning. Their baggage is wrapped in mandatory plastic because the playa dust can clog the conveyor system. An estimated 17,000 Burners utilized the airport from 30 countries, making it the largest single-event driver of traffic at R-TI.

Covered with playa dust, Brielle Gearson, left, and Dina Nadezhdina wait to check-in for their flight home to Los Angeles Monday morning. Their baggage is wrapped in mandatory plastic because the playa dust can clog the conveyor system. An estimated 17,000 Burners utilized the airport from 30 countries, making it the largest single-event driver of traffic at R-TI.  Tim Dunn/RGJ

“We are still working through the (request for proposals) process and will announce details of the program as soon as they are finalized,” said Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham on Wednesday.

The contracted charters would fly from select cities directly to 88NV, the temporary airport that is set up during the week of Burning Man outside the perimeter of Black Rock City, where the Burning Man populace resides. About 2,200 people flew into the makeshift airport last year.

Charters and private pilots still will be allowed to fly in friends or other individuals free of charge if they want, but they cannot be “shuttling” people back and forth, unless they are doing so as authorized by a contract with Burning Man.

While many of the charter companies that have historically shuttled Burners to and from the event have been mum regarding any anxiety about how their business might be affected, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport expressed its enthusiasm for the change of pace. In the past two or three years, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport has seen an uptick in charter flights departing from its tarmac Burning Man-bound, according to airport spokesman Brian Kulpin.

“We are so firmly on the map of Burning Man. We love what it does for us. We really roll out the red carpet,” said Kulpin.

Although airport officials were unaware of Burning Man’s plans to increase the air traffic headed to Burning Man, they believe it is makes sense given the rising demand for easier travel to the event. It takes about two hours by car to drive from Reno to the Black Rock Desert, which is northeast of Reno, but it can take as many as six to 10 hours during peak traffic in the first few days of Burning Man.

By air, it only takes about an hour to travel the less than 100 miles to the Black Rock Desert, Kulpin said. That explains why three charter flight companies and a multitude of privately operated aircraft directed flights to Burning Man from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport in 2015. While there is no count of how many flights took off to the Burn, 111,737 gallons of jet fuel were sold to charter and private operators during the 2015 event, compared to 67,317 gallons during the same week in 2014.

“People fly in from Europe, then to New York, and then they fly here to our terminal and then they get a private charter. And then we just have charters that just appeal to people who don’t want to deal with the road traffic. The VIPs are another audience too, and that’s becoming more popular,” Kulpin said.

Many of the charters that fly to Burning Man — Advantage Flight, Burner Air and Boutique Air — declined to comment on concerns about whether their business would be damaged if not chosen by Burning Man to operate flights this year.

One of the companies, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Centurion, said it’s simply a waiting game.

“Burning Man is our big one. We’re going to start doing Coachella next year, but Burning Man is like the Superbowl for us,” said Jack Boyer, a customer service representative with Centurion.

Centurion, which has been flying clients to the playa for about 13 years, in the past has flown about 10 to 12 flights per day to the playa during Burning Man. For the most part they fly out of the Bay Area, but they will fly out of “wherever the clients are,” the week of, Boyer said.

“We get all walks of life. We get folks that are flying in to San Francisco from Russia, and then we get regulars,” he said.

Per person, Centurion sells roundtrip tickets to Burning Man that can cost several hundred dollars to fly from Reno, about $800 from Sacramento about about $1,350 from the Bay Area. Their prices compete with an assortment of other charters, some of which do not have prices currently posted pending Burning Man’s response to proposals. 

“I think the newest info is in the pipeline,” Boyer said.

Burning Man is assessing the proposals based on a variety of elements.

Applicants — who were required to complete proposals by the end of February — have to have the appropriate certification along with a $5 million insurance policy for their proposed operation.

Burning Man also asked that charters have the ability to fly up to 30 people in one aircraft; to transport 1,000 passengers per day with no more than 200 landings in an 11.5 hour period daily and to offer departures from Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles with room for expansion from other locations if demand occurs. Ideally, charters should have experience with and proposals for ticket and scheduling systems, according to the Burning Man request. It is unclear whether the charters or Burning Man would handle the ticketing for flights to and from the playa.

