Wheels Up waives membership fees for JetSuite jet card customers

SuiteKey members save the normal $17,500 joining and membership fee

Wheels Up is offering customers of now grounded JetSuite the ability to fly in its membership program waiving the $17,500 joining and initiation fees.

The private aviation membership club is also offering SuiteKey customers the same benefits found with a $100,000 deposit.

Wheels Up also has a pay-as-you-go option once you join. However, customers can also deposit funds to receive enhanced terms. Benefits at the 100k level include guaranteed availability 365 days a year, shorter daily minimums, and lower call-outs for reservations.

In an email sent to a SuiteKey member, a Wheels Up representative wrote, “I wanted to reach out to introduce myself and in the light of the recent JetSuite news, offer our assistance for your upcoming needs.

“To that end, we are extending to you a complimentary Wheels Up Core Membership through 12/31/2020. Through this complimentary membership, there is no requirement to pre-fund with a deposit and for the membership, we waived the initiation fee through December 2020.”

The letter goes on to state, “This membership will give you full access to the Wheels Up Program, with a rule set normally reserved for $100,000 purchasers, including the ability to book and fly with as little as 24 hours’ notice, with 365 days of guaranteed availability at capped hourly rates and dynamic pricing across 5 aircraft categories.”

An official with Wheels Up confirmed the offer is valid for any SuiteKey member with a remaining balance.

Largest U.S. Part 135 Charter Operator

Wheels Up Group is now the largest Part 135 operator in the U.S., according to Argus Traqpak. In the past year, it acquired Travel Management Company, Delta Private Jets, and Gama Aviation Signature. The latter has operated the Wheels Up branded fleet since the company’s inception in 2013.

Since its Chapter 11 filing, FlyExclusive, OneFlight International, Concord Private Jet, and Alliance Aviation have all made special offers to JetSuite’s customers.

Except for Alliance and now Wheels Up, the other offers each require some type of deposit.

The Wheels Up programs offers light, midsize, super-midsize, and large cabin jets in addition to its King Air 350i fleet. All three of the Wheels Up operators are Argus Platinum, IS-BAO Stage 3, and Wyvern rated. Its membership program also has an extensive vetting process of off-fleet providers.

Last month Wheels Up announced an effort to secure donations to support the distribution of 10 million meals for those impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic in a program dubbed Meals Up. This website is donating $75 from each paid subscription in April and May to the same initiative, Feed America’s COVID Relief Fund.