PRIVATE JETS TAKE OFF

PRIVATE JET TRAVEL

TAKES OFF

Corporations are seeking new travel solutions that put safety and convenience first

WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD

The pandemic has caused sisemic shifts in the global aviation market, with many new trends emerging, and a preference for private jet travel is one of them. Once a privilege of VIPs only, this travel solution has become an everyday consideration for organisations of all sizes, particularly those in the Middle East.

Pre-COVID, the Middle East and North African Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) had highlighted the ongoing organic rise in demand for private travel, with up to 70 per cent of private jet flights in the region operated for business purposes.

“The pandemic has served to further emphasise the benefits of private air travel beyond the VIP market, with corporates increasingly recognising the business opportunities it offers in terms safety, security and accessibility,” according to Thomas Flohr, founder and Chairman of Vista Global.

Testament to this, the group’s global business aviation company, VistaJet, which offers a popular fixed-rate membership programme, has witnessed a rapid acceleration in demand since the pandemic, with new subscription memberships increasing 29 per cent year on year in 2020. The Middle East accounted for 10 per cent of this.

Furthermore, 2020 was also a record year for VistaJet’s On Demand services, with bookings growing 15 per cent year-on-year and Flohr anticipating a continuation of this trend in 2021, driven by an “explosion in demand from both corporate and first-time fliers wanting to conduct travel safely and without delays across the globe”.

LEFT: Private jet travel is taking off ABOVE: VistaJet memberships surged 29 per cent in 2020 SAFETY FIRST

The very nature of private travel means it eliminates as many as 680 person-to-person touch points, according to VistaJet Chief Commercial Officer Ian Moore.

“One of the key draws for new members in the current climate is the small number of touchpoints when flying private — 20 as opposed to 700 when flying commercial,” he confirms. Citing the company’s recent The Future of Private Travel survey, he reveals 79 per cent of people across the HNWI segment say they would be more inclined to travel by private jet than before, considering it a “safer and more reliable flight solution”.

The convenience, reliability and flexibility of private jet travel also appeals, he explains: “Consumers are faced with complicated and ever-changing travel restrictions and are looking for simple and reliable travel solutions. During 2020 and still today, commercial airlines are being grounded and flights cancelled, however, there are a still a number of people who still have critical travel needs. Private aviation is playing an increasingly important role in this. Pre-pandemic only around 10 per cent of people who could afford to fly privately did. Now 71 per cent of VistaJet’s new incoming requests are from passengers who have not regularly used business aviation solutions in the past.”

The company has also seen a huge 49 per cent surge in corporate demand for its services since the start of the pandemic, he adds.

VistaJet has introduced several services and procedures to give travellers peace of mind. They include dedicated Flight Approval and Coordination teams that work 24/7 to assess and approve any booking and change requests from a technical, safety and security standpoint; a reduction in the number of people interacting with the aircraft by making every effort to assign a single set of crew to a single aircraft over their full 17-day rotation; monitoring crew for signs of the virus twice daily and, if there is any doubt, taking them out of service until cleared by a certified professional; all crew wear protective masks and gloves as required and permitted, overseeing all aircraft cleaning procedures to ensure they meet or exceed published guidelines.

MEMBERSHIP INCENTIVES

VistaJet has also launched Dynamic Corporate Membership offering a full suite of flexible travel solutions for businesses and executives. Benefits range from the option to pay in arrears, unlimited flying hours and guaranteed Inter-Middle East flying from the UAE to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait has also been popular.

availability of additional aircraft, to a dedicated a VistaJet flight manager and dedicated cabin crew to reduce COVID-19 exposure, access to 187 countries, plus an integrated carbon reduction and carbon offset option for fully audited and environmentally sustainable flying. The membership is suitable for businesses that require at least 50 flight hours over 12 months, with the lead time for reserving aircraft just 24 hours for domestic flights and 48 hours for most international destinations.

Meeting growing demand for larger aircraft that can travel long-haul routes, VistaJet operates the Bombardier Global 7500 – the largest and longest range business jet in the world –with more joining the fleet this year. This aircraft has set distance and speed records and also features new technology to combat jetlag. It makes private jet travel from Dubai to destinations as far afield as San Francisco, Vancouver or Sao Paulo possible in one trip, arriving up to 21 per cent faster than the next fastest jet on the market today, according to VistaJet.

Over the past year, the company’s most popular flight routes from the Middle East have been to Russia, Turkey, Greece, Egypt and the UK.

ABOVE: Private jets allow customers to travel with minimal interaction

Private jets allow customers to travel with minimal interaction with other people and can avoid overcrowded public airport terminals. Upon landing, instead of queueing up for customs and border clearance, passengers are escorted into a private lounge to have documents checked or can be greeted by border agents on board the aircraft.

