A List Private Aviation: Velocity Jets

Velocity Jets

By Alexandra Ingersoll

Though once an elitist mode of transportation, due to the increasing hassles of commercial travel, the private aviation industry has drastically increased in popularity, thus losing its incantation of exclusivity. The sky is now filled with fractionally owned jets, and those jets are in turn engorged with unsatisfied clients who have been forced to compromise their personal time to accommodate incongruous flight schedules. Velocity Jets has taken on the commitment of returning private jet travel to its original form: personalized service, flexibility, and in-flight luxury, ensuring any journey-whether it is for business or pleasure-an affable one.

Based out of Fort Lauderdale International Airport, with outposts in New York and Los Angeles, Velocity Jets has dominated the private aviation market with their unparalleled service and offerings including private jet membership, aircraft sales and management, global aircraft charter, and worldwide tours. Their experienced team ensures premium service that is customized to fit any client’s needs, wishes, and desires. Isn’t that how it should be when one chooses to fly private?

[highlight_text] All of the aircrafts utilized by Velocity are ARG and Wyvern-rated, and all pilots and operators are held far above the FAA standards; both combined efforts have given Velocity the bragging rights of an incident-free safety record. [/highlight_text]

Cofounders Patrick Harris and Jessica Osterneck, who share responsibility of overseeing Velocity Jets, both bared witness to a notable rise in their Jets Card service. The two agree that this can be attributed to the rising cost of private jet ownership, but more so to the hassle, maintenance, and wasted time that many patrons have experienced with their jet ownership. Numerous private wealth advisors have reported their clientele selling their trusted Gulfstreams and Lears, trading up for a Velocity Jets Card. With a minimum deposit of $100,000 the card grants clients access to a fleet of 5,500 jet types, ranging from turboprops to heavy jets. Clients are billed based on a guaranteed one-way or round-trip hourly rate. This membership ensures that clients will depart, spend the duration of their flight, and arrive in the utmost safety and luxury. With infinite flexibility and 365 days guaranteed availability, any jetsetter can now fly wherever and whenever without the headwind of long-term contracts or monthly management fees.

What sets Velocity Jets apart from the other sea of private aviation brands is their attention to detail. Each and every individual client is treated as though they are the one and only client. Velocity’s staff take special measures to get to know every passenger that steps foot on the aircrafts, including their likes, dislikes, allergies, trip itineraries…the list goes on. Customization is the key to a personalized journey, and Velocity Jets has certainly got this art down to a very fine “T.”

With Velocity Jet’s adamant attention to the minutest service details, it comes as no surprise that their safety standard policies are stringent. All of the aircrafts utilized by Velocity are ARG and Wyvern-rated, and all pilots and operators are held far above the FAA standards; both combined efforts have given Velocity the bragging rights of an incident-free safety record.

Though the Jets Card service is growing at a record speed, so too are their worldwide charter and tours, sales and acquisitions, and concierge services. It was no easy feat returning private air travel to its original status of private luxury for the world’s elite; Osterneck and Harris have not only completed the task, but also improved the art of world travel to a status that can-and always will be-attained through only one brand, Velocity Jets.

Phone 866.575.JETS (5387)
Fax 954.252.2192
Email [email protected]
Website www.velocityjets.com

StrategicAir

By Alexandra Ingersoll

When StrategicAir formed in October 2007, it set out to revolutionize private aviation. CEO Keith St. Clair, the former chairman and founder of TraveLeaders (one of the 10 largest travel distribution companies in the USA), recruited his board of directors from among the most prominent names in private aviation and financing, all of whom could offer invaluable insight into various aspects of the industry. This meeting of the minds successfully formed a new breed of private aviation powerhouse, which is led by St. Clair; Kevin Parrott, EVP and CMO; Richard Oster, EVP and CFO; John Affeltranger, COO; and Chairman of the Board Mark Ginsburg.

At its inception, StrategicAir announced the acquisition of a number of private air travel companies that spanned the aviation industry. By consolidating brokerages, maintenance facilities, and aircraft into one privately held company, StrategicAir broke new ground in the private air charter market. Also, the company was the beneficiary of the FAA Part 135 and Part 145 certificates. With involvement at every step of the private air travel process, StrategicAir is able to control the customer’s experience from A to Z, making it more convenient, comfortable, and personalized than ever before, all available at a mere four hours notice. The company specializes in point-to-point trips to New York, Los Angeles, and South Florida. And unlike other companies, StrategicAir actually owns its own aircraft, which enables a wider range of price flexibility, creativity, and ingenuity compared to managed or brokered aircraft. Owning the maintenance aspects allows StrategicAir to solve problems instantaneously, preventing delays in a time-sensitive environment. This innovative business model is the result of the experience in the luxury travel and aviation industries garnered through the years by the company’s founders.

