June 20, 2024
How does an on-fleet membership program keep selling with record demand and limited supply?
VistaJet is now focusing on flyers who clock at least 100 hours per year for its Program fixed-rate jet card membership.
Chief Commerical Officer Ian Moore says while the Program still starts at 50 hours, new pricing favors joiners who fly at least 100 hours per year.
VistaJet doesn’t publish a rate card, but negotiates pricing on a per client basis.
New customers also face blackout dates during their first 90 days of membership, Moore says.
Those dates mirror “do not quote dates.” On those says, VistaJet will not quote flights for non-members.
The restrictions are meant to protect availability for existing customers.
“We aren’t looking for the person who is calling to join on Friday because they need to fly Monday,” Moore said during an interview at EBACE in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday.
With record demand, capacity is being stretched in part by VistaJet’s ongoing refurbishment program that is reaching across its entire fleet.
Originally supposed to be done by the end of this year, it will now last into early 2023.
The reason is supply chain delays and staffing shortages at MROs. A typical refurbishment that would have taken four weeks now can stretch to over eight weeks.
At the same time, minor maintenance that normally could be taken care of in hours now puts an airplane out of service for several days.
By focusing on having fewer new customers who fly more and metering their flights in the first three months, Moore says VistaJet has found a balance that is working.
VistaJet has been expanding its fleet with more Global 7500s and Challenger 350s from Bombardier.
Separately, the operator reaffirmed its commitment to being carbon neutral by 2025. It also published an updated white paper titled, “Sustainability in Aviation.”
