Fly Like You Own It – Pay Like You Don’t!

Lauren Mark
Email: Lauren@BlueStarJets.com

News keeps filtering in of large corporates closing the hangar doors to their flight departments due to the looming shadow cast by the cost of enforced economic prudence, not to mention the widespread demonization of corporate aircraft from the ever-loudening green and “greenback” lobbies. This is aside from the fact that business aviation has been shown to contribute a measly 0.2 percent of the total global carbon emissions. But fear not, for a new star is rising in the South, bringing new light into the African corporate flight market.

One glaring fact has become increasingly obvious as decision makers are being forced to do without their business jets, and this is that the corporate jet is far more than just a luxury. In today’s express-paced world, the business jet is an absolutely essential means of doing business that promotes efficiency, saves money, and offers unmatched levels of safety and privacy. The big secret is to use the right tool, for the right job. New to the African market, Blue Star Jets (BSJ) is the world’s most comprehensive and efficient private-jet brokerage company. With access to operators of the largest networks of luxury flights, BSJ is able to arrange access to the ideal jet for any given flight to any destination in the world on a moment's notice, putting the decisions on aircraft suitability into professional hands.

BSJ was started by a group of business executiveswho regularly travelled on private aircraft but were feeling frustrated with both the lack of service and the cost of flying privately. They quickly realised that most business and leisure travellers using private jets did not need to own a full or a fractional share of a jet, and would respond favourably to a more cost effective and flexible alternative.

BSJ does not manage or operate aircraft on behalf of its clients. Rather, it assists clients in finding the best operators for any aircraft, to best suit their requirements. BSJ’s objective is to offer clients an attractive and lower-cost alternative to the high costs of fractional ownership.

Its motto: ANY JET, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE™ means that clients will enjoy the freedom of not having the obligations and constraints of fractional ownership, no contracts to pay, and the flexibility of being able to use the best aircraft for each trip instead of the one fractionally owned. Clients only pay for trips taken, and will have access to the right aircraft for the job even if they give as little as four hours notice.

To maximise the advantage of its extensive domestic and international network, Blue Star Jets uses systems that locate the optimal aircraft for specific travel needs and budget. Set up around aviation specialists who serve as brokers, BSJ is able to obtain at least three competitive bids on each flight request, utilising only the most modern fleets and experienced flight crews. The savings from the competitive bidding process can then be passed on to the client.

Blue Star Jets also subscribes to the Wyvern Standard, today’s benchmark for business aviation safety. The standards are an enhanced set of safety measurement criteria, which were developed over the years in cooperation with the Wyvern Customer Advisory Board.

Talk is cheap though; the real story can be observed in the following statistical summaries of US business aircraft accidents: Of all the 1,177 fatalities from January 1991 to April 2009, none (zero percent) involved a Wyvern-recommended aircraft or aircrew. This is directly attributed to the stringent audits in terms of aircraft, maintenance and crews that need to be passed in order to remain Wyvern accredited.

Key to the operation are the specialists available on call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address the client’s specific requirements. Every need, from the food enjoyed onboard, to the make and model of jets preferred, is addressed, with everything in between taken care of, meaning it is literally a case of hopping onboard and launching into the great blue yonder.

Private Jet SkyCard™ Luxury Charter Programme

As an alternative to costly fractional aircraft ownership, the Blue Star Jet SkyCard entitles members to special privileges and services designed to make the charter flight experience the best it can be.

This programme has overwhelming benefits over the fractional ownership model in that it has five different levels on offer to match personal and business travel needs, with special charter jet services at each level – including free upgrades. Clients have the ability to extend available SkyCard flight privileges to anyone in their family or company, and only one card is needed for any chartered flight.

As an added benefit, the card includes a personal travel consultant as well as personal concierge services to assist with travel, dining and entertainment arrangements. Furthermore, there are no membership fees, no costs involved with aircraft acquisition or management fees, and no long-term contractual commitments. With services including private jets, executive jets, air charter, air cargo, aircraft rentals, and even aircraft ownership, Blue Star Jets is a one-stop solution to satisfy the most demanding of aviation asset requirements.