Now, StrategicAir is adding to its reputation for ingenuity with the introduction of the prepaid Limitless Sky Flight Card program, which offers discounted flight hours, available in four levels: Ruby ($50,000), Emerald ($100,000), Sapphire ($250,000), and Diamond ($500,000). Limitless Sky takes the ease of chartering one step further. Just one phone call to the team ensures the flawless handling of all the details, from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. The program enables members to charter multiple jets simultaneously, receive cabin upgrades, and enjoy increased options in cabin size. And, unlike many other programs, membership is transferable. The exact menu of benefits varies according to level of membership, but can entail catering, limo transfers, and the StrategicAir Concierge. At the Emerald level and above, waved landing, parking, and handling fees are included with participation. At Sapphire and Diamond levels, clients will be the beneficiaries of fuel surcharge exclusions and waived ferry fees on heavy jets. At every level, the Assist Privilege Card is included as part of the program. The privilege cards offer solutions and support for a number of emergency situations globally. The specific range of services was designed by aviation industry experts to ensure the most complete coverage and highest level of efficiency.

Limitless Sky promises to further the values upon which StrategicAir was founded-to present the client with the utmost in options, flexibility, safety, and efficiency-and the new program takes all four to the next level.

Phone 954.359.4200
Fax 954.776.0666
Email [email protected]
Website www.strategicair.com

AvJet Corporation

By Chloé Ball

When private air travelers demand luxury, comfort, and safety with no compromises, they turn to Avjet Corporation. Recognized around the globe as the leader in VIP travel solutions, Avjet provides its elite clientele with a comprehensive range of aviation services, including aircraft charter, aircraft management, aircraft sales and acquisitions, completion of new aircraft from the factory, and refurbishment of aircraft interiors.

With one of the world’s largest and most modern jet fleets, Avjet specializes in large-cabin aircraft charter, including the full line of Gulfstream and Global Express aircraft, as well as two ultra-spacious Boeing Business Jets. Avjet provides thousands of premier charter flights each year for a discriminating international clientele, delivering extraordinary service anywhere in the world. Avjet carries the highest safety ratings by the major auditing services including the ARG/US Platinum Rating and Wyvern Wingman Alliance membership.

“Our passengers are elite travelers who require the most elegant, efficient travel solutions possible,” says Avjet President Mark Lefever. “Whether flying across the country or around the world, our clients depend on us to manage every detail of the perfect travel experience.”

With U.S. offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, Avjet offers clients who own their own aircraft the full range of aircraft management services. Avjet oversees every detail, from scheduling and maintenance, to catering and ground transportation. With flight crews dedicated to specific aircraft, and continuous training of crewmembers to enhance safety and comfort, Avjet ensures that every passenger is thoroughly indulged.

Avjet’s aircraft management clients enjoy all the benefits of private, confidential air travel with none of the operational complexities of managing their own flight departments. It’s the best of both worlds: reduced costs complemented by the superlative client care for which the company is renowned.

Private jet owners seeking to offset the cost of ownership can incorporate their aircraft into Avjet’s distinguished charter fleet. Many clients enjoy substantial financial gains from the selective charter use of their aircraft in Avjet’s fleet.

Buying or selling an aircraft on the global market is a specialized science that Avjet has perfected through its experience with more than 300 corporate jet transactions exceeding $5 billion in sales. (In fact, all of the aircraft pictured in this article are available for acquisition.) With operations on four continents and teams in cities across the globe, Avjet gives its clients a distinct advantage, opening up markets ripe with opportunity to buy or sell an aircraft.

“We have developed strategic alliances around the world to be able to make the global market accessible to our clients,” says Andrew Bradley, Avjet’s senior vice president of global sales and acquisitions. “That makes a big difference when it comes time to buy or sell an aircraft.”

Avjet’s completions and refurbishments expertise guarantees that clients’ aircraft are finished to the highest standards of craftsmanship, safety, and comfort. Avjet begins with an assessment of client needs and preferences for interior amenities and communications resources. They also work with flight crews to determine the optimum avionics solutions. Avjet then oversees the design process, working with certified engineers and world-renowned interior designers, managing every detail of installation and finishing, staying onsite with the aircraft until it is ready for delivery. The result is a cabin that is perfectly configured around the client’s lifestyle and business requirements.

Avjet’s broad range of integrated services makes it a company quite unique in aviation: big enough to operate the largest private jets in the world; personal enough to attend to every need of every client. It’s the perfect combination of privacy, comfort, efficiency and safety that makes Avjet the leader in an industry dedicated to the VIP lifestyle.

SALES PHONE 703.661.4848
SALES EMAIL [email protected]
CHARTER PHONE 818.841.6190
CHARTER EMAIL [email protected]
WEBSITE www.avjet.com

Leading Edge

By Monique Stringfellow

Picking out a private jet is a little more complicated than showing up at a dealership, giving a down payment, and rolling down the runway. Thus, Leading Edge Aviation Solutions was born out of necessity to help potential buyers sift through the ever-changing aviation offerings to find the ideal aircraft and aid in the acquisition process.

