If you’re in the business of Private Service, there’s a phrase you hear all the time- possibly every day from the most demanding HNW clients: “I want it now”. It’s a scenario many of us know well and until recently, have had to frantically call our most trusted resources and say please in the nicest of ways; offering trades, incentives and sometimes kickbacks to get it done. With a burgeoning market of affluent customers, savvy luxury service purveyors are making it easier than ever to what you need, when and where you need it.
One such company is Stratos Jets, an ‘on-demand’ private jet charter company in Miami. Stratos is an UHNW example of the sharing economy. They negotiate flights on other people’s jets. This model affords them access to virtually every private jet for charter in the world.
We met with Simon Christian at the new and very stylish Orion Jet Center in Opa-Locka. A far cry from my last memories of an overgrown airstrip (hearing Smuggler’s Blues as I type), OPF is all grown up. The Orion Jet Center feels more like a private club than an FBO. It’s a perfect HQ for this high-touch concierge aviation company.
Simon is a native Floridian (a Gator, even, but I won’t hold that against him), who entered the private transportation industry by way of LA. After 2 years with another luxury jet broker, he was recruited to help grow Stratos’s Miami market.
Their model is simple: tell him what you want and he’ll get it for you. I poked around for a more in depth explanation, but that’s it. Let Simon know where your principals want to go, when they want to go and how many people will be traveling. He’ll then access his database of operators, make a few calls and get back to you with a few aircraft and budget options. Simon will place a gentleman’s hold on the craft chosen, but stresses that in the ‘now’ marketplace, it’s not yours until the contract is signed and paid for. Sometimes the inventory changes by the minute.
As for pricing, all trips are competitively priced by the hour. There’s no membership fee for the service. Jets will range from $3,000-$5,000 per hour for smaller jets and $7,000-$10,000 per hour for larger jets. Quotes cover fuel, staff and management. Catering or other add-on amenities are sold at cost.
Once you have your plane an itinerary settled, Simon can build the rest of your trip for you. He can coordinate ground transportation on both ends, in-flight catering and accommodations at your principal’s destination if required. As your working relationship grows, he’s able to plug in these variables for you, and follow up to be sure everything is carried out. As Estate Managers and Executive Assistants know, having someone to back you up with travel is an invaluable resource. Stratos Jets should definitely go in your little black book.
Simon Christian
Charter Sales Director – FXE
Stratos Jet Charters, Inc.
Orlando Executive Airport – KORL
321 N. Crystal Lake Drive, Ste. 200
Orlando, Florida 32803
954.646.9946 TEXT Enabled
888.488.6599 Fax