FAQ: what are the benefits for Corporate Aviators?
We all know that working for the airline brings along some very nice benefits.
But what are the benefits of the corporate industry for the aviators?
This is by far the most wanted question, yet the one that very often people refrain to ask me.
ID90/ZED tickets/Staff tickets?
Nope, they are not part of the game.
When you transition from commercial to corporate, unfortunately you have to forget about those benefits.
The ID90 or staff tickets are those highly discounted flight tickets that only the employee of the airline, his/her relatives and eventually a list of people can enjoy.
I remember I used to fly back and forth from Dubai to Italy with less than 100€ thanks to those tickets.
Zero boarding priority, you go only if the flight is not full… however this is a very adventurous way to travel the world that I did enjoy for quite some time.
And now? Now not anymore : (
When I transition from commercial to private and I had to book a full fare ticket for the first time I almost felt from the chair!
I was so used to pay peanuts for my vacations!
The private aviation don’t have anything like that, and all of your private flights are intended to be paid full fare.
Well, to be honest with you, I don’t really miss the discounted tickets.
What’s the benefits of the Business Aviation then?
As Private Jet viators, we have a great passion for hotel chains and airline fidelity programs.
The hotel chains cards are very convenient because you accumulate points and/or nights and you can have an accommodation paid out outhouse points.
In general, there are certain hotel chains which are considered “crew hotels”.
They are the preferred ones when it’s the moment to book an overnight here and there.
In fact, there is a proper race to pay my room bill because the points are usually linked to the credit card holder and this includes upgrades to better rooms, welcome drinks, free breakfast etc.
We always use the company credit card to pay hotels or transportations for work purposes.
Because I work as VIP freelance flight attendant on the side of trainings, I don’t have any corporate payment method, and I have to rely to my colleagues for those expenses.
Whoever pays for my room will earn also my points.
Same concept for the airline miles, but those are individuals, regardless of who paid the ticket.
Considering the benefit difference why does it still worth to work in the corporate industry?
Well, the greatest-advantage-ever is not only you get to fly to unusual destination for work and therefore your bucket list will shorten much faster.
Employees fly private.
Another very interesting benefit is that you can fly on board a private jet during an empty sector.
Empty sectors are those flights without customers on board that are necessary to position the jet onto another airport in order to pick up the next customers.
It is not unusual to give a ride to some fellow colleagues of the industry every now and then.
A few months ago I took some office people back home to London on a private jet.
And shortly after one collaborator flew with us last minute.
Obviously, you are linked to the schedules of the jet, not your own ones.
Yet, to arrive at destination on board a Private Jet tastes quite nice, isn’t it?
Side note: if you take advantage of an empty sector, bring over something to eat for everyone.
This is a nice courtesy towards the crew, and also because those flights are often without catering!