The new “UP for Business,” is a customizable travel solution established within Wheels Up to meet the needs of corporate clients. The program is structured to deliver on all corporate private flight needs ranging from aircraft charter to aircraft management as well as aircraft ownership solutions, and can also include commercial flights on partner Delta Air Lines.
Airline industry veteran and Wheels Up Senior Vice President Robert Bourrier will lead the vertical that supports small, medium, and custom corporate charter solutions as well as provide expertise and support for aircraft management and whole aircraft sales. Robert Bourrier reports into Wheels Up Chief Sales Officer Ken Napolitano.
“More and more companies are coming back to travel post COVID,” Ken Napolitano told SherpaReport. “Demand is coming back, but there’s a real appetite for flexibility, as needs change,” he added, then continued “The program takes a data driven approach. It starts with what are your needs.”
UP for Business includes the following services to fit the needs of each client:
- Offers access to one of the largest fleets in private aviation, as well as commercial air travel with Delta, all in one account
- Provides dedicated account managers and a dedicated Key Account Desk to fully evaluate and understand the needs of the client and produce tailored solutions which optimize spend and efficiency
- Offers a turn-key solution for acquiring aircraft, upgrading aircraft, or divesting of a fleet
- Arranges uniquely designed programs for companies that own one or more aircraft to lower the cost of ownership and to provide hands-on maintenance management
Napolitano gave the example of an executive who might fly on Delta from London Heathrow to New York JFK, a Porsche shuttle would transport them from the commercial terminal to the private FBO where they would jump on a waiting private flight for the local domestic leg of their trip. Noting that all this, including the ground transportation, would be seamlessly arranged by Wheels Up.
“As corporate travel demand continues to grow, UP For Business is an ideal solution for companies of any size including C-suite and corporate travelers,” said Napolitano. “The travel needs of each company are unique and different. We recognize our job is to be a partner in the process so that our talented sales team, who have decades worth of combined experience, can help optimize a private aviation solution to meet the financial goals and travel needs of every business client we serve.”
Wheels Up started out with its own dedicated fleet of King Air and Citation aircraft and more recently has acquired several aircraft charter and management companies including Delta Private Jets. It has effectively brought the full array of private aviation offerings under one roof.
Earlier this year Wheels Up and Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle Corp. (NYSE: ASPL) announced a SPAC merger. This is expected to close towards the end of the second quarter of 2021, with Wheels Up then becoming one of the few publicly listed private aviation companies. The Company recently announced record revenue of $261.7 million for Q1 of 2021 and saw a 56% year-over-year increase to 9,896 members.