Although the general economic outlook is still murky, one corner of the market - business travel - bodes well for the immediate future. According to International Business Times and the Global Business Travel Association, business travel increased in 2010 and is expected to grow up to 6.7% this year and another 6.9% in 2012. Companies that address this growth in a creative way will be in the enviable position of adding to their own bottom line while further supporting the economic recovery on a number of levels.
Traditionally, Fortune 500 companies have had to spend a lot of money up-front on acquisition costs with long-term contracts and maintenance fees for their top executives to travel on private aircraft rather than commercial flights, with the operator providing little service beyond ferrying them from point A to point B.
A new executive charter company, Skynet Aviation Group, offers a fresh take on the corporate travel experience, and is positioned to take advantage of the growth in business travel by providing service, access and value beyond the basics. Paul Levine and Benjamin Head, managing directors, created a new kind of charter service based on the personal touch - what they like to call "white glove and red carpet" customer care. "High-level executives use private aviation because it saves time and money," notes Levine. "But until now, they've had no alternative to paying up-front for contracts and indifferent treatment. We offer the flexibility of 'on-demand' service with no monthly maintenance or long-term commitment fees, plus personal concierge service that they can't find anywhere else."
Although Skynet Aviation Group is a new company, both Head and Levine have years of experience in the industry and know their market well. "Business needs private aviation to thrive," says Head. "Executives and CEO's spend a lot of hours in the air, and we wanted to give them an experience that offers the whole package; safety, flexibility and global access along with a personal travel concierge that allows our clients to focus on business while we focus on all of the details of their trip." Each client has one Skynet Aviation Group contact who personally manages every leg of the trip, ensuring VIP treatment from door-to-door and keeping the client's home office appraised of his progress with an exclusive "flight following" program.
Leveraging their combined experience and contacts, Head and Levine developed the largest fleet of luxury charter aircraft in the U.S., Europe, Caribbean and South America, and implemented a rigorous safety program, recognized as one of the industry's finest. Their unique take on the business extends to their approach to marketing. Instead of the traditional print and media campaign they connect directly with Fortune 500 clients by participating in business conferences, summits and ultra high-end luxury events. Says Head, "We are using our marketing budget to put us face to face with the people who can afford and need to use our services." This efficient and effective strategy includes sponsorship of the recent Boat International Mega Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous in the British Virgin Islands. In addition, Skynet Aviation Group is the exclusive aviation sponsor of the Institutional Investor Hedge Fund Conference in Bermuda later this spring (May 1 - 3), providing delegates and attendees unrestricted access to Skynet Aviation Group's global fleet of aircraft.
Thinking outside the business travel box is paying off. In their first year of business, Head and Levine are projecting four to five million dollars in revenue, with referrals from corporate clients (90% of their business base) accounting for a large part of the growth. It's clear that personal service and a true VIP experience are striking a chord in the corporate travel world, a fact that surprises no one at Skynet Aviation Group. "Our brand equity is in our clients," says Levine. "We just know we're positioned to be successful."
Traditionally, Fortune 500 companies have had to spend a lot of money up-front on acquisition costs with long-term contracts and maintenance fees for their top executives to travel on private aircraft rather than commercial flights, with the operator providing little service beyond ferrying them from point A to point B.
A new executive charter company, Skynet Aviation Group, offers a fresh take on the corporate travel experience, and is positioned to take advantage of the growth in business travel by providing service, access and value beyond the basics. Paul Levine and Benjamin Head, managing directors, created a new kind of charter service based on the personal touch - what they like to call "white glove and red carpet" customer care. "High-level executives use private aviation because it saves time and money," notes Levine. "But until now, they've had no alternative to paying up-front for contracts and indifferent treatment. We offer the flexibility of 'on-demand' service with no monthly maintenance or long-term commitment fees, plus personal concierge service that they can't find anywhere else."
Although Skynet Aviation Group is a new company, both Head and Levine have years of experience in the industry and know their market well. "Business needs private aviation to thrive," says Head. "Executives and CEO's spend a lot of hours in the air, and we wanted to give them an experience that offers the whole package; safety, flexibility and global access along with a personal travel concierge that allows our clients to focus on business while we focus on all of the details of their trip." Each client has one Skynet Aviation Group contact who personally manages every leg of the trip, ensuring VIP treatment from door-to-door and keeping the client's home office appraised of his progress with an exclusive "flight following" program.
Leveraging their combined experience and contacts, Head and Levine developed the largest fleet of luxury charter aircraft in the U.S., Europe, Caribbean and South America, and implemented a rigorous safety program, recognized as one of the industry's finest. Their unique take on the business extends to their approach to marketing. Instead of the traditional print and media campaign they connect directly with Fortune 500 clients by participating in business conferences, summits and ultra high-end luxury events. Says Head, "We are using our marketing budget to put us face to face with the people who can afford and need to use our services." This efficient and effective strategy includes sponsorship of the recent Boat International Mega Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous in the British Virgin Islands. In addition, Skynet Aviation Group is the exclusive aviation sponsor of the Institutional Investor Hedge Fund Conference in Bermuda later this spring (May 1 - 3), providing delegates and attendees unrestricted access to Skynet Aviation Group's global fleet of aircraft.
Thinking outside the business travel box is paying off. In their first year of business, Head and Levine are projecting four to five million dollars in revenue, with referrals from corporate clients (90% of their business base) accounting for a large part of the growth. It's clear that personal service and a true VIP experience are striking a chord in the corporate travel world, a fact that surprises no one at Skynet Aviation Group. "Our brand equity is in our clients," says Levine. "We just know we're positioned to be successful."
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