Case

D-Jet and Avinode: a perfect partnership

Challenge

With a fleet of Gulfstream aircraft, US-based charter company Prime Jet serves high-net-worth clients globally.

Solution

With a fleet of Gulfstream aircraft, US-based charter company Prime Jet serves high-net-worth clients globally.

Result

With a fleet of Gulfstream aircraft, US-based charter company Prime Jet serves high-net-worth clients globally.

We knew we couldn’t start the business properly without Avinode’s technology, so we used the Avinode Marketplace from Day One. Now we source 90% of our aircraft through the Marketplace.

– David Sorel, Founder

When founders David Sorel and David Alivertti launched charter company D-Jet in 2008, both men had already spent many years working in business aviation (most notably at TAG Aviation). Between them, they fully understood the operational and commercial realities of the industry. They knew how to run a successful business. They knew they wanted to work with Avinode from Day One.

Summing up the company, D-Jet founder David Sorel says: “We think of ourselves as more of a concierge of business aviation than a broker.”

So how did Avinode help D-Jet quickly achieve outstanding levels of customer service, satisfaction and loyalty? And how do the two companies work together today?

Rapid, accurate, competitive pricing

By using Avinode’s online marketplace for buying and selling air charter, D-Jet can provide clients with fast and reliable information on key questions such as aircraft availability, pricing and aircraft live location.

In business aviation, charter prices can differ dramatically for two similar requests. Sorel explains: “The market price for a service from A to B at a particular time on one day can be 30% different from the price for the identical service at the same time the next day.” Clearly, therefore, estimates are impossible. Every request must be addressed separately to ensure accurate quotes are delivered to clients. “If we use the Avinode Marketplace, we can quickly receive prices from, say, 10 operators, which means we can rapidly work out a good, realistic market price for our client’s specific request.”

Comprehensive, professional quotes

D-Jet began using TripManager, Avinode’s sales management system, in 2012. The company knew their customers were often extremely busy, which meant the service provided by D-Jet had to be excellent, cost-effective…and fast.

“Before TripManager, we were using Marketplace to source aircraft efficiently but then had to slowly and inefficiently prepare our own quotes and documents to send to clients. Now, everything we need is in one place. The quotes we quickly create and deliver through TripManager are so much more professional and informative than before.”

Providing comprehensive information to clients is critical for any charter company seeking to offer the highest standards of professionalism. “Working with Avinode, we have easy access to important operational information on subjects such as airports, airfields and FBOs,” says Sorel. “In the past, we had to buy that data separately from other providers.”

Continuous service

In an industry where speed is critical, interruptions and delays to client service must be avoided. “That’s another benefit of Avinode’s technology holding all the key data in one place,” says Sorel. “If one of our team is working on quotes for a customer and is suddenly called away, another member of the team can just pick up the work through TripManager.”

Sorel continues: “Using TripManager to keep electronic records of past quotes and activities, records we can quickly and easily access, is very helpful too. If a client wishes to exactly repeat a transatlantic flight from several years ago, for example, we can rapidly check our records to find the key facts about that service, such as which operator and airports were used. Before TripManager, we could only offer that kind of historical analysis by slowly working through non-integrated data files.”

High reliability and strong support

“Wherever we are in the world, we can access Avinode’s technology 24/7,” says Sorel. “The software is easy to use and very reliable. And when we suggest improvements, Avinode’s customer support team listens.”

Bringing everything together

“Using the Avinode Marketplace and TripManager together means we have everything we need to source aircraft, choose the best options for our clients and send quotes in one simple process.”

“Frankly, I’m surprised there are any brokers who don’t use Avinode. The products complement each other very well and I would definitely recommend using Marketplace and TripManager together. Avinode is simply way ahead of the competition.”