By-the-seat Fleet Clubs is pushing its Miami-Vail launch to November and Miami-Long Island to Summer 2024 while planning a Ft. Lauderdale-Newark club.
Founders of the Fleet Clubs say early joiners of the start-up jet-sharing service are willing to wait for a good thing as the membership program pushes back its launch for a second time.
Last October, the semi-private membership play said it would start Miami-Islip, Long Island, flights last December and Miami-Vail flights in March.
In January, it said the Colorado start was being moved to June.
It also said it had selected Sun Country as the provider.
The members only-service is designed to replicate similar VIP shuttles between the West Coast and Hawaii.
Flyers save time by using private jet terminals.
During a press event today at Miami International Airport, CEO and Co-Founder Bernard Schwartz tells Private Jet Card Comparisons Vail will start in November.
Plans are for year-round service with two-to-three weekly flights during the peak winter season.
Long Island won’t begin until the Summer of 2024. However, there are now plans for an Ft. Lauderdale-Newark routing.
Flight pricing MIA-EGE starts at $2,100 each way, with MIA-ISP priced at $1,250 per leg.
Packages begin at $50,000, according to executives.
Schwartz says he has now settled on Miami-based GlobalX as the operator.
GlobalX has six airliners that can be configured into an executive layout.
The Airbus A320 used for the press conference seats 68 passengers in a 2×2 configuration. The seats recline, have a 44-to-47-inch pitch and have extendable footrests.
Schwartz says he still plans to have his own aircraft with custom-designed seats and interior. However, that is several years away.
The airplanes will have gourmet catering, and the club envisions luxury partnerships.
The founder says he is not getting any pushback from members about the delays.
One Fleet Club executive told the media, “Our members all have current solutions. They like our concept, and they’ve told us they want us to do it correctly and let them know when we are ready to go.”
Schwartz, whose family is a member of one of the Hawaii shuttles, says they took around two years to get off the ground and now have waiting lists.
He says delays are, in part, ensuring it has the right mix of members, which means long-term residents who are committed to the route.
An industry insider says Fleet Club will need to contract with a provider at least three to six months before the launch.
“These airplanes aren’t just sitting on the ground. They have commitments for live entertainment tours, sports teams, and corporate shuttles. If you are going to be flying a schedule with multiple flights per week, you need to get it on the calendar,” he says.
A GlobalX brochure shows it flew 30 teams that participated in last year’s NCAA college basketball playoffs, termed March Madness.
Schwartz says so far none of the members who’ve signed up so far have asked for a refund.
