Private Jet Charters

We were delighted to fly Kevin Costner and his band, Modern West, on their recent European Tour. With a mix of private and commercial flights, it provided a great opportunity to further test our airside concierge services, and also saw us fly into Romania for the first time.

Andrew Mason, Cloud9 CEO,caught up with Kevin on his stop-off in Monaco, where the band performed a fantastic set to a full house! Kevin was in town for the Eco-Art Auction and Dinner, which Cloud9 was a proud sponsor of. Eco-Art is concerned with the environment and is supported by the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco.A fantastic event was put together and highlighted the environmental plight that we all live in. Remember to check out Modern West at http://www.kevincostnermodernwest.com

Thousands of people hoping to travel over the Christmas period have had their travel plans thrown into disarray by the threat of strikes by British Airways cabin crew and the sudden collapse of the Globespan Travel Group. Stranded passengers and travellers hoping to fly over Christmas are already seeking out alternative ways to get to their destinations. Private jet hire company, Cloud 9 International have been quick to respond by assisting those who may be left in the lurch.
Savvy travellers have already worked out that by splitting the price of a private jet flight between them, the cost can end up the same as a scheduled flight, depending on the route. In addition they get the luxury and service of an exclusive personal aircraft as well as being able to tailor the route and the flight times to suit them. The image of private planes being an extravagance for the ‘jet set’ is woefully out of date. More and more people are now realising that the convenience and comfort of a privately chartered jet is not as expensive as they thought.
With Flyglobespan going bust and lengthy strike action likely at BA, travelling during the Christmas period is likely to be even more chaotic than usual. If you are affected or think you might be, there may be a way to avoid your Christmas being ruined. First and foremost, do check your cancellation agreement and whether you are covered by insurance. If you have BA tickets, you will need to check whether the strike will affect your flight.
Having done this, Ring Cloud 9 International immediately to arrange an alternative flight, on +44 (0)131 225 1840, or go to www.cloud9-jets.com, to check availability. The company has seen a steep rise in enquiries since all the bad news was announced. Consequently, slots are filling up very quickly and popular destinations include Malaga, Palma and Nice, as well as the ski hubs of Geneva and Zurich. Elena Torres, Operations Director of Cloud 9 International confirmed: “We have many new enquiries as well as existing clients. Some are grouping together to share the cost of a charter jet plane so they can have their white Christmas on the slopes.”

What do Kevin Costner and Iggy Pop have in common? Well, for one thing, they have both used private jet charter company Cloud 9 to fly them between Europe and the US. Cloud 9 is one of only a few specialist private plane hire firms in the UK operating in a global market. Their bid for new business in relation to the 2010 World Cup recently propelled them to the Soccerex football finance festival in Johannesburg.

Many people attending the World Cup matches will want exclusive, personal flights, particularly sponsors and affluent individuals. It’s all about travelling in style and luxury. “For many travellers, the World Cup is the only thing they will spend a lot of money on,” says Mason. “You can draw up your own trip – cheap or expensive – but if people can do it in style, they will do.”

“There’s a private jet industry in South Africa – but there will need to be partnerships with European firms such as ourselves during the World Cup,” says Mason. “We will also be looking to partner with European travel agencies, and opportunities are becoming clearer now that the World Cup draw has taken place.”

Cloud 9 was founded by businessman Andy Mason and former Rangers, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and Scotland footballer Graeme Souness. The company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and its success recently led to a takeover of its main rival. Cloud 9 acts as a broker for private chartered flights, without actually owning any aircraft itself. It has the use of around 1,500 different planes within Europe. The service is flexible: customers can “pay as they go” or buy a block of hours to be used over weeks or months.

As well as flying music legends and Hollywood superstars such as Iggy Pop and Kevin Costner across the Atlantic, Cloud 9 has a strong relationship with the sports world. The company has provided a private jet charter service for several Premier League clubs in England and Scotland, making the World Cup a natural opportunity for them. The football connection is strengthened by the presence of Trevor Steven, former Everton, Rangers and England winger, as a company Director. “We believe sport will be the emerging market for our sort of service over the coming two years,” says Mason.