Wheels Up Executive Overview
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Leadership | Kenneth Dichter, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Vinayak Hegde, President Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Bergeron, Chief Operating Officer Eric Jacobs, Chief Financial Officer Lee Applbaum, Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Chung, Chief Growth Officer Gene McKenna, Chief Product Officer Lee Gossett, Chief Flight Operations Officer Greg Greeley, Chairman, Wheels Up Marketplace Laura Heltebran, Chief Legal Officer Jason Horowitz, Chief Business Officer Stevens J. Sainte-Rose, Chief People Officer Ken Napolitano, Chief Sales Officer Daniel Tharp, Chief Platform Officer, Operator Services Phil Dodyk, Chief Aircraft Management Officer Gregg Fahrenbruch, Executive Vice President Ravi Thakran, Director Timothy Armstrong, Director |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Jet Card Hourly Rates | King Air 350i from $4,995, plus FET |
| Related Products | Aircraft Management, Aircraft Maintenance, Aircraft Sales, FBO, On-demand Charters, Empty Legs |
| Related Companies | Delta Air Lines, Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle, Avianis, Mountain Aviation |
Wheels Up Experience Inc. is the new name of Wheels Up Partners Holdings LLC following its merger with Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp. It continues to be known as Wheels Up.
It is the largest Part 135 operator and has the second-largest fleet for hire in the U.S., behind NetJets. In a 20-month span through January 2021, it acquired TMC Jets, tech platform Avianis, Delta Private Jets, Gama Aviation Signature, and Mountain Aviation.
The acquisition of Delta Private Jets made Delta Air Lines the largest shareholder in the company (Review private jet fractional and membership company M&A activity with our PRIVATE AVIATION DEAL BOOK.) Following Wheels Up’s IPO Delta Air Lines remains the largest shareholder.
Wheels Up offers a variety of membership options across its fleet of 170 King Air 350i turboprops, Citation Excel/XLS, and Citation X jets, as well as managed aircraft and off-fleet through partner operators. It is a leader in jet sharing with flights by the seat and split between members.
In November 2021, it retooled its membership program, increasing rates, minimums, and call-outs, but maintaining the number of peak days.
It has a wide variety of partnerships, including the NFL Players Association, Porsche, American Express, Costco, Landry’s, Waldorf Astoria, and Inspirato.
It said it would launch a helicopter service via a partnership with Textron Bell in 2021. No further announcements have been made.
The company was founded in 2013 by its CEO Kenny Dichter and veterans of Marquis Jet Partners. It is based in New York City.
Following a SPAC merger with Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle, Wheels Up is a pure-play publicly traded private jet operator and a broker. It trades on the NYSE under the symbol UP.
Wheels Up is included in Private Jet Card Comparisons’ database of over 50 jet card providers, enabling you to compare programs in minutes.
When was the company founded?
2013
Who owns Wheels Up?
The company is publicly traded on the NYSE as UP. Delta Air Lines is the largest shareholder with 52 million shares, representing 17.6% of common shares. Fidelity related entities hold 17 million shares. Founder Kenny Dichter owns 15.4 million shares, representing 5.2% of equity as of July 2021. CFO Eric Jacobs and CBO Jason Horowitz each hold approximately 1.8 million shares.
Who is the CEO?
Kenny Dichter is the founder and CEO. He previously founded Marquis Jet Partners in 2001 generating approximately $4 billion in jet card sales before selling to NetJets in 2010.
How are aircraft sourced?
The company uses owned and managed aircraft, plus private jets from vetted charter operators. As of July 2021, it has approximately 170 owned or leased aircraft, 170 managed aircraft, and its partner operators control 1,200 aircraft.
Wheels Up Owned/Leased Fleet (June 2021)
| Aircraft | Size | Number in Fleet |
| King Air 350i | Turboprop | 85 |
| Hawker 400XP | Light Jet | 28 |
| Citation Excel/XLS | Midsize | 15 |
| Citation X | Super Midsize | 38 |
| Gulfstream G450 | Large | 3 |
What are the initiation and membership fees?
The first-year initiation fee for families and individuals is $17,500 for its Core membership. Renewal is $8,500. It also has a corporate program, while the Wheels Up Connect program targets flight-sharing and is priced at $2,950. In addition to selling directly to the public, since 2015 a Wheels Up Costco partnership allows members of the big-box retailer to join at a discount.
Do they provide guaranteed availability?
Yes, with limited exceptions based on program level
Is the hourly rate guaranteed?
Yes. On its Core Membership and Corporate Membership, Wheels Up offers capped hourly rates. It then tries to provide lower rates using its owned and managed fleet of over 350 aircraft and an additional safety-vetted fleet of over 1,200 private jets and turboprops.
Can jet card holders/members use multiple aircraft at the same time?
Yes, varies by membership type
What is the company website?
https://wheelsup.com/
Where is the headquarters?
New York, NY
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