Source:  , jkane@rgj.com, Reno Gazette-Journal 1:14 p.m. PDT April 29, 2016

Full Article Here

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Flight Options Preps Move To Charter Operations

Flight Options moved forward on Friday with an offer of voluntary separation packages to its pilots as the company lays the groundwork to transform from a fractional operation into an on-demand charter business over the next 12 to 18 months. Flight Options sister operation Flexjet previously made the offer as the two companies begin to reshape their operations, retiring some of the older modelaircraft and moving others into charter.

SkyjetFlight Options will rebrand as Skyjet, a former Bombardier brand that parent company Directional Aviation recently revived to provide charter brokerage services.

The moves are made as parent company Directional Aviation realigns its more recently acquired Flexjet and Flight Options into complementary services rather than competitors. To help differentiate itself as a planned charter-only entity, Flight Options will rebrand as Skyjet, a former Bombardier brand that Directional initially revived in 2014 to provide charter brokerage services.

Voluntary separation packages are being offered to Flight Options pilots through April 30 as the companies seek to reduce the pilot workforce by 70 positions. Directional principal and Flight Options chairman Kenn Ricci told Aviation International News that this comes as on-demand requires less staffing than fractional. The packages were initially offered to Flexjet pilots, who recently voted for representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) but were not yet under a collective bargaining agreement.

Flight Options, which previously had been represented by the IBT, sought union approval to make the offer to its pilots, but the union rejected the request. Flight Options moved forward regardless, and between Flexjet and Flight Options, had 80 pilots indicate plans to accept the agreements—exceeding the company’s goal.

The union has, instead, been pushing for a furlough protection plan that would give all furloughed pilots the equivalent of 12 months of compensation. The IBT had expressed concerns that the voluntary program would primarily affect less senior pilots who would not qualify for the maximum benefit.

The company management, however, disagreed with the IBT stance. “I refuse to accept the notion that a pilot, under the employ of this company, does not have the right to decide his or her own future,” Ricci said in announcing plans to move forward with the voluntary package offers. “It is unconscionable that the Teamsters should unilaterally try to take away a voluntary and materially beneficial option.”

Source:  AINonline, by Kerry Lynch

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Wheels Up Expands Flight Offerings, Partners With Broker Apollo Jets

Wheels up

Wheels Up dedicated fleet of King Air 350 and Citation Excel aircraft, operated by Gama Aviation.  Photo: Wheels Up

Private aviation membership company Wheels Up announced new product offerings and the launch of a new 8760 Membership tier, both of which enhance the Wheels Up brand, according to a press release from the company.

“Wheels Up is a forward-thinking company always looking to be ahead of the curve and we are committed to delivering innovation to our membership,” said Kenny Dichter, Wheels Up Founder and CEO. “Our members tell us what they want and how they want it. Our mission is to simplify their travel in a complex world.”

New Wheels Up Membership Features:

  • Shuttles: the opportunity for members to purchase seats on scheduled private shuttles traveling to and from popular events and destinations.
  • Hot Flights: a selection of one-way, “empty-leg” flights that are posted daily to the Wheels Up App and updated in real-time.  According to Dichter, “This feature has taken off and our members tell us that they now check Wheels Up Hot Flights before Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.”
  • Flight Desk for charter flights: a dedicated flight desk with offerings to complement the Wheels Up signature fleet of Beechcraft King Air 350i and Citation Excel/XLS aircraft. Wheels Up Flight Desk arranges charter flights for members who are traveling longer ranges, with more than eight passengers and/or desire a larger plane. Wheels Up requires stringent safety standards, working only with FAA and DOT licensed operators who pass a full onsite audit. “With this addition, Wheels Up is now a total private aviation solution and can fulfill any request, continued Dichter.
  • 8760 Experiences: a new unique lineup of experiences available to Wheels Up Members that include private “meet-and-greet” opportunities with top athletes and entertainers, as well as complimentary tickets and suite access to world-class sporting events, in-demand concerts and family shows in cities across the country. “This is a new roster of events available to our members, in addition to our Wheels Down roster of events, which we offer. We are building a lifestyle brand and we want to be in our members’ lives both in the air and on the ground,” Dichter added.

