Private Jet Charter News

Until recently, getting a great deal on a private charter meant flying during off-peak days, generally in the opposite direction of the crowd - or in short, using an Empty Leg. 

All of that has changed.  With the advent of Point to Point Pricing and Floating Fleets, nearly every charter can take advantage of special reduced pricing.  With round trip prices better than what local operators can supply and “One-Way” prices consistently 60-70% of full round trip rates, the Floating Fleet is quickly gaining traction.  A quick look at a comparison between Marquis Jets, Sentient, and our Point to Point pricing using the same charter flight shows that Executive Charter Services is the clear choice each time!
[caption id=“attachment_326” align=“alignright” width=“417” caption=“One-Way Charter, New York to Miami”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_339” align=“alignright” width=“300” caption=“No Dough, No Go”][/caption]JetDirect Aviation, the company that went on a wild acquisition spree in 2007 - snapping up big league companies such as Sentient Jet and Jet Corp - has filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware on Friday 5/8. 

Recently, JetDriect Aviation has sold all of its assets to the JetDirect Aviation Acquisition Company now known as Wayfarer Aviation.  The new company has hired roughly half of the former employees back on, but the remainder of those left jobless are still owed unpaid salaries and benefits.

For many months after the acquisition of Sentient Jet, there were internal industry rumblings from charter operators who had flown charters for Sentient but were having a hard time getting paid.  The problem, as JetDirect/Sentient put it, was in reconciling several accouting systems causing delays in processing payments.  While the era of a JetDirect controlled Sentient Jet has ended, it serves to underscore that explosive growth for its own sake (espeically in a volitile and unsteady economic climate) can often lead to this kind of “house of cards” collapse. 

As an industry veteran and firsthand witness to a similar collapse in 2002 of a substantial charter agent, I am always cautions when dealing with a company that grows very rapidly in compressed period of time.  Flashy marketing and good PR, do not, a solid company, make.  In every industry, but particularly in Aviation, a strong foundation comprised of forward-looking leadership, smart management, loyal employees, and a steady but not-rushed expansion plan is essential to corporate survival.  There is an old phrase about the aviation industry - “If you want to wind up with one million bucks in this job, you’d better start with two.”

[caption id=“attachment_345” align=“alignright” width=“115” caption=“Regatta Racing Off Martha\‘s Vineyard”][/caption]Memorial Day Weekend, traditionally signifes the start of summer travel for the Jet-Set.  The weekly exodus from to Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, West Hampton,  Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and the Mexican Riviera begins as elite travellers exchange the heat and congestion of their respective cities for quiet, comfort, and luxury.  While travelling via private jet charter is usually quick, convenient, and easy, the summer months bring some additional challenges of which to be aware:

Weather - Summer thunderstorms can really shake up the best laid travel plans.  When the heat of a long day of summer sun combines with increased humidity and unstable air, thuderstorms are likely to pop up.  Typically, the storms start to build in the mid to late after - or right when your Gulfstreams and Lear Jets are scheduled to depart to whisk you to your weekend getaway.  By moving your departure time up a few hours to late morning or very early afternoon, you can typically avoid the delays associated with the weather.

Congestion - it’s no surprise that Thursday and Friday afternoons are the most heavily travelled days at your local executive airport.  Analysis at Teterboro Airport, serving the NYC metro area, shows a 20% increase in the amount of jet traffic on a typical Friday afternoon as compared to Wednesday.  Again, plannning your flights to miss the heavy traffic periods will help shorten your potential wait for takeoff.

Special Events - From the Indianapolis 500 at the beginning of the summer, through all the special events such as MLB ALL Star Game, US Open, and Wimbledon, to the World Series at the end, attendance will be high.  Jet arrivals into these host cites can sometimes be chaotic, so plan accordingly.

While these challenges can be detrimental to your schedule and impact your time away, remember that you are travelling by private jet and that it’s really not all that bad to be you.  Have a great summer!

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year.

The premier event for business aviation, NBAA’s Annual Meeting & Convention brings the business aviation world together each year. NBAA2009 will be held from October 20 to 22 in Orlando, FL, at the Orange County Convention Center, with a static display of more than 125 aircraft at Orlando Executive Airport. Over 30,000 representatives from every segment of the business aviation industry, from 82 countries around the world, will be present at this one-of-a-kind event.  You can expect to see NetJets, Marquis jet, Sentient, as well as Gulfstream, Hawker-Beechcraft, and Cessna all displaying their wares.

NBAA09 is especially important due to the economic and political climate private aviation has found itself in over the last 12-18 months.  With private aircraft singled out by congress and shareholders as extravagant wastes many corporate flight departments are fighting for their lives.  A main goal of the convention will be to help change public opinion regarding these essential business tools from being labeled as “private jets” to the more applicable and politically-correct “business jet”.

I will be attending the conference and will provide an insider’s perspective into the show and the “state of the union” for general aviation.  Follow me on Twitter (bizjetkev) for special coverage and offers during the convention.