JetSuite

JetSuite is a private jet charter company[1] that suspended operations in April 2020.[2][3] The company was founded in 2006 by Alex Wilcox. In 2008, the company was re-branded from Magnum Jet after a push from financial backers.[4][5] Wilcox currently serves as CEO of the Dallas, Texas-based company.[6]

Not to be confused with JetSuiteX.
JetSuite
IATA ICAO Callsign
— RSP REDSTRIPE
Founded2006
HeadquartersDallas, Texas
Key peopleAlex Wilcox, Founder and CEO
Stephanie Chung, President
Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, Board Member
Websitejetsuite.com

As of April 17, 2020, JetSuite halted operations and furloughed most of its crew members due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On April 28, 2020, JetSuite's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[3] According to a press release published on the JetSuite website on April 28, 2020, JetSuite may resume flight operations depending on the outcome of the bankruptcy case.[7]

History

JetSuite was born out of a re-branding of Magnum Jet after the company's financial backers decided to restructure the company.[8][9] 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.[9]

Alex Wilcox, a JetBlue founding executive, is the company's CEO.[10][11] Wilcox has over two decades of airline industry experience and has been named a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute.[4][10] In addition to receiving funding by private investors in 2010, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh invested $7 million into JetSuite in 2011.[12]

Early on, the company was recognized for streamlining its business through the use of four-passenger Embraer Phenom 100s as its primary aircraft.[10][13] This simplifies maintenance and piloting.[14][13] 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.

In 2013, JetSuite installed Aircell WiFi for its Phenom fleet.[15]

In 2018, Qatar Airways became a minority stakeholder in JetSuite.[16] In 2018, the company appointed Stephanie Chung as its new President, making her the first African American to lead a major private aviation company. [17]

On April 15, 2020, the company announced it was grounding the entire JetSuite fleet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. JSX continues a reduced flight schedule.[18] According to several JetSuite customers, the company would not disclose what would happen to unused SuiteKey flight deposits should the flight suspension continue; at the time of the shutdown, analysts estimated that the company held about $50 million in deposits from around 1,000 members.[19] On April 28, 2020, JetSuite's parent company Superior Air Charter LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with Wilcox attributing the company's collapse to a 90% decrease in business caused by widespread stay-at-home orders.[3]

Services

JetSuite offered charter flights on its fleet of Embraer Phenom 100s, Phenom 300s and a Legacy 650. Amenities included WiFi-enabled private flights throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.[8][10] Unlike many of its counterparts, JetSuite did not require membership nor ownership fees, and offered guaranteed online pricing. JetSuite offered an optional "SuiteKey" membership program in which customers would make non-refundable deposits of $100,000 to $500,000 and redeem them for flights at predetermined hourly rates within 24 months.[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.[13]

In May 2018, JetSuite's SuiteKey program was named as one of the "Best Jet Cards for Summer Travel" by Private Jet Card Comparisons.[21]

JSX

On April 5, 2016 JetSuite announced JetSuiteX, since renamed JSX. The airline began by offering scheduled flights under DOT 14 CFR Part 380 as an FAA Part 135 on-demand charter operator with DOT Commuter Authority between Concord Buchanan Field Airport (CA), Bob Hope (Burbank) Airport (CA), Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (CA) , Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (NV), Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (MT) and starting October 17, 2016, McClellan–Palomar Airport .[22][23] The flights are operated by Embraer ERJ-135 and ERJ-145 jets in a 30-seat configuration. JetSuiteX has a partnership with JetBlue to allow members of the "True Blue" frequent-flyer program to earn points towards JetBlue flights.[23] In February 2018, JetSuite announced a promotion that provides its SuiteKey jet card members to take unlimited free flights on JetSuiteX, its semi-private air service.[24] On August 8, 2019, JetSuiteX was re-branded as JSX.

Fleet

As of October 2019[25], the JetSuite fleet consisted of:

JetSuite Fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
Embraer Phenom 100 4 — 4 operated by Superior Air Charter
Embraer Phenom 300 8 — 7 operated by Superior Air Charter
Total 13 —

Awards
  • INC Hire Power Award[26]
  • 2012, 2013 and 2014 Federal Aviation Administration’s Diamond Award of Excellence for Aviation Maintenance Technician[27]
  • 2012 and 2013 ARG/US Platinum Safety Rating[20]
  • 2014 International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registered[28]
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References
  1. "JetSuite". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  2. Evan Hoopfer (April 17, 2020). "Dallas private aviation company halts flying, furloughs 'most' crew members". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  3. O'Donnell, Paul (April 28, 2020). "Dallas private aviation service JetSuite's parent company files for bankruptcy". The Dallas Morning News. Dallas, Texas. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  4. "JetSuite Leadership". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  5. Kristina Peterson (June 29, 2011). "Republicans, Jet Industry Delicately Defend Tax Breaks". JetSuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  6. "Why new arrival JetSuite ditched California for Dallas to grow its private jet business". Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  7. "Untitled" (Press release). JetSuite. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020. JetSuite has safely operated over 111,000 flights since 2009. It will seek bankruptcy protection to reorganize, preserve and maximize the value of its assets, and potentially resume operations.
  8. PETER SANDERS (October 26, 2010). "Charter-Jet Operator Lifts Low-Cost Airline Playbook". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  9. "Jetsuite Alex Wilcox". Forbes. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  10. "JetSuite CEO on Private Jet Business". Fox Business. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  11. "Private Jet Budget". CNN Money. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  12. Tsotsis, Alexia (September 13, 2011). "Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh Leads $7M Round In Private Jet Company JetSuite". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  13. KATHERINE DUNCAN (July 25, 2012). "JetSuite Brings Efficiency and Speed to the Private-Jet Set". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  14. Scott Friedman (February 3, 2011). "Private Jets for the Price of a Plane Ticket". NBCDFW. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  15. "Clay Lacy Aviation's Award-Winning Maintenance Repair Station Climbing High". Aviation News. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  16. Bachman, Justin (12 April 2018). "Qatar Airways and JetBlue Help Boutique Charter Go National". Bloomberg. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  17. "An Aviation Industry Exec Who's Smashing Barriers". 4 November 2018.
  18. Private Jet Card Comparisons https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2020/04/16/jetsuite-grounds-fleet-amid-covid-19-coronavirus-crisis/
  19. "An estimated $50 million in jet card deposits are at stake in JetSuite's shutdown". privatejetcardcomparisons.com. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  20. "Jetsuite Safety". Jetsuite. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  21. "Private Jet Card Comparisons selects "Best Jet Cards For Summer Travel"". 22 May 2018.
  22. Annie Sciacca (5 April 2016). "Concord Buchanan Field: new commercial flights to Burbank, Las Vegas". East Bay Times. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  23. "JetSuiteX Home Page". 5 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  24. "JetSuite Launches Fly Free Jet Card Promotion With JetSuiteX". 1 February 2018.
  25. https://www.jetsuite.com/our-aircraft
  26. "Meet the Job Creators". INC. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  27. "Bell & Ross Vintage Collection". Dapperd. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  28. "Introduction to IS-BAO – Get Started". International Business Aviation Council. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
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