8760 Membership Tier

Wheels Up launched the new 8760 Membership which allows its members a lower cost of entry through a partnership with charter broker Apollo Jets, and access to multiple benefits: Wheels Up Ride Share, Hot Flights and Flight Desk programs; non-guaranteed access to the Wheels Up fleet at higher occupied hourly rates; a lineup of 8760 Experiences, select Wheels Down events, a member benefits program; a members only 8760 app.

“8760 Membership creates the opportunity for more people to join Wheels Up and is a benefit to existing Wheels Up Members specifically for ride-sharing.” said Dichter.

Memberships are also available from Costco; Wheels Up membership price.

With Gama Aviation, operating its flights, the Wheels Up fleet numbers 45 Beechcraft King Air 350i twin turboprops and 15 Cessna Citation Excel/XLS jets. As of April 2016 Wheels Up is reporting 2,300 members.

Source: company press release

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U.K. Charter Broker Opens U.S. Office

privatefly jet charterJet charter brokerage PrivateFly has opened a dedicated U.S. office at Fort Lauderdale International Airport.  The European company says the launch is a key step forward in its ambitious U.S. growth plans, following strong sales over the past two years.

The new team in Florida will handle U.S. client flight sales for any global route. PrivateFly says the location of Miami/Fort Lauderdale was also chosen specifically to target a growing private jet audience in the area – a popular luxury travel destination in its own right, and a key connection point for the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

“PrivateFly’s model is attracting interest from U.S. business aviation customers, who now represent a third of our flight sales,” said PrivateFly CEO Adam Tidwell.  “Florida is the third busiest state for business aviation, after Texas and California.  Its private aviation traffic rose by 3 percent in 2015 following the overall U.S. trend, but we expect the first half of 2016 to see greater growth of around 6 to 8 percent. ”

Source:  company press release

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Nationwide Private Jet Charter Service Celebrates Twelve Years Growth, Milestones In Charter Flight Industry

Large Selection, Best Price Guarantee and Industry Reputation Propel Jet Charter Favorite New Flight Charters

U.S. private jet charter leader New Flight Charters this month celebrates its 12th anniversary and record growth, arranging and providing charter flights in the US and worldwide, according to a press release from the company.

Since the company was founded in 2004, the private jet charter industry has experienced tumultuous ups and downs, just in recent times appearing to be confidently climbing out following the 2008 recession.

Private Jet Charter Company Best Ratings Reviews

Private jet charter flight company New Flight Charters, celebrating 12 years growth in 2016

During this time, charter flight company New Flight Charters was growing and profitable 11 of the 12 years, including being awarded to the Inc.500 fastest growing companies list every year from 2009 to 2012, a testament to its service level and returning customers.

Different from most air charter brokerages whose key personnel come from sales jobs outside of aviation, New Flight Charters’ founders had a history in private aviation and were active private and commercial pilots.

“Coming from a background of flight operations and being the one responsible for the customer experience and service, we look at arranging charters quite differently than most,” states Rick Colson, New Flight Charters’ Founder and President, “It’s about the experience, trust and reputation.”

Now with a Charter Management Senior Team of six and a cumulative 46 years in air charter, 51 years FAA-certified experience, 104 years executive management experience and over 17,500 hours personal flight experience, New Flight Charters boasts one of the most experienced and respected teams in the industry.  The company arranges over 1,400 flights each year.

“The largest number of compliments we receive are about our people,” Colson adds.

New Flight Charters has good reason to celebrate;  not only twelve years of consistent growth and success, but recognition as a favorite in the industry and as an air charter role model.

Company Milestones:

