By: Alaina Mabasa
Private jet membership and on-demand charter company XOJet continues to broaden its palette of efficiency-boosting offerings. The company hosted a small group of journalists in New York on 3 February to demonstrate several new enhancements, including helicopter shuttle service from major Northeast US cities to Teterboro for transcontinental jet service on the company's 24 Wi-Fi-equipped Bombardier Challenger 300s and Cessna Citation Xs.
With is Aircell GoGo-equipped fleet, XOJet's business charter clients can access the internet on laptops, netbooks and smartphones above 10,000ft (3,048m) coast to coast. During a demonstration at 11,500ft and M0.82, guests on the Challenger 300 were able to access websites and email on XOJet-provided Apple iPads. A new "Coast2Coast" programme for clients who fly across the US at least three times per year guarantees unlimited access to the fleet for fixed rates of up to 30% lower than competitors', says XOJet chief executive Blair LaCorte. This month, the company also opened a sales office in New York, a nod its 50% year-over-year hours and revenue growth overall in 2010, 60% of which took place at its New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco locations.
While the internet is now seamless across the country, access to XOJet aircraft at business aviation's portal to New York - Teterboro Airport - is also easier with a new interline agreement with New York-based HeliFlite. Booking through XOJet, customers can schedule a helicopter shuttle on twin-engine Bell 430s or Sikorsky S-76s to and from Teterboro from as far away as Boston or Washington. Newark-based HeliFlite operates flights within a 250mn (463km) radius of New York City.
Source: Flight International
