82.1 F
San Fernando
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

N.Y.-Burbank Route Raises New Airline

A new entrant into the private charter airline industry in the San Fernando Valley has gained traction as it pursues growth in its membership-based business model. New York Jet Club operates out of Van Nuys and Hollywood Burbank airports using Gulfstream aircraft that are maintained and staffed by its partner, Global Exec Aviation, in Long Beach. The Burbank company offers weekly scheduled service each way between Los Angeles and New York for its members, as well as between New York to London, Dubai and China. There are also private charter services to locations throughout the world Spring Saunders, the founder and chief executive, said New York Jet Club is specifically targeting corporate clients with its service to New York. The price for a one-way single seat is $3,300 while an all-you-can-fly membership is $25,000 for individuals and $50,000 for corporations per year. “It is still not an extravagant price that people cannot afford on an amazing aircraft,” Saunders said. The club’s business model is not widely used in the aviation industry. Saunders said there are only two others doing something similar – Surf Air, which flies out of Hollywood Burbank, and JetSmarter, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But Surf Air, which charges $1,950 a month for individual memberships, only operates between cities in California with prop-powered Pilatus aircraft. JetSmarter, like Jet Club, flies longer distances and has scheduled service. Saunders started New York Jet Club about a year ago, after operating Empire Concierge that catered to upscale Chinese travelers. Born in Japan, Saunders grew up the daughter of parents who traveled the world doing humanitarian work. She moved to the U.S. in 2014 after attending school in China. Today, the concierge service has been folded into the jet club, she said. New York Jet Club was devised to be self-sustaining and no outside investment has been put into the company, Saunders said. “We earn money in order to finance what we are doing,” she explained. The club’s aircraft use only general aviation airports where clients are able to drive up directly to the plane and get on board, thus avoiding hassles common at commercial airports. At Teterboro Airport, outside New York, the club offers helicopter service into Manhattan that is included in the price of a membership. While the scheduled flights are only once a week, Saunders is confident that will change as more people join. “What we are doing is making it a low price so we can gain a large number of members and get our routes going more than once a week,” she said. – Mark R. Madler

Mark Madler
Mark Madler
Mark R. Madler covers aviation & aerospace, manufacturing, technology, automotive & transportation, media & entertainment and the Antelope Valley. He joined the company in February 2006. Madler previously worked as a reporter for the Burbank Leader. Before that, he was a reporter for the City News Bureau of Chicago and several daily newspapers in the suburban Chicago area. He has a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Featured Articles

Related Articles