  • 2005 Qualified as Registered U.S. Government Contractor, qualified and accepted to the CCR-Central Contractor Registry and SAM-System Award Management.
  • 2006 Awarded Credit Rating by D&B, Dun & Bradstreet, the world’s leading provider of business information for credit, marketing and sales decisions worldwide.  New Flight Charters’ rating and company details are available publicly through D&B online at www.dnb.com.
  • 2008 Began aircraft ownership and management, placed on a charter operator’s certificate and separately operating it under FAR Part-91 for business.
  • 2009 Launches Best Price Guarantee, assuring New Flight Charters fliers receive the best price in the total market for each and every flight.
  • 2009-2012 Achieves the Inc. 500|5000 fastest growing list four consecutive years, earning the distinction of fastest growing private jet service nationwide.
  • 2010 Publishes Five Questions For Your Air Charter Service, to help private fliers manage risks and ensure a quality and reputable organization is handling their private charter flight.
  • 2011 First in the industry to provide a Company Credentials Report, or anything like it, providing company history, financial, personnel and business credentials to charter industry partners, vendors and clients for review and evaluation.
  • 2011 Passes audit examination by the IRS Excise Tax Division, no changes ordered.
  • 2011-2012 The Most Recommended Jet Charter Service in the world’s largest charter marketplace.  Air charter professionals, operators and brokers publicly recommend charter companies in the market and post comments on their service, history and experiences.
  • 2012-2014 Testing and proving company for groundbreaking industry resource FlightList PRO, featuring the only complete air charter listing directory in the U.S. and 131 countries worldwide.
  • 2013 New Flight Charters’ Five Questions For Your Air Charter Service is adopted and published by The Air Charter Safety Foundation based in Washington D.C. as a consumer guide to chartering an aircraft and made available as a free download at ACSF.org.
  • 2013 launches the free Club New Flight, with special member charter discounts, complimentary ground transportation and custom catering, and advance information on empty legs special pricing and new charter aircraft.
  • 2014 Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary as leading private jet charter company, offers special discounts, promotions and free flight concierge experiences.
  • 2015 Achieves 14% growth year over year, more than quadruples total industry trend numbers of 2.9%.
  • 2016 Awarded Better Business Bureau Accreditation, A+ rating. Rating based on 13 factors and no negative information since BBB’s New Flight Charters file opened in 2011.

About New Flight Charters
New Flight Charters arranges over 1,400 separate domestic and international flights each year, with top-rated operator aircraft at leading jet charter rates.  Extensive client and industry reviews are available on the New Flight Charters website.  The private 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 other Colorado private jet charters.

Source: New Flight Charters press release

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Startup Company Member Jets Crowdsources Private Flights To Cut Costs, Save Time

By: Bobby Burch  – Startland.com – 

Overland Park startup Member Jets crowdsources private flights to cut costs, save time

Member Jets CEO Ty Carter

An Overland Park, KS tech firm is bringing charter flights to the masses with its crowdsourcing platform that reduces the costs to fly in swanky private jets.

Founded in 2015, Member Jets created a private aviation community that connects travelers to discounted private flights by aggregating available seats and travel opportunities. Now used at Kansas City’s Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport and the Johnson County Executive Airport, Member Jets is accepting members for its club, which targets businesses and entrepreneurs that highly value their time.

“We’re trying to create a trading environment for aviation,” Member Jets CEO Ty Carter said. “We bring the price point down so you’re not buying an entire airplane — you buy a seat like you would on a commercial airline. But instead of a commercial flight, you’re on a private jet without all the hassles.”

To use the service, a would-be traveler buys a Member Jets membership and creates a profile, indicating preferences and frequent domestic destinations. For safety, the user also must go through a background check and be in good standing with the TSA.

A member can then search, request, select, book and, if desired, share the aircraft with other members, driving down costs.The platform also can notify users of travel opportunities to a desired locale.

A pilot for more than 25 years, Carter said that Member Jets not only reduces private flight costs but also drastically cuts down on travel time when compared to a commercial flight. In addition to skipping security and check-in lines and the option to park on a nearby tarmac, private flights are direct to the desired location.

For example, Carter said that Member Jets can cut off about five hours of travel time on a round trip flight to Denver, six hours to New York City and eight hours to Los Angeles.

And in a world where time is money, Carter said the efficiencies are significant to a business’s bottom line.

“For an entrepreneur whose time is extremely valuable — every minute is important,” Carter said. “Standing in line at airports and the commercial hassles are not efficient. … I’ve seen the advantages of what private air allows you to do — it’s like a time capsule. Your productivity is much higher.”

While still more expensive when compared to commercial flights, Carter said Member Jets’ flights are cheaper than chartering an entire plane. For example, a private one-way flight to Austin, Texas costs about $800 for a 1-hour-and-40-minute flight.

The company is currently only operating out of the Kansas City area but is looking to expand to Denver and Atlanta. Some of its common destinations include St. Louis, Omaha, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Austin, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Wichita, New York City, Denver and other.

