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Greedy CEOs!!!!
Private aircraft flights aren’t always on “jets.” Many companies utilize small piston prop aircraft, such as the Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, to help reduce travel costs to nearby locations. Additionally, turbo- or jet-prop aircraft, like the King Air 200 or Pilatus PC-12, offer competitive rates for regional travel. Jets are necessary when flights exceed approximately 900 miles. Business clients fly via private aircraft when commercial airlines are unavailable or not suitable for their travel needs, such as when a business meeting is required in route, which may include proprietary information.
Greedy CEOs fly on private jets, right!? Well, maybe a few do. The majority of business executives utilize business aviation when it is prudent to do so.
Further, business aviation is vital to the US (and perhaps global) economy. “In the United States, business aviation generates well over a million jobs, provides a lifeline to communities with little or no commercial airline service, helps thousands of businesses of all sizes to be more productive and efficient, and provides emergency and humanitarian services to people in need” (No Plane No Gain Campaign, http://www.noplanenogain.org/).
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Many executives travel regularly for same-day or one-nighter business trips; some mainly take two to three day trips or long weekend trips; others travel for extended time periods, occasionally to vacation destinations. To keep things simple, let’s group clients into three categories: There are five main categories of private jet services available: • Business – The business flier utilizes same-day flights or one-nighters. • Weekender – The weekender spends a few days at their destination. Vacationer – The vacationer spends five or more days at their *Note that clients may identify with multiple categories above. destination.
• Owner – owns the jet, but may charter for one-ways to avoid repositioning costs or when their aircraft is in use or in maintenance. • Fractional Tennant (timeshare) – client has hours/points which can be applied toward flights (often misrepresented as fractional “ownership”). • Jet Card – has a dollar amount “on account,” applied toward flights. • Charter Company – client books flights directly with a local charter company—usually limited to a small aircraft fleet. This option may require unnecessary repositioning charges or booking an inappropriate aircraft when the appropriate aircraft is not available or in maintenance. • Jet Charter Broker – client contacts an air charter broker to act on client’s behalf to find the best value in the charter market to best suit the client’s needs for each flight they take. While some are limited, most charter brokers have access to every Part 135 aircraft in the country.
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We offer the Value Chart below to help our clients quickly identify the services that may best suit their travel needs. As you can see, we recommend a jet card for frequent vacation type travel (one to two week long trips) and the reliance on a jet charter broker for all business and weekend trips (one to four days). Value Chart:
Fractional Tennant (Timeshare) Jet Card Service High High High Cost High High Low Charter Company Jet Charter Broker Service High High High Cost Low Medium High
Service Business Weekender Vacationer Medium Medium Medium
Cost High High Low
Service Varies Varies Varies
Cost Varies Varies Varies
Fractional programs, often referred to inaccurately as fractional “ownership” programs, may be unnecessarily expensive, especially for clients that only use the fractional program for business and weekend type trips. We regularly hear clients refer to fractional tenant (timeshare) programs as “convoluted.” “I’m a pilot… fractional ownership isn’t ownership. My recommendation is to either own your own plane or charter.” – Anonymous Jet Pilot.
“We would love to use your services, but we are stuck in a jet timeshare… as soon as we can get out of this contract, we will be calling. Their invoices are so convoluted we had to hire an aviation attorney— and we still don’t understand them.” – E.C., Scottsdale, Arizona
“We are ‘graduates’ of a leading fractional company… now we use a jet card on occasion, but we primarily charter because it is usually the best value.” – S.C., Dallas, TX
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About Duke Jets LLC:
Duke Jets LLC is an air charter brokerage service offering on-demand business jets and total travel solutions for business clients, catering primarily (but not exclusively) to the mining and energy industries. We primarily serve high level executives and assist executive assistants, corporate secretaries, office managers and travel coordinators in selecting and securing private aircraft charters. Furthermore, we are happy to provide ancillary services in conjunction with air charter service, such as ground transportation, catering, hotel accommodations, golf outings, event planning, etc. Tell us what you need, and we’ll make it happen! We listen to your needs in a caring, unhurried environment. Then we package a total travel solution specific to your needs and execute the travel plan with precision. Our goal is to build long-term relationships with our clients based on trust and mutual benefit.
Contact information:
Dan Probert, USAFA02 Owner dan@dukejets.com Office: 720-535-6535 Duke Jets LLC 639 S. Norfolk Way Aurora, CO 80017
Toll Free: 1-888-DUKE-JET (1-888-385-3538)
Jay Brandenburg-Nau V.P., Sales & Marketing jay@dukejets.com Office: 720-883-6387
©Copyright 2008 Duke Jets LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing.