Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter Looking To Make Private Aviation Like Uber

Bill Carmody, Founder and CEO of Trepoint, recently interviewed the CEO of Wheels Up Kenny Dichter about his vision to make make private aviation like Uber.  While the video is a fairly long by today's standards - it is over 21 minutes in length - there are many interesting takeaways from the interview.

"With the Wheels Up business model, there are millions of people who can now fly privately," said Kenny Dichter.  Of course the Wheels Up business model does include a membership fee and 24 hours advanced notice but, for the first time, we are finally seeing pricing parity with this mode of transportation and a first class seat on a commercial airline.  Are the major airlines taking notice?

Certification Update: Pilatus PC-24 Has Strong Performance at EBACE 2016

With type certification scheduled for around the end of 2017, the Pilatus PC-24 put in a strong performance at this year's EBACE show in Geneva, Switzerland.  Pilatus Aircraft gave the first prototype of the PC-24 Super Versatile Jet a day’s break from its test flight duties to be featured on the static display outside Palexpo as part of the annual European Business Aviation Convention and Expo trade show.

Four Seasons Takes To The Skies in 2015

Four Seasons, the pioneer and global leader in the luxury hospitality market, continues to re-imagine the whole concept of high end travel by introducing their Four Seasons Jet, the industry's first fully branded private jet experience. (For those who track these types of ventures, Hooters Air was a completely different deal but hey, what's the harm in reminding everyone about them anyway?)

Beginning in February 2015, the jet, sporting the widely recognized Four Seasons logo on the tail, will transport some fifty guests on various flights, offering high-end travelers a distinctly Four Seasons travel experience. The retrofitted Boeing 757 will feature interior and exterior designs customized by the company's team of design experts. The in-flight staff, which includes a dedicated on-board concierge, will coordinate with local related concierges in each destination to ensure that the entire experience is nothing short of extraordinary.

Travel like a rock star!

WTA Awards - ElJet Grabs Private Jet Charter Company Title From NetJets

As reported in June, ElJet is an air charter service operator that has seemingly found an excellent balance between luxury and affordability.  Even better, the prestigious international World Travel Awards just awarded the Los Angeles-based company the 2013 winner’s spot in the “Leading  Private Jet Charter Company in North America” category.  The purpose of these awards is to recognize the best travel organizations in the world through a global industrial vote, which is equivalent to the Oscars in the travel industry.  For the most recent awards, nearly 650,000 professionals in 191 countries in the tourism sector voted.

Launched in 2006, ElJet has a distinguished history of awards, accolades, growth and achievement.  This includes being a two-time winner of the Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America and a 2012 Nominee for the WTA’s Leading  Private Jet Charter Company in North America Award.  With their most recent award, ElJet can now boast that they just displaced a highly-respected company and brand (NetJets) that, besides being a major force within the private aviation industry, is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway business empire.  These types of "David versus Goliath" stories never seem to get old.

Great web site, great choice for air charter services.

"On Wall Street they say “you can’t fight the tape” and the “trend is your friend.”  There is no doubt that the charter consumer today is more educated and smarter with their travel dollars than ever before.  With recent noteworthy fractional companies making negative headlines, we are happy to be on the winning side of this positive trend.  It is with great pride that we receive this important award granted by World Travel Awards, since this is a recognition of the daily work we perform in order to provide a world class Travel Experience to our clients,” says Levi Lieder, COO at ElJet. 

PlaneSense Proudly Takes Delivery of Their 49th Pilatus PC-12

As already reported, building a long-term (and profitable) fractional aircraft ownership company is anything but a sure thing. In spite of this, one company called PlaneSense has continued to thrive. In fact, the company just hit a very important milestone by taking delivery of their 49th PC-12. (Is anyone else noticing a correlation between the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft and promising/successful businesses?) Founded in 1995 and launched in 1996, PlaneSense hass clearly doing some very good things for both their customers and shareholders.

Company founder and CEO George Antoniadis made the big announcement last month at PlaneSense headquarters in Portsmith, N.H. With aircraft replacements and retirements through the years, the company's current fleet has 30 of the single-engine turboprops, each with an average age of five years. PlaneSense now has roughly 300 owners and aircraft usage in July was up by 20 percent over July of last year. The company's fleet have now made 200K+ flights since it began operations, making it the largest civilian operator of the PC-12. PlaneSense is clearly firing on all cylinders.

All Signs Point to Success for Surf Air

Surf Air, the "all-you-can-fly" airline that is looking to revolutionize private air travel, took to the skies last June and all indications are that the launch met or greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.  Company Founder and CEO Wade Eyerly was interviewed by CNBC regarding the important milestone and he seemed confident that Surf Air will do for the airline industry what Netflix has done for the movie industry. (OK, that's great Wade but $1,650 is still a little bit more than $7.99 per month.)