Image by Member jets

Image by Member jets

Source:  STARTLAND-Kansas City’s Home For Innovation News

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Charter Operator ExcelAire Opens California Office, Aircraft For Private Charter

ExcelAire charter operatorExpanding its nationwide presence, ExcelAire announced the opening of an office at the Oakland International Airport (OAK), in a press release from the company.  ExcelAire is one of the nation’s leading private jet charter and aircraft management companies.

ExcelAire will provide a full range of private jet services from its Oakland office, including aircraft management and charter. Currently, one of ExcelAire’s Legacy 600 private jets is based in Oakland.

Jet charter san francisco

Legacy 600 based Oakland CA operated for charter by Excelaire

The entire Excelaire charter fleet and aircraft/operator details are available in FlightList PRO.

“There is incredible demand for private jet charter service in the San Francisco Bay area and to better serve our customers there and meet that demand, we opened this new office in Oakland,” said Greg Brinkman, president, ExcelAire. “Now, we can provide our customers with access to our offices on both the East and West Coast, for their added convenience, while continuing to deliver unmatched levels of service to our aircraft owners and charter customers.”

In addition to the Oakland office, ExcelAire operates a more than 200,000-square-foot facility at MacArthur Airport in Long Island, New York. The new office in Oakland is located at 8433 Earhart Rd., Oakland, Calif. With a team of highly experienced private jet travel professionals, ExcelAire exceeds even the highest expectations and ensures that each trip is executed flawlessly.

A Hawthorne Global Aviation Services company, ExcelAire specializes in worldwide jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance, and sales.

Source:  Press Release, Excelaire, LCH Communications

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Blue Star Jets Fades to Black, Charter Broker Going Out Of Business

News article in New York’s Page Six Magazine | April 14, 2016 | 7:15am, By Richard Johnson:

Blue Star Jets is fading to black.

The private-jet-chartering company — named after the airline in the 1987 film “Wall Street” — is quietly going out of business after 16 years.

Todd Rome, Blue Star’s president, is now working with his bigger former rival, Apollo Jets. Ricky Sitomer, Blue Star’s CEO who co-founded the company with Rome, is “doing his own thing,” Rome said.

Blue Star, which sponsored Bridgehampton Polo for five summers and advertised in upscale magazines, will disappear.

“The more volume you do, the better pricing you get,” Rome told me. “We feel our efforts combined will take over this industry.”

Apollo was founded by Al Palagonia, the handsome pal of Spike Lee who once did time for pump-and-dump stock fraud schemes.

Source:  Page Six article,  April 14, 2016, By Richard Johnson

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Top-10 FBO’s in America, Also AIN 2016 Full Survey Results –

Air Flite ramp shot
Air Flite took the top spot in AIN’s 2016 FBO survey. (Photo: Air Flite)

AirFlite, the Toyota-owned aviation service provider at Los Angeles-area Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field, was once again rated as the top FBO in the Americas by readers in AIN‘s annual FBO Survey.

This year, as the survey transitions to a year-round, rolling review process from a single period during the year when ratings are accepted, it tallied results earned by locations over the past four years, and during that span, the California FBO earned a 4.84 out of a maximum five (from the previous 1-to-10 scale), garnering survey-high scores in the categories of passenger and pilot amenities. It barely edged out the Tampa International Jet Center, which notched top scores for its facility and for its line service.

The top 10, in order, were:

  1. AirFlite at Los Angeles-area Long Beach Airport/Daugherty Field
  2. Black Canyon Jet Center at Montrose Regional Airport in Montrose, Colo.
  3. J.A. Air Center at Chicago-area Aurora Municipal Airport
  4. Atlantic Aviation at Kansas City Charles B. Wheeler Airport
  5. Fargo Jet Center at Hector (N.D.) International Airport
  6. XJet at Denver Centennial Airport
  7. Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Executive
  8. Jet Aviation at Fort Lauderdale Executive and Palm Beach (Fla.) International Airports
  9. Skyservice Toronto at Detroit Oakland Country International Airport
  10. Pentastar Aviation also at Detroit Oakland Country International Airport

View full 2016 FBO Survey results

Source: AIN online

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Flexjet, Flight Options Adjust, Moving Light & Mid Jets Into On-Demand Charter

Flexjet is offering voluntary separation agreements to its pilots as the company begins to phase out certain aircraft models and shift others from fractional ownership into charter. The company further is requesting approval to make a similar offer to pilots at affiliate operation Flight Options.

In a March 31 letter to pilots, Jason Weiss, Flexjet executive v-p of operations, outlined plans to retire the Learjet 40XR and Challenger 604/605 fleets and move the Nextant 400XT and Citation X out of the fractional business model into on-demand. “Our companies have seen a significant shift in the fractional marketplace over the past year and a half,” Flexjet said in a statement to Aviation International News. “While customer demand has historically been high in the light- and midsize-cabin segments, much of it has since shifted to on-demand flying.” At the same time, the growth in the fractional programs has trended toward larger, longer-range aircraft.

The company has not determined the actual number of pilots that will be needed once the fleet adjustments are made, but acknowledges fewer pilots will be required for fractional operations. It has begun by offering voluntary separation agreements that range from six months to a year of salary and other benefits. Flexjet believes the program will take effect over then next 12 to 18 months.

Full news article at AIN here

Source:  AIN

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JetSuite Launches Public Charter Service, Adds Regional Jets

JetSuiteX to try ‘private jet experience’ on scheduled flights

Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY  April 5, 2016

There will soon be a new option for some fliers looking to book flights in the West. JetSuite, a California-based private jet charter company, will try its hand at scheduled passenger service on select western routes.

JetSuite, which began flying in 2009, will debut a public charter service that sells seats on scheduled flights under the brand “JetSuiteX.”

The company promises passengers buying tickets on those flights will get a “private jet experience.” Flights begin April 19, with fares starting at $109 and maxing out at about $300 each way for departures from private-jet terminals.

Customers can even earn points thanks to a frequent-flier partnership with JetBlue. JetSuiteX passengers can earn 250 TrueBlue points per segment on regular fares and 150 points for sale fares.

JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox, who was on the executive team that helped successfully launch JetBlue in 2000, is bullish on the prospects for the new JetSuiteX service.

Wilcox says fares have been increasing on short-haul flights. Wilcox says that — coupled with increasing security headaches at major commercial airports — has created a sweet-spot in the market where JetSuiteX hopes to lure well-heeled, time-sensitive fliers looking for something between low-fare “cattle car” domestic flights and more expensive private jet options.

“That’s created a space for this kind of product where we can charge a little bit more, but provide a lot more – especially in terms of time savings,” Wilcox says to Today in the Sky, pointing to the advantage of flying from private jet terminals.

There are security procedures for passengers flying from private jet terminals, Wicox says. But he adds “there’s no TSA line. People can show up 15 or 20 minutes before their flight.”

JetSuiteX’s inaugural route will operate within California, connecting Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport to Concord’s Buchanan Field, located about 30 miles east of downtown San Francisco.

JetSuiteX says its initial schedule of up to two daily round-trip flights will give Concord its first scheduled passenger service since the early 1990s, when USAir discontinued the Concord service it inherited via its merger with Pacific Southwest Airlines.

The next JetSuiteX route will begin April 22, with weekend-only service between Concord and Las Vegas. On June 30 JetSuiteX begins flying its third announced route, offering up four flights a week between Mineta San Jose International Airport and Bozeman, Mont.

JetSuite and it’s full charter fleet are available in FlightList PRO, in both the Operator and Floating Fleets sections.

While JetSuite’s private-jet charters have so far been flown on smaller 4- and 6-seat aircraft, its JetSuiteX “public charter” service will be on newly acquired Embraer E135 regional jets. The company has 10 on order, all of which previously flew for American’s American Eagle affiliate before being returned to Brazilian jetmaker Embraer.

But Wilcox says customers won’t mistake JetSuiteX’s E135s for a planes flying typical domestic airline feeder flights.

JetSuiteX has completely revamped the interior of the aircraft, configuring them with 30 seats. All have at least 36 inches of “seat pitch,” a standard industry measure of personal space. That, says JetSuiteX, is comparable to business class service on domestic carriers.

Overhead bins have been removed to create a more spacious feel to the cabin. The cabin interior is also wrapped in a leather finish.

