Here's why you may never hear the name Jet Excellence

Jet Excellence is the newest name in private jet operators, but don’t expect to hear much about it.

During an interview at NBAA-BACE, Founder and Chairman McQueen Campbell said he has no ambitions to become a consumer brand.

But what is Jet Excellence?

Simply put, it is Bellair’s rebrand.

Oh, and what was Bellair?

Bellair was one of the hundreds of operators that supply flights to your broker, brokered jet card programs, and supplement hybrid broker and jet card programs when they need flights beyond their own fleets.

In fact, there are over 600 operators in the U.S. that provide charter jets, according to the most recent FAA data.

The rebrand follows Campbell’s acquisition of Red Wing Aero from Vista, which you read about here first.

Red Wing, which Vista bought back in 2020, was also one of those behind-the-scenes operators.

Citation Xs

The deal brought the Vista Citation X fleet to the North Carolina charter operator.

In one swoop, its fleet increased fourfold.

When all is said and done, Jet Excellence will be flying nearly 30 of the aging Citation Xs, which were once the flagship of the former XOJet fleet.

In their heyday, the super-midsize jets were favored by CEOs and high-profile personalities for their record-breaking speed.

Famous owners included Arnold Palmer, Nelson Piquet, and a real estate developer named Donald J. Trump.

Campbell says if you step inside the former Vista Citation Xs, you would think they just came out of the factory.

Before deciding to sell off the fleet, Vista outfitted them with the plush interiors for which VistaJet is famous.

Bellair’s existing Citation Xs have already been refurbished, adding high-speed WiFi, or will be shortly.

Campbell says providing a high-quality, consistent experience is critical to what he wants to do.

While the Citation Xs don’t offer the roomy stand-up cabin of the Challenger 300 series, they have, for years, provided the inventory for cross-country flights under $30,000 promoted by Wheels Up and XO.

Today’s sub-$40,000 may be the new version of $30,000 transcontinental pricing; however, it is the industry’s Citation X fleet that mainly provides that lead pricing on those routes.

For folks who want a deal, it can often mean saving as much as $20,000 compared to fixed-rate jet card pricing or to the more spacious Challengers.

It also means how Jet Excellence deploys the fleet will make it a market mover in the super-midsize market.

Wholesale Focus

So, why won’t you be getting offers and promotions from Jet Excellence?

Campbell (pictured above on the left with President/COO Michael Vargo and VP-Business Development Zach Palmer) has no plans to offer jet cards, memberships, or fractional ownership.

Instead, like many other operators, it will focus on the wholesale market.

That means it doesn’t have to guarantee availability – or pricing.

There won’t be the expense of marketing to consumers.

Instead, Jet Excellence will continue the Bellair approach of serving other operators and brokers, including those that have their own jet card and fractional programs.

Vargo is considered a Citation X whisperer in the industry.

He served as a senior executive at Mountain Aviation, a large Citation X operator.

Vargo then joined Wheels Up after the company’s acquisition.

Wheels Up, at one point, operated over 50 Citation Xs.

Vargo came to Bellair in January 2024.

Palmer and Vargo say part of their wholesale strategy is to maintain a reserve fleet to recover their own mechanical cancellations.

If you have ever had a requote when your broker calls to say the operator canceled due to a mechanical issue, you know firsthand the scramble that goes on behind the scenes.

For jet card sellers who offer guaranteed availability, pricing, and recovery, last-minute operator cancellations can often result in losses on the recovery flight.

READ: Where does your jet card private jet come from?

Fly Excellence Future Impact

Perhaps the most interesting part of the Jet Excellence story is what’s next for fleet development.

Campbell says he is actively talking to wholesale customers.

He wants to learn which fleets they would like to access in the future.

Looking three to five years down the road, there could be a large number of Challenger 300s and early Phenom 300s onto the pre-owned market.

With more broker, hybrid, and even fleet jet card programs offering premium super-midsize products around stand-up cabins and premium light jet packages around the Phenom 300, the executives say the future Jet Excellence fleet will in large part be shaped by what their wholesale partners believe will best fit with the products they want to bring to consumers.

So, when will you hear about Jet  Excellence?

They hope you see their name quite a bit.

That’s when your flight provider sends you the flight confirmation with the name of the operator.