Brendan McQuaid,

CEO, AllianceJet

FOR YOUR LEISURE

But it’s not only business trips that are going private. AllianceJet, which operates luxury global charter services, witnessed a surge in private jet travel to private islands and exotic destinations in 2020, with wealthy travellers preferring this option to first class travel on a commercial airline, according to AllianceJet CEO, Brendan McQuaid.

“Flight pooling was also a big trend in Russia, whereby customers travelling to the same destination share the cost of booking a private plane,” he notes.

“Private aviation has emerged as more than just a matter of luxury and efficiency; it also addresses the vital concerns of safety and health. Some of the private fliers are older, wealthy travellers who fall in the high-risk segment. They want to visit their families or their second homes but do not wish to risk exposure to the virus.”

Similar to VistaJet findings, some of the most popular routes have been between Dubai, the Maldives and Moscow.

“London was also popular until Dubai entered the Red list and UK imposed strict quarantine measures,” says McQuaid.

“With many commercial flights and low-cost airlines working on lower capacity and airline routes being suspended, more partnerships with private jet companies are forecasted to help accessibility to remote destinations.”

The outlook for private aviation is rosy, says McQuaid, as travellers and companies put health and safety first and wealthy individuals look to travel between home and remote work locations.

“In 2021, more newcomers will be seen using private jets for the first time,” he says. “Private jet services are also likely to be offered as a service by hospitals, insurance companies and luxury hotels.”

Points to prove

The pandemic has been tough on all travellers, but there’s one group on which it has been particularly cruel – still, don’t feel too sorry for them…

RICHARD TAMS AIRLINE CONSULTANT AND EXECUTIVE COACH

There are many tribes in travel, so let’s distinguish between just two of them. First, there are business travellers. Let’s assume that’s you. Second, there are Room at Heathrow T5. By the summer, they were forced to post pictures of their Eat Out to Help Out family meals at Pizza Express. And it’s hard to concentrate on loved ones when your Premier Platinum Elite New Year, followed by a rush to grab seat 1K – because, let’s face it, any other seat just doesn’t cut the mustard. It’s not the same, though, when you can’t feign exhaustion at having to endure the others who look like you, but aren’t. They are Ambassador Club status with your airline fourth transatlantic “hop” this month. frequent travellers, too – maybe even more of choice is looking increasingly precarious. And how can you spark the envy of fellow frequent than you – but they travel not subscribers to a points blog without boasting because they have to but because they want BACK DOWN TO EARTH of securing a discounted business class ticket to. Many of them aren’t actually business In the past, remedies to a hiatus in travel from London to Dubai, earning double travellers, but instead they make it their were easy to come by. A simple “tier point Avios by ticketing it in Belarus and flying via business to travel. So who are they? And run” and your gold card could be retained. Phoenix? Instead, they are left booking and why has the Covid-19 crisis been so tough (For those who don’t know what a tier point then rebooking tickets, since no fees are on them? run is, it is an intense series of flights taken being levied as the airlines scramble to hold

Well, to identify them at their most for the sole purpose of getting or retaining on to any cash that customers are prepared glamorous, think of the George Clooney airline frequent flyer status.) to give them. film Up in The Air. It’s not Since this is currently not But it’s not the same as travelling, these quite accurate, because the possible, and the addicts’ endless computer games on airline websites. Clooney character had to For eight long status levels have been left So here are five tips to help them cope during travel because of his job, but the relish he took in months, points hanging in the balance with frequent flyer miles this traumatic time: 1. Remember that business travel is a means being an expert traveller, addicts have been collecting dust, they could to an end and not an end in itself. and the importance and grounded, abandoned only take to social media, 2. Essential business travel should be just benefits he felt he derived from his status (in every and unloved blogs and forums to lobby for its extension. Luckily that. Aviation isn’t environmentally friendly, “the pond” is not a pond and sense) – well, that’s a for them, valued clients of airliners burn 30,000 gallons of fuel to cross definite characteristic of the airlines (ie, you, the it, so fly when you really need to – either for this group. Let’s call them Points Addicts, business travellers) were in work or a well-earned holiday – not just to although the points are more a similar position, although retain status. of a symptom than a cause. at that point you were 3. No one is defined by their frequent flyer

For eight long months and probably preoccupied with programme status and, if they are, it’s not in counting, they have been saving your companies or the way they think. grounded, abandoned and working out how to manage a team 4. If you are the sort of person who is unloved, regular travel a faint suddenly reliant on remote working. “impressed” by travel, then recognise that silhouette at the far end of an Once their status was secured, it was back really impressive travellers don’t have any empty airport terminal. In the recent past, on to social media to feel wistful for the status at all – they have their own jets. these addicts burnished their social media nights in January when they would stay up 5. Your grounding is at least freeing up seats profiles with the customary photo of their until the early hours to grab those early-bird for former airline staff standby passengers glass of Bolly fizzing away in BA’s Concorde first class Avios seats to Cape Town over like me!