JetSuite

JetSuite
IATA ICAO Callsign
— RSP REDSTRIPE
Founded 2006
Headquarters Irvine, CA
Key people Alex Wilcox, Founder and CEO
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, Board Member
Keith Rabin, President
Brian Coulter, VP of Operations
David Neeleman, Founder of JetBlue Airways and CEO of Azul Brazilian Airlines, Board Member
Website jetsuite.com

JetSuite is a private jet charter company.[1] The company was founded in 2006 by Alex Wilcox, Keith Rabin, and Brian Coulter. In 2008, the company was re-branded after a push from financial backers.[2][3] Alex Wilcox currently serves as CEO of the Irvine, California-based company.

History

JetSuite was born out of a re-branding of Magnum Jet after the company's financial backers decided to restructure the company.[4][5] As part of this restructuring, the company also steered away from advertising as an “air taxi” with shared rides and began focusing solely on private charter flights.[5]

Alex Wilcox, a JetBlue founding executive, is the company's CEO.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Wilcox has over two decades of airline industry experience and has been named a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute.[2][6] In addition to receiving funding by private investors in 2010, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh invested $7 million into JetSuite in 2011.[10]

Early on, the company was recognized for streamlining its business through the use of four-passenger Embraer Phenom 100s as its primary aircraft.[6][8][9][11][12] This allows for fluid execution when it comes to conducting maintenance and piloting the aircraft.[9][11] Moreover, these planes are fuel efficient because they consume 90 gallons of gas in an hour versus more than 230 gallons per hour on some other private jets. This fact allows for cost savings, which can be passed along to the consumer.[6][8][9][11]

In 2012, JetSuite added the WiFi-enabled JetSuite Edition CJ3 by Cessna to its fleet. This plane can fly twice as far as the Phenom and seat six passengers (with an additional 7th sideways-facing seat). The fleet of JetSuite Edition CJ3s is available for flights east of the Mississippi, as well as to, from and within Texas.[13]

The company also promotes its SuiteDeals product via Facebook and its website. In 2014, it added a Wishlist feature which sends notifications via e-mail or text message about SuiteDeals.[3][7]

Unlike many of its counterparts, JetSuite does not require membership or ownership fees although it does have a membership option.[4][8]

In 2013, JetSuite installed Aircell WiFi for its Phenom fleet.[14]

In June 2014, JetSuite doubled its Irvine office headquarters space.[15] The company has doubled its business in each of the last four years.[16] During its first five years of operations, JetSuite ranked as the fourth largest charter operator in total hours flown.[17]

Services

JetSuite is a private jet airline that charters flights on its fleet of Embraer Phenom 100s and Cessna Citation CJ3 jets.[6][8][9][11][12][18] The company offers WiFi-enabled private flights throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.[4][6] Unlike many of its counterparts, JetSuite does not require membership or ownership fees and is the only private jet charter company that offers guaranteed online pricing. JetSuite also offers SuiteKey memberships which are fully refundable pre-paid accounts.[4][8][19]

The company earned the ARG/US Platinum safety rating - the highest-level safety audit rating in private aviation – in 2010 and has maintained it since for its flight safety standards.[20] During 2011, the company’s jets flew over 10,000 times.[11]

In 2011, Singapore Airlines partnered with JetSuite to offer private jet connections between international flights landing in Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), and Newark (EWR) for its premium passengers.[12][21]

JetSuiteX

On April 5, 2016 JetSuite announced JetSuiteX. The service will provide scheduled flights between Concord Buchanan Field Airport (CA), Bob Hope (Burbank) Airport (CA), Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (NV), and Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (MT).[22][23] The flights will be operated by Embraer ERJ135 jets in a 30-seat configuration. JetSuiteX is partnered with JetBlue to allow members of the "True Blue" frequent-flyer program to earn points towards JetBlue flights.[23]

Fleet

JetSuite has 13 Embraer Phenom 100s and 8 JetSuite Edition CJ3 in rotation for charter flights.[6][8][9][11][12] JetSuiteX operates the Embraer ERJ135.

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "JetSuite". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "JetSuite Leadership". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Kristina Peterson (June 29, 2011). "Republicans, Jet Industry Delicately Defend Tax Breaks". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 PETER SANDERS (October 26, 2010). "Charter-Jet Operator Lifts Low-Cost Airline Playbook". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 "Jetsuite Alex Wilcox". Forbes. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "JetSuite CEO on Private Jet Business". Fox Business. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  7. 1 2 MICHELLE HIGGINS (September 25, 2011). "Try a Private Jet, at Public Prices". New York Times. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Private Jet Budget". CNN Money. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scott Friedman (February 3, 2011). "Private Jets for the Price of a Plane Ticket". NBCDFW. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  10. ↑ Tsotsis, Alexia (September 13, 2011). "Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh Leads $7M Round In Private Jet Company JetSuite". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 KATHERINE DUNCAN (July 25, 2012). "JetSuite Brings Efficiency and Speed to the Private-Jet Set". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Ben Mutzabaugh (January 20, 2012). "Singapore offers 'private jet' connections to A380 flights". Travel USA Today. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  13. ↑ Barbara Peterson. "Flying Private is More Affordable Than You Think". CN Traveler. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Clay Lacy Aviation’s Award-Winning Maintenance Repair Station Climbing High". Aviation News. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  15. ↑ Pat Maio (31 July 2014). "JetSuite plane service ramps up offerings". Los Angeles Register. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  16. ↑ Jon Hilkevitch (11 August 2014). "Private jet for $536? It's a SuiteDeal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "JetSuite ranked nation's 4th largest charter operator in total hours flown, in only 5 years of operation". Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  18. ↑ Grady, Mary (May 21, 2015). "JetSuite Now Flies Its Cessna CJ3 Jets in the Western United States". Robb Report. CurtCo Robb Media. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  19. ↑ Mila Pantovich (October 19, 2012). "JetSuite Expands Luxury Fleet With Customized CJ3 Aircrafts [sic])". Just Luxe. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Jetsuite Safety". Jetsuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  21. ↑ Ben Mutzabaugh (January 20, 2012). "Singapore offers 'private jet' connections to A380 flights". USA Today. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  22. ↑ Annie Sciacca (5 April 2016). "Concord Buchanan Field: new commercial flights to Burbank, Las Vegas". East Bay Times. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  23. 1 2 "JetSuiteX Home Page". 5 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "Meet the Job Creators". INC. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  25. ↑ "Bell & Ross Vintage Collection". Dapperd. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  26. ↑ "Introduction to IS-BAO – Get Started". International Business Aviation Council. Retrieved 7 September 2014.

External links

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