US-based Magellan Jets has announced it will offer refunds on unused jet cards to its members in a shake-up of the company’s offerings to meet increased demand.
The company has now made its jet card refundable to its jet card owners and new Explorer100 membership service, to “insulate them against economic uncertainty”, according to Magellan.
“We’ve seen hesitancy among companies and individuals around making large, multi-year investments right now without knowing what the impact could be months and years down the line,” said Anthony Tivnan, president and co-founder, Magellan Jets. “While other providers continue to lock their customers into multi-year agreements, we want to provide an additional layer of risk and recession proofing by allowing customers to recoup their unused investment if the need to pivot their business travel plans arises.”
Other changes include shorter scheduling call out times (48 hours or less), lower daily minimums of just one hour on light and mid-size jets, and fewer peak days with flights available 365 days a year.
Following a shift in the types of aircraft its customers are requesting, Magellan has tailored its jet card offerings to provide popularly requested aircraft similar to the Phenom 300, with bigger cabins and more baggage space. A new jet card, the super-midsize access jet card, has been launched to offer access to jets like the Cessna Citation Latitude, Dassault Flacon 50EX and Gulfstream G280.
Owners who purchase 50- or 100-hour jet cards will now receive additional perks, such as rate-locked extensions up to 18 months, the ability to use multiple aircraft per day, and in-flight catering allowance.
“As our programmes have grown, we have experienced some of the highest levels of volume we’ve ever seen combined with some of the biggest challenges in aviation history, and we’ve learned a lot about what our clients need in today’s re-opening market,” said Tivnan. “Everything we’re announcing is a direct result of our singular belief in listening to our customers’ needs.”
Magellan’s jet card clients will also now be guaranteed availability for flights in Europe, which will have fixed hourly rates, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons. The service covers most of Western Europe, with additional destinations covered at a 35% surcharge, varying by aircraft size. Magellan has also added popular international destinations such as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
The move by Magellan follows a pattern of other jet card providers matching supply to increasing demand. In January, Jet Linx announced it would resume its jet card membership sales on a limited basis, which had previously been suspended during the pandemic. April saw PrivateFly experience a 250% increase in jet card sales, while Priester Aviation last month announced its relaunch of its Centreline jet card in response to market demand.