“There’s no plastic in the cabin anymore,” Wilcox says. “It’s all leather sidewalls like a private jet would have.”

Also onboard will be free in-flight Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment that fliers can stream on their personal devices.

JetSuiteX says new destinations will come online as more of its specially configured E135s are delivered. San Diego, Phoenix and Santa Barbara, Calif., are among cities JetSuiteX has singled out as possible expansion destinations.

The company expects to have all 10 of its E135s flying by “mid 2017.” The aircraft also will be available for private charter services, selling for about $8,000 per hour for the 30-seat jet.

USA Today article here

Source: USA Today

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ARGUS Announces Charter Operator Ratings Integration with SimpleCharters.com

ARGUSARGUS 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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Meridian Adds Grows Fleet to 22 Charter Aircraft

Meridian, the award-winning private aviation company based at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, NJ, is pleased to announce the addition of a Gulfstream GIV-SP (N999AA) to its growing charter fleet of private business jets. This long range aircraft was completed in 1996 and the interior was completely upgraded and refurbished in 2009. It seats up to thirteen passengers, and has the capacity to sleep up to seven for long haul trips. It is based at Teterboro Airport, and is immediately available for charter (Certificate IMJA053F).

Meridian’s full fleet of 22 charter aircraft are  available ONLY in FlightList PRO.

This GIV-SP comes fully-equipped with all of the features and amenities expected from today’s discerning business traveler: leather club seating, a full galley with microwave and convection ovens, coffee maker, private lavatory with sink, and a separate lavatory for crew members. The aircraft also features the latest technology, including complimentary domestic Wifi, an inflight satellite phone system, large bulkhead monitors with Airshow® moving maps, individual viewing monitors, and a multimedia entertainment center that features Blu-Ray and CD players.

Gulfstream IV-SP now available for charter with Meridian

Gulfstream IV-SP now available for charter with Meridian

Dennis O’Connell, President of Meridian Air Charter, says, “We are very excited to be adding another long range aircraft to our charter fleet. Our fleet has been growing rapidly, especially in 2016. This Gulfstream GIV-SP will be the twenty-second charter aircraft on our certificate, and the third one added this year. We think that our clients will be impressed with the impeccably redesigned cabin which offers comfort and convenience to both business and leisure travelers. Another big advantage is that the aircraft does not require owner approval before booking, allowing for an expedited flight approval process.”

Meridian currently manages a wide range of aircraft types that are available for private charter: Global 5000, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream GIV-SP, Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Falcon 2000, Challenger 605, Challenger 604, Challenger 601, Gulfstream G200, Hawker 900XP, Hawker 800XP, Citation XLS, and Citation VII.

Source;  Robb Report – See more at: http://robbreport.com/LuxuryNewswire/aviation/meridian-adds-its-fleet-private-business-jet#sthash.Ev0ieW2c.dpuf

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Jet Aviation Acquires Avjet’s Charter & Management Division

jet aviationLos Angeles based Avjet Corporation announced that it is selling its aircraft management and charter services to Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, which was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world.

“I am very excited by the closing of this transaction as I believe that I have left the Company, its employees, and its clients in excellent hands,” said Marc Foulkrod, the CEO of Avjet Corporation.

Avjet’s and Jet Aviation’s full fleet of 52 charter aircraft across the U.S. and worldwide are  available ONLY in FlightList PRO.

“Avjet’s 37-years of experience in aircraft management and charter services and an impressive fleet of 45 aircraft makes it the perfect complement to Jet Aviation’s operations,” said Senior Vice President and General Manager of Jet Aviation’s U.S. Aircraft Services David Paddock. “This acquisition will also provide excellent benefits for Avjet’s management and charter customers by providing access to Jet Aviation’s global network of service facilities.”

More importantly, Avjet’s current Chairman and CEO Marc Foulkrod will continue to own and operate the Avjet sales and brokerage division in partnership with Mr. Andrew Bradley, under the name “Avjet Global.” “This acquisition meets our plan to continue to expand our global sales, acquisition, and brokerage services while allowing Jet Aviation to continue Avjet’s tradition of excellence in aircraft management and charter services,” said Foulkrod.

The closing of the acquisition is subject to certain governmental approvals, including relevant airport authorities. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.

Source:  Avjet Corporation Press Release

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