Leading Edge Aviation Solutions, one of the world’s most experienced companies in the aircraft acquisition and disposition arena, is aware that purchasing an aircraft, large or small, is a complex process involving multimillion dollar transactions. Leading Edge’s meticulously vetted team of professionals brings an unmatched level of expertise to both the financial and operational arms of aircraft ownership. The company’s experience is unmatched; in 2007 alone, the company’s purchase and sale transactions totaled totaled more than $1.2 billion.

At the acquisition stage, Leading Edge helps first-time aircraft buyers weigh the options, leading to an informed decision on the best aircraft to suit their individual needs. And even more experienced corporate fleet managers know that there are a number of factors that should be addressed prior to purchase. What makes the firm unique is an analytical and strategic approach to fleet planning. No other company has a team of advisors that implement a process that considers business and personal lifestyle objectives, historic and future travel, aircraft performance, tax strategy, depreciation, and aircraft residual values. These factors, combined with many others, compliment a process to help clients mitigate risk and make informed aviation decisions. Some of the nation’s biggest brand names and Fortune 500 companies rely on Leading Edge to guide them through the process.

Leading Edge launched in 2004, the result of a merger between Corporate Aviation Analysis & Planning and Wings Aviation International, two important leaders in the business aviation market. Each company had been in operation for over a decade when they joined forces in response to an evolving market that called for a more comprehensive set of services. Despite different backgrounds, the companies shared key values-passion, excellence, innovation, and execution-which carried over to Leading Edge.

These values continue to translate into every sector of the current operation. The company prides itself on employing a highly qualified staff that includes financial analysts with MBAs, technical consultants, business analysts, an aircraft sales force, and even a director of personnel placement. Leading Edge is led by CEO Joseph Carfagna and President and COO Brian Proctor; these professionals are qualified and knowledgeable in both aviation and business, a complimentary balance that ensures a more informed decision for the clients. This exceptional staff has successfully delivered more than 500 new aircraft and 200 pre-owned technical appraisals, and placed more than 100 aviation professionals.

With the world of private aviation maturing domestically and expanding internationally to include more clients than ever before, it is key to have experienced advisors who can lead businesses and individuals through complicated processes of finding the ideal craft. Using years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the industry, Leading Edge develops and executes solutions that make the best sense-financially, operationally, and strategically.

PHONE 888.583.LEAS (5327)
EMAIL [email protected]
WEBSITE www.leas.com

JET Demands

By Sean Ballent

Everybody’s got the same clichéd spiel: Company X sets the new standard and stands apart from the rest because we focus on the total experience at the level of world-class service our clients come to expect.

JET Demands has that same rap, too. They are great and top-notch and they wouldn’t bother to be in this business if this wasn’t the case. But what makes them a little different, in a big way, is that they’re no-nonsense and their clients love them for it. They love that they’re a lean and mean boutique org based in Long Island that caters primarily to New Yorkers (read: they’ve got the market dialed). These customers fly private, even in a downturn economy, and they know that JET Demands has a unique competitive edge that will allow them to continue to do that without making a huge commitment. As Managing Partner Dan Perna says, “Those deals are out there, now more than ever.”

By working closely with clientele to establish a complete understanding of requirements, JET Demands evaluates the best travel options trip by trip to ensure that clients have a perfect, personalized travel experience. With access to over 1,500 Premier-type Certified Private Jets and the largest inventory of empty leg charters, JET Demands has the freedom and flexibility to select the exact aircraft to satisfy the preferences of each individual. “We act as consultants in regards to our clients’ private aviation needs. Basically, we’re their personal flight department,” affirms Perna. Don’t believe it? Call Perna up and tell him you need a heavy bird to get down to South Beach, stat. Just don’t be surprised when you’re soon aboard a Falcon 900, hurtling towards Joe’s Stone Crab.

In today’s private aviation industry common practices are fractional ownership and card programs. The excessive expenditures due to monthly maintenance fees, operating costs, and insurance charges make fractional ownership an unwise investment, while card programs can end up costing 30 to 50 percent more expensive than jet charters when all is said and done.

JET Demands gives its clients the ability to keep their fractional or flight card program honest by providing a realm of cost-effective choices: one-ways, empty legs, and round trips. “New York flyers have more options now than ever. There’s an abundance of empty legs in the New York area that have empowered New Yorkers and Hamptonites to hedge against their card or fractional programs and come up with some exceptional pricing,” says Perna.

JET Demands was conceived by cofounder Captain Stephen Matteo, whose aviation experience includes serving as a 23-year veteran of American Airlines, and management of various air charter companies since 1980. As a Senior Pilot and check airman for American, he built the associations needed to efficiently use all options available. Furthermore, throughout his career he’s gained vast experience with all of the providers of aviation assets and has worked diligently to identify the true cost of these assets-all of which allowed him to create a service and pricing benchmark for JET Demanders. That’s why they even have clients who have their own private jets.

So wherever your next hop, JET Demands can outfit you in luxurious comfort, specifically harmonizing with your taste and needs. They provide a straight-shooting service that’s private, personable, efficient, and a tremendous value.

PHONE 800.681.9670
FAX 631.899.9162
EMAIL [email protected]
WEBSITE www.jetdemands.com