Best Private Jet Companies

What is Reliant Air? Is It The Best For Inflight Services?

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Hello and welcome to this review in which we shall be answering the question “What is Reliant Air?”. The main objective of this review is to equip you with enough knowledge about Reliant Air so that you can decide as to whether you’ll utilize its services instead of those offered by its competitors. If this is what you’re here to learn about, then stick with me till the very end of the review:

Company: Reliant AirWhat is Reliant Air?

Website: https://reliantair.com/

Years in business: 39

Wide variety of aircraft: No

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

P.S.

See my #1 recommended private jet company on this page

What is Reliant Air? 

Reliant Air is an established regional and charter airline firm that’s based in Danbury, Connecticut, USA. Since its main base is based at Danbury Municipal Airport, it offers scheduled services to those in Nantucket, as it also offers charter services to those in other destinations.

Originally, Reliant Air was formed by Wayne Toher in 1981 and went by the name Reliant Aircraft Service, Inc. 7 years later, Wayne brought Phil Kelsey on board, and the two went ahead to come up with a signature Air Carrier that currently owns Jets and several Turboprop Aircraft. Jointly, Wayne & Phil established their unique complete Fixed Base Operator (FBO)  service in Danbury, later on acquiring a new building in 2008, which officially made them one of the well-known premium aircraft operators in Northeast USA.

From its main offices, Reliant Air also offers the following services:

  • Jet A fuel
  • 100 LL Fuel
  • Full airframe & powerplant maintenance
  • Avionics
  • Autopilot repair conditioning
  • Cabin cleaning
  • Aircraft washing
  • Oxygen & nitrogen service
  • Ground power
  • Lavatory service
  • Catering coordination
  • Rental car & ground transportation
  • Crew car

So far, Reliant Air is reliable, as you’d expect from their name. Their 35-year no-accident record has made them a go-to service provider for those who’re seeking the services that they provide. Customers who turn to this company are promised comfort, proper treatment by the support staff, as well as utmost safety. How well does Reliant uphold these promises? Keep reading to find out about that.

Do they have a wide variety of aircraft?

When it comes to the fleet, I’d say Reliant Air has a long way to go – a very long way to go actually. Currently, as I picked from its official website, only 7 aircraft are available for the delivery of the services to customers. The reason I said that this company has a long way to go, is because most of its competitors have several hundred or thousands of aircraft in their fleet. Reliant only has the following aircraft:

  • Citation CJ4
  • Beech King Air 90
  • Citation CJ2+
  • Citation CJ3
  • Citation CJ2
  • Beech King Air 350
  • Beech King Air 90

Do they have a wide variety of pricing options for different budgets?

Pricing options give you the flexibility to work within a variety of budgetary frameworks. Without pricing options, you’re stuck on two main financial states, i.e. you can either afford to pay for the service, or you cannot afford to pay for the service. With Reliant Air, customers are presented with a shuttle flight chart, which has the following information:

  • Departure location
  • Arrival location
  • Departure day
  • Departure time
  • Arrival time
  • The number of seats available
  • Dog seat available
  • Price
  • The option to book right away.

As you can see, this company does not present you with a wide variety of pricing options, but it does present you with sufficient information so that you can make arrangements for your next flight if the price charged meets your budget.

So, no, Reliant Air does not have a wide variety of pricing options, but the fixed option they’re offering may be good enough for you (depending on your needs).

Does Reliant Air offer Flight sharing services?

Depends on how you look at it. Let me explain. Some companies in this industry have well-defined flight-sharing services in which you can call upon your friends, family, or business partners to meet the costs of chartering a private jet, after which you can all head out to the intended destination. With Reliant Air, the model is much more of the same, only that they don’t necessarily give it the name “flight-sharing services”, and that you may not necessarily get yourself plane tickets on the same plane with those you intend to travel with.

This is possible if you book the flight on their behalf, which again makes it something other than flight-sharing services. Thing is, some companies have well-defined flight-sharing services that you can utilize if you intend to share the cost of chartering a private jet. You can otherwise turn to companies that offer empty legs services if your objective is to save on your flight costs.

Does Reliant Air accept Bitcoin Payments?

Unfortunately, this company does not accept Bitcoin payments as of now. It may start accommodating those who’d like to use their cryptos to pay for their trips in the future, for which I’ll make the necessary updates to this review. Why ask the question about Bitcoin though? The number of cybercrime cases has been on the rise, and those booking private jets are also potential victims. There are a couple of stories on the internet about how customers’ credit card information was lost in highly sophisticated cyberattacks.

I am, of course not telling you to ditch your credit card, but