Of course where would any entrepreneur (and their related disruptive business plan) be without a few naysayers?  Former Continental CEO, Gordon Bethune, is among the list of skeptics who is questioning the wisdom of Surf Air's monthly subscription business model.  In fact, he even used the P.T. Barnum "sucker" reference to make his point.  Ouch.  In spite of critics like Gordon, all signs continue to point to the company being successful.

Stratos Jet Charters Focuses on Long-Term Client Relationships

Stratos Jet Charters web site makes the jet booking process easy.

A private jet booking service company by the name of Stratos Jet Charters is all about building long-term client relationships.  Per the company's web site, "client relationships are born of good experiences, not long-term contracts".  Those are some solid words to live by. Given their strong client focus, is it any wonder that Stratos Jet Charters is considered one of the air charter industry leaders?

Stratos Jet Charters' stated mission is to provide an air charter service that educates and helps clients make the most informed buying decisions.  And, let's face it, with all the money being spent on such a large transaction, it pays to put your trust in an air charter company that is really doing their homework for you.  In addition to their education resources, Stratos Jet Charters takes pride in providing their clients with fair pricing and honest advice.  By always putting the customer first and continually representing their best interest, Stratos Jet Charters has built a solid list of clientele to include a number of high profile individuals.

How about letting Stratos Jet Charters reserve this beauty for your next adventure?

In terms of all the "must have" resources air charter companies should offer, Stratos Jet Charters offers some great tools and related resources to help ensure their clients always choose the right aircraft for their intended mission.  Their Jet Charter Airport Directory is an especially useful resource.  (Sure, this information is available on other web sites but it's nice to have it readily available when you are planning your next trip via private jet.)  The company also offers a wide array of One-Way Jet Charters that can provide clients with deep discounts over a traditional charter flight.  If all that's not enough of a reason to book your next air charter flight with Stratos Jet Charters, here are a few other very solid reasons...

ElJet Offering Sizzling Summer Specials

ElJet's Homepage - Easy to use, valuable tools and great deals!

There is a lot of noise in the Air Charter sector - particularly when it comes to special package deals - but a company by the name of ElJet is looking to deliver some real value via their recently announced "Sizzling Summer Specials." Even better, ElJet is one of the very few air charter service operators that is making the cost of private jet travel more affordable without compromising luxury, safety or quality. Talk is cheap in the air charter world, but this company seems to be doing a very nice job of delivering.

ElJet's recently-announced "Red-Hot" pricing deals will allow businesses and individuals looking for a summer escape to travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas for prices starting at just $3,499. So, for about the same price as a few first class tickets, you, your friends and associates can fly in quiet and relaxed luxury, just like a rock icon or Hollywood movie star. ElJet has clearly raised the bar on private luxury travel by providing five-star services at palatable prices. And, if Vegas is not your style this summer (BTW, how could that be??), ElJet offers a number of other great travel alternatives.

Those long security lines at the airport, not to mention the privacy concerns, make personalized flying with ElJet a very enjoyable experience. It starts with the moment you pull up to *your* waiting jet followed by the personalized flowers and dinner options, to include any other trip amenity somebody may want. No request is beyond the limits of the company's personalized concierge services.

Embraer Forecasts 2013 Delivery Rise

Embraer Legacy 500

Embraer is sticking to plans to ramp up business jet deliveries gradually in 2013 to between 105 and 120, including first deliveries of the Legacy 500. The delivery outlook released by the Brazilian manufacturer on 5 February predicts that 2013 will mark a minor turn-around for the business jet division.

Air Charter Broker CharterBox Trying to Make ‘Name Your Price’ a Reality

No matter what, William Shatner will always be the man!

An aircraft charter broker by the name of CharterBox is bringing the “name your price” concept to the air charter market through a real-time marketplace that matches buyers and sellers of air charter flights. While the concept is not new - many have already tried this idea within the air charter space and failed - CharterBox seems to be taking all the necessary steps to position themselves for success. So, does the company has what it takes to ultimately be a household name like Priceline?

Hypermach Supersonic BizJet to be Larger and Speed Boosted to Mach 4.5

A company by the name of HyperMach Aerospace recently announced a major new configuration for their SonicStar supersonic business jet. Range on the aircraft has now been increased to more than 6,500 nautical miles and, more importantly, the aircraft’s top speed has been upped by more than 10 percent, to Mach 4.5. Considering the Concorde had a top speed of about Mach 2, that would obviously be a huge increase.

Update Review on Surf Air

Surf Air (formerly known as PlaneRed and previously reviewed herein), seems to be on to something really big. The newly-conceived, "all-you-can-fly", unique membership-based airline recently kick-started their company when they announced a key round of funding from multiple sources including Anthem Venture Partners, NEA, and, among others, actor Jared Leto. Generally speaking, smart money tends to follow great ideas; so, Surf Air will no-doubt be successful. Of course, it does not hurt that the company is based in the California Bay Area. The area is flush in great ideas, cutting edge technology, lots of seed capital and is ultimately and great backdrop for the company's above home page image.

