Charlotte-Cincinnati Private Jet Shuttle Begins
May 30--A new private jet company is starting regular service between Charlotte and Cincinnati next month, trying to lure business travelers with lower fares and the chance to skip security lines.
Ultimate Air Shuttle plans to start flying from Wilson Air Center, Charlotte Douglas International's private plane facility, on June 18. Managing Director Rick Pawlak said the company thinks there is enough demand from business travelers from financial and energy companies in Charlotte and Cincinnati to make the Monday-Thursday air service work.
More than 80 percent of Ultimate Air Shuttle's customers are business travelers, and with the number of Fortune 500 companies in both cities, Pawlak is expecting plenty of demand. Cincinnati-based supermarket company Kroger has already expressed interest in using the flights to quickly visit Charlotte-area suppliers, he said.
One thing that didn't factor into the decision was Chiquita Brands International's relocation from Cincinnati to Charlotte, Pawlak said. Because the relocation will be completed this summer and Chiquita won't have a presence in Cincinnati, its employees wouldn't have been long-term customers, he said.
Ultimate Air Shuttle, based in North Canton, Ohio, flies only a handful of routes. From Cincinnati's Lunken Airport, Ultimate Air Shuttle flies to New York City (Morristown, N.J., airport), Chicago's Midway Airport, and now Charlotte. The company also flies from Columbus, Ind., to Detroit.
The round-trip cost from Charlotte to Cincinnati will be $595 on Ultimate Air Shuttle. That includes taxes and fees, and the air service will have free parking and no baggage fee.
The all-inclusive price is meant to appeal to business travelers who want to bill their travel simply and not have to add in various fees, Pawlak said. The price also compares favorably to last-minute bookings on commercial airlines, which are typically made by business travelers. A one-day round trip this week from Charlotte to Cincinnati, booked Tuesday, was priced at $1,177 on US Airways and $1,107 on Delta Air Lines.
More than pricing, however, Pawlak said what the company offers is time. The option of arriving a mere 15 minutes before the flights and walking straight onto the plane appeals to many customers, especially harried businessmen, he said.
"The No. 1 issue is time management," said Pawlak. "They don't want to be standing in line, after line, after line."
The company's flight will leave from Charlotte to Cincinnati daily Monday through Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and arrive at 6:45 p.m. The return flight will leave Cincinnati at 6:45 a.m. and arrive in Charlotte at 8 a.m. Ultimate Air Shuttle operates 30-seat, Dornier 328 jets.
Portillo: 704-358-5041On Twitter @ESPortillo
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