Be honest. How many times during a long flight do you say to yourself, “I’m so fed up with commercial travel, I just can't take it anymore”?
Sure you always fly “first class” but really that's nothing more than a roomier seat, maybe some warm nuts with your boarding cocktail, hot food on a plate, and a bit more attention. You still deal with the same delays, long lines, sub-par food and wine, indifferent flight attendants, dirty planes, antiquated entertainment systems, and malfunctioning seats, just as the rest of the flying cattle do.
Do you truly want a better experience? Then meet Privé, and David Mendal Chairman, Isaac Grimberg CEO, and Andres Arboleda COO; your new best friends.
JustLuxe had a conversation with Prive's Andres Arboleda recently and we asked what you need to know.
JustLuxe: Hello Mr. Arboleda. Thanks so much for talking with us about your on-demand fight service and charter company, Privé. Where are the planes based and which locations do you serve?
Andres Arboleda: Privé planes are based in various locations around the world; we have access to the entire marketplace which is over 6,000 planes worldwide.
JL : Are any attendants on board?
Flight attendants are standard on the larger planes like heavyjets and airliners. But if requested by the client, one can be put on pretty much any plane.
JL: What is your on-board catering like?
AA: In the Americas, standard catering consists of soft drinks and dry snacks, which is included in price. In Europe, Middle East and Asia the standard catering usually consists of a meal that coincides with the time of the day and is included in price.
But we are able to order any dish the client wishes to eat for an additional cost. In the past, we’ve fielded requests for everything from sushi to a meal from a local restaurant, and we’re careful with respect to allergies or dietary restrictions. We also have no problem making sure a favorite wine or flower bouquet is on board.
JL: What types of planes do you offer for short hops, or long?
AA: We arrange all types and categories of aircraft. A combination of factors like duration of the flight, passenger capacity, and client’s preference determines which plane is used for a trip. For example, typically speaking, for flights under four hours, light and midsize jets are perfect. Between 4-6 hours we suggest super midsize jets. And for larger parties or flights over six hours the heavyjets are a must. We work very closely with each client to ensure the plane chosen is a perfect match.
We have a list of planes.
JL: How long have you been in business? Can you give us a bit of backstory on that?
AA: Privé was founded in January 2007 and was created based on a need for experts in the private jet charter world. We combined our knowledge of aircraft and our knowledge of the logistics of global aviation, to create a company culture that is client focused. We work to ensure our clients get not only the best plane for their flight but also the best price in the market.
JL: Sounds Good. Would you tell me some basic info and is it a buy-in?
AA: Our clients have two options on how to use our services:
They can fly on demand, what is commonly referred to as “pay as you go.” There’s no commitment or obligation, just call us when you need a plane and we make sure you have one in as little as four hours notice anywhere in the world.
Alternately, frequent fliers can become holders of the Jet Setter Card. Card holders take advantage of our preferred pricing (between three to six percent discounts on hourly cost) and preferred availability. Starting at 100K, the Jet Setter Card allows clients to travel via private jet at any time, day or location in the world even if it’s a weekend or holiday. Aside from the great discount, the card offers a huge convenience to clients who may want to fly during a time when banks are closed and time is very limited. Since the funds are already on the card, we can move faster to get them to their destination. The Jet Setter Card lets clients travel with less limitations.
JL: So what do they get?
AA: Our customers get a dedicated private jet expert available 24 hours a day and access to aircraft in any region of the world. Also we provide access to the entire market place of empty legs which for our customers can mean discounts of over 50 percent sometimes.
JL: Can anyone use your Privé services or do they have to be a member?
AA: Anyone can use our services, but Privé members get additional perks and advantages that for many business owners are a must-have.
JL: Is it a time-share type of arrangement?
AA: No we don’t offer a time share, we don’t sell hours or portion of the plane. Our clients are renting the entire plane for themselves only for the flight they need to do. There are no maintenance fees, long term contracts or buy-in fees.
JL: If I were a potential client considering Privé, would you outline your top five benefits to me? Are there tax deductions and the like for an American executive traveling on business?
AA: 1: No need to buy-in
2: Access to all types of planes, from helicopters, props, all private jet types, VIP airliners and regular airliners.
3: True worldwide service. Our competitors claim they fly worldwide which is true (they can fly into or out of any country) but they don’t provide service within other countries.
4: Enjoy the true flexibility of private aviation by using the right plane for each flight.
5: We are open 24/7 .
There is no specific tax deduction for chartering a plane but you could definitely use it as an expense.
JL : What are the benefits for a family who wants to use Privé service on their worldwide vacations?
AA: For starters you enjoy more time together by avoiding check-in lines, the regular airline delays and you can travel directly to your destination avoiding connecting flights. Also the headache of missing luggage and having to wait for it as well.
Just last November, I had the chance of traveling with a very well- known athlete. If it wasn’t for our private jet there is no way he would have been able to take a vacation into 3 different countries, and visit 5 different cities, all in 2 weeks. He would have lost about 3 days of his time having to wait for connecting flights.
JL: Andre, do you have anything to add?
AA: We look forward to hearing from your readers, we love showing new customers a different experience. An experience that they had only hoped existed, does exist.
JL: Thanks for your time. How does someone get more info?
AA: 24/7 service at info@privejets.com.
USA: + 1 305-917-1600
United Kingdom: + 44-208-099-0375
Brazil: + 55-11-3711-9296
Spain: + 34-91-1895156
Mexico: + 52-55-11689725
Switzerland: + 41-43-508-0344
