Private jet operator XOJet is marketing an "all-in" transcontinental one-way trial offer rate of $25,000 for flights across the USA in the company's fleet of 24 Cessna Citation X super-midsize jets, a strategy designed to capture a growing number of business travellers investigating membership models.
"Fewer people are buying private jets and looking at membership models instead," says XOJet chief marketing officer Adam Komack, "and the people who were buying fractionals are now doing one-off charters. I don't think customers are dropping out of the bottom and going back to commercial [airlines], but the type of buying has changed over the past four months."
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While XOJet gives members the option for ownership, leasing and on-demand services, the fixed-price offer is aimed at new members who may want to "move up" in the product line based on a positive first experience. "From what we see in our market research, there's not something like this in place year round [at other companies]," Komack says of the fixed-price deal, which eliminates hourly rates, fuel surcharges and repositioning fees and includes ground transport in both the departure and arrival cities. "When a charter broker gives you a price, it's all inclusive, but it might not be on the next day."
Komack says the offer is not guaranteed for any specific period of time and the price will change if the economics change. "I'm still committed to keeping it in the value range," he adds.
Preferred airports at which the $25,000 rate is available include business aviation hub airports in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego and Phoenix.
XOJet features a new fleet of 24 Citation X twinjets, the fastest civilian aircraft available with a M0.92 maximum cruise speed, and fewer members per jet, according to the company. XOJet's fleet is expected to reach 127 Citation X and Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft by 2012. The first Challenger 300 arrives in October, says Komack.
Source: Flight International
