JetBlue Airways (B6, New York JFK) has announced it has acquired a minority stake in JetSuite (Santa Ana, CA) for an undisclosed amount. The investment will allow the Californian private jet charter operator to expand its fast-growing JetSuiteX Air (Rapid City Regional) scheduled jet service.
The agreement provides for a JetBlue nominee to be appointed to the JetSuite board of directors.
“JetBlue and JetSuite share a passion for delivering a high-quality customer experience at a competitive price point in underserved markets,” jetBlue's president and CEO, Robin Hayes, said. “Our investment in JetSuite makes sense as we continue to execute on our west coast plan and invest in innovative ideas that reflect the disruptive spirit of JetBlue.”
Members of TrueBlue, jetBlue’s customer loyalty program, are already able to earn TrueBlue Points on all JetSuite X flights. Additionally, as part of jetBlue’s plan to expand its customer base on the US West Coast and to provide access to new markets, the two companies plan to explore further cooperation for the benefit of their customers, including new benefits for TrueBlue's elite Mosaic tier members.
A virtual carrier, JetSuite X offers regular flights to Burbank, Las Vegas Harry Reid, San José, US, San Diego McClellan Palomar, Concord, CA, Mammoth Lakes, and Bozeman with additional destinations planned for the future. It uses a fleet of eleven E135LRs, chartered from sister carrier Delux Public Charter (Rapid City Regional), and E500 Phenom 100 and Cessna CJ3 light business jets operated by JetSuite itself.
