March 5, 2024
Late Friday, Jet Linx Aviation sent an email advising prospects it was temporarily suspending sales of new jet cards. The move was effective immediately.
It comes the day after Sentient Jet joined NetJets and its aircraft management arm EJM in halting jet card sales.
In the email, provided to Private Jet Card Comparisons, a sales director wrote, “To proactively manage the unprecedented flight activity the industry is forecasting for this holiday season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jet Linx is temporarily suspending the sales of new Jet Cards, effective October 1, 2021.”
It continued, “This pause in sales will ensure we are able to better serve our current jet card members during our Peak Travel Days.”
Over the summer Jet, Linx, like others, hiked rates and increased daily minimums. It also expanded the window on peak days it can accelerate or delay departures. It upped the window from the previous industry standard three hours to six hours in either direction.
However, it hadn’t changed its non-peak call-out, which varies between 24 and 72 hours, based on program type.
Jet Linx, the sixth-largest operator in the U.S., based on combined fractional and charter hours, noted it is “actively adding more aircraft, further optimizing our national fleet, and subcontracting safety-audited and approved operators to back-up our fleet.”
Sales reps for the company have been telling prospects it is close to acquiring at least one new operator.
Over the past several years Omaha-based Jet Linx has been expanding its base locations. It opened Teterboro and Minneapolis acquiring management and charter books from other business aviation companies.
It is due to open its first base in Florida, at Miami’s Opa Locka Executive Airport, later this month. That will give it a presence in 14 of the 25 busiest private jet airports in the country.
Earlier this year it launched a joint ownership program as a way to expand its fleet.
Record demand combined with supply chain and labor shortages has caused challenges for operators and brokers in recent months.
NetJets was the first major player to suspend card sales in August.
Jets.com, a midsized broker also stopped card sales, however, last week it relaunched its program.
There are over 50 providers still selling card programs. It’s those selling cards with fixed or capped rates and guaranteed availability that are under the most pressure.
As charter prices have been spiking, more on-demand charter flyers have been eschewing dynamic pricing to lock in fixed rates, which are often guaranteed for up to 12 months. Of course, the companies selling fixed-rate cards with guaranteed access then have to fulfill those flight requests at the specified price when customers call.
Officials at Jet Linx were not available for comment at the time of publication.
