A hassle-free, low-interaction luxury travel experience
Premium air travel is usually a choice between a first-class ticket on a commercial flight or chartering a private jet. Aero falls somewhere between the two, selling individual seats on private jet flights without sacrificing luxury, convenience or exclusivity.
What is Aero?
The idea for Aero came about in 2019 when Uber co-founder and billionaire entrepreneur Garrett Camp realized there wasn’t a direct flight between Ibiza and Mykonos. It’s an ultra-First World problem for sure, but one that resonates with travelers who appreciate an elevated lifestyle, yet don’t have the resources to personally charter a private jet.
Aero quickly developed its European business for “semi-private” travel by adding London, Nice, Geneva and Milan as destinations with more to come in the future. Service in the U.S. was launched in early 2020 with flights between Los Angeles and Aspen. Since then, the company has added Las Vegas, San Francisco and Miami as well as popular ski destinations like Jackson Hole, Vail and Sun Valley. Prefer a beach to the slopes? You can now travel south of the border to Los Cabos as well. Sometimes pop-up or seasonal routes emerge – like Salt Lake City during the Sundance Film Festival or Napa in the peak of wine season.
Perks of Flying with Aero
Customers board flights at fixed-base operator (FBO) locations, which are separate from crowded, congested commercial airline terminals. That means no long waits, intrusive TSA security checks or time-consuming baggage check-in lines. Passengers need as few as 20 minutes before departure to arrive at the FBO. It’s a hassle-free, low-interaction travel experience.
“The idea of the business came about pre-COVID, but as (the pandemic) unfolded, the way people think about travel has changed dramatically,” says Aero Chief Marketing Officer Zain Richardson. “We have built a business that is perfect for a post-COVID world.”
Assessing Convenience and Luxury
Shared private jet flights aren’t a new concept, but Aero takes a hands-on approach in balancing convenience and luxury. The company owns and operates its own aircraft, completely gutting and retrofitting each jet with high-end design elements, ranging from custom-designed hand-stitched Italian leather seats to state-of-the-art mood lighting and Bongiovi Acoustic Labs sound features. The fleet of high-performance ERJ135 and Legacy 600 models (by Brazilian manufacturer Embraer) have just 13 to 16 seats to maximize space and comfort.
“Folks love the privacy element of what Aero offers, but I frequently see instances of new business relationships being struck up in flight or even new personal relationships,” says Richardson. “They’re traveling within a like-minded community.”
Yet Aero is more than a tool to travel between Point A and Point B. The company offers a concierge team to help customers effortlessly connect with experiences, services and accommodations in each respective destination. That may include suites at hotels like the Cosmopolitan and Nobu in Las Vegas, a reservation at an in-demand restaurant like Catch in Los Angeles or in-villa chefs and massages in Aspen. Aero even has relationships with prestigious Napa vineyards to arrange exclusive tours and tastings that aren’t always available to the general public. “We look for the service to be totally personalized versus being just a seat on a flight to a destination,” adds Richardson.
Aero also meets a growing demand for passengers to travel with pets. Flights come at a premium, but prices are refreshingly transparent. Rates between cities are consistent from day to day and time to time – and don’t fluctuate in the days leading up to departure.
Visit aero.com to learn more about the company, browse prices or book a flight. Questions can be answered via email or by calling 414-650-2376.
