Delta is about to introduce something different, the opportunity for Medallion members on select Delta flights to upgrade to a private jet. Many may not be aware that Delta owns a company called Delta Private Jets that provides biz-jet services for the well-heeled. According to Bloomberg,
the service “will cost $300 to $800, depending on destination. Beginning as soon as this week, passengers who have achieved elite or “medallion” status in Delta’s SkyMiles frequent-flyer program will be eligible for the upgrade offers. But officials stress that the initial number of private jet flights will be small and focused mainly at Delta’s East Coast hubs.”
According to Delta, “the private upgrade opportunities will be limited to select passengers in specific markets where an available Delta Private Jets aircraft is otherwise not in use. Customers will be contacted by Delta Vacations via email and offered the upgrade for a fee, which includes transportation to the airport’s private aviation area and complimentary on-board catering.”
$300 to $800 is not a price point that most employers are going to pay or that most of us would even consider trying to expense. Might be something I’d try at my own expense just once to say I had. This is definitely a unique approach to offsetting the expense of empty legs that a lot of biz jets fly.
MJ’s Take
Talk about finding ways to maximize revenue. Delta is well-informed on how much their Medallion customers spend on travel, and the data they have doesn’t likely end there. Marrying up charter trips, potential empty segments, and who to market private jet upgrades is an interesting idea. Delta obviously had to do some challenging IT work behind the scenes to make something like this work.
-MJ, July 27, 2015