With new cash now in hand, Surf Air is doing a lot of things right as they get ready to launch their new service...

Video From NBAA2012 re: BizAv Value

NBAA2012 trade show attendees kicked off their experience on October 30 in Orlando by viewing an Opening General Session video depicting the value of business aviation in connecting rural communities to the global economy.

JetSuite Expands Service To The Northeast

As previously reported, JetSuite is truly revolutionizing on-demand (and scheduled) private and business travel on small jets. The experienced Phenom operator has just recently expanded again, announcing service coverage in the Northeast  US. With this expansion, JetSuite now offer its services to hundreds of airports in major metropolitan areas such as New York, Washington D.C., Boston and Toronto.

Greenjets Offering 40% Off Service

As noted in a previous post regarding PSOD operators, Greenjets is one of the major players that has been doing well with the often-elusive (profitable) business model of selling seats on private jets.

Just recently, getting access to the Greenjets fleet of brokered aircraft became even easier. New clients to the company can now fly on private jets for as little $2,000 - or up to 40% off their standard retail pricing - with special introductory pricing currently being offered by the company.

Avantair Shows Its Green Side

Carbon Offsets Set New Company Milestone for Earth Day
Go Green - Environment and Profits!

Avantair, Inc., the only publicly traded company that is (still) stand-alone, is an industry leader in the aircraft fractional aircraft ownership category as previously reported. They have also recently announced that, since 2007, they offset 15 million pounds of CO2 through their Flight TerraPass program. For 2012, the company expects to do more of the same. Avantair shows that companies can go green and, in the process, still earn plenty of it.

NASA Claims Supersonic Breakthrough For Biz Jets

NASA is claiming a breakthrough in supersonic aircraft design. Recent wind-tunnel tests are proving that it should be possible to design aircraft configurations that combine low sonic boom with low cruise drag - two traits once thought to be mutually exclusive. And, until now, stubbornly elusive!

Fractured Fractionals

Fractional aircraft ownership programs - whereby customers/owners typically buy a "share" of the aircraft via a five-year management contract with guaranteed availability of aircraft - have now been around for some 25 years. While industry pundits continue to debate their true value proposition, the popularity and viability of this business model is no longer in question. In fact, the fractional industry has remained relatively robust, even with the continuing lackluster economy. Still, on average, companies that offer shared aircraft ownership programs have had a difficult time in forecasting demand and maintaining profitability. This is not quite the scenario imagined by NetJets founder Richard Santulli - who, when he first introduced the fractional concept, envisioned thousands of jets owned by tens of thousands of owners - but it shows that the industry is here to stay. Here are some updates on a few of the major players in the fractional space...

The Guy with the Dragon Tattoo

OK, it is not really a tattoo, but Jackie Chan just got a brand new Legacy 650 private jet from Embraer with dragons emblazoned all over the airplane. Seriously? Having a sleek, new, state-of-the-art executive jet that can go roughly 4,000 miles on one tank of gas should be cool enough, but dragons? Jackie has always been THE MAN but he has just taken things to a whole new level...

Imagine flying this to the next Super Bowl!

The best part of the story is that Jackie was given the $30 million dollar airplane from the manufacturer in exchange for him promoting the Embraer brand in China and other global markets. So, there you have it - the action superstar turned private jet ambassador will now be using his charm to sell private jets for the world's third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer. (Boeing is still the largest with Airbus holding the number two spot.)

Why is this man smiling?

"This delivery is a moment of historical importance to Embraer because it solidifies an already long and successful relationship between China and Embraer," said Ernest Edwards, president of Embraer's Executive Jets unit.

By most accounts, this was a great move by Embraer - a company that is looking to dominate the private jet market, from entry-level to ultra-large aircraft. Hey, if I had $30 million collecting dust, I would certainly buy a Legacy 650. I mean, who could resist the charisma of such a huge cultural icon? If Jackie's pitch does not work, just make sure the prospect sees the tail of his sweet new ride. Talk about a closer!

Spotlight Review on PlaneRed Airline

Plain and simple, PlaneRed Airline is worth watching. I just signed-up on their mailing list, and this quote is directly from the PlaneRed welcome email...

"Our goal is to revolutionize the way we fly. We don't think you need to get undressed to get on a plane. No more buying outrageously priced tickets. No more lost luggage. No more middle seats in a cramped cabin. And don't you think you deserve to always fly first-class? We certainly do. Simple and comfortable all-you-can-fly travel will soon be a reality."

This certainly sounds like an idea that could actually work. Here is a video of PlaneRed CEO Wade Eyerly discussing some of his specific plans.

The company's website (basically a launch page as of this writing) envisions an "All-You-Can-Fly Membership" that will be simple, first class, no hassle and, by most accounts, a much better alternative to the current TSA process experienced at major airports. All this for less than a grand per month! At minimum, do a Google search on PlaneRed. There is some great buzz on the company from some great publications. Who knows. They might actually be on to something BIG.