Irvine-based private jet company launches charter service out of Bob Hope Airport
Sarah Theiss, a digital marketing intern with Irvine-based JetSuite, takes a photo to publicize JetSuiteX, a new charter service for the private jet company that will connect Burbank to Concord in the East Bay.
One of the largest private jet companies will soon bring a more upscale lifestyle to the flying general public at Bob Hope Airport.
On April 19, Irvine-based JetSuite will launch its newest charter service — JetSuiteX, which will connect Burbank to Concord in the East Bay.
A one-way ticket on one of the company’s 30-seat planes will cost between $109 and $300. However, those who are willing to spend extra can privately charter an aircraft for about $7,000 an hour, said Alex Wilcox, chief executive of JetSuite.
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JetSuite publicist Gareth Edmondson-Jones stands inside the cabin of an Embraer 135 aircraft. Irvine-based JetSuite is launching its newest service, JetSuiteX, which will connect Burbank to Concord in the East Bay.
Flights to and from Bob Hope and Buchanan Field Airport in Concord are estimated to take a little more than an hour each way and are available Monday through Friday.
Wilcox said more people used to fly between Southern and Northern California during the early 2000s, but he thinks the drop in passenger traffic is due to airlines consolidating and the flying experience being less personal.
Additionally, he has noticed that fewer people are taking short-haul flights — which are fewer than three hours — and he thinks he can make the new service more attractive to them.
“We see an opportunity to put aviation back into aviation,” he said.
The company’s fleet of Embraer 135 aircraft have been modified for a more luxurious feel. Seven seats were removed from the cabin to add 36 inches of leg room for each section. The seats themselves have been upgraded with softer material, and faux wood has been installed for the fold-down trays.
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Additional soundproofing has been installed for a quieter ride, and free Wi-Fi will be available to all passengers.
The biggest change is the removal of the overhead bins, which frees up more headroom and adds a sleeker look to the cabin. In the event that a passenger needs to put a coat away, a small closet was installed in the front of the aircraft.
“Once people start hanging their coats at the front of the airplane, I don’t think folks will miss the overhead bins at all,” Wilcox said, adding that most passengers store their coats in the compartments, which are too small for most carry-on luggage.
JetSuiteX is looking to add routes to San Diego, Santa Barbara and Phoenix in the future, according to a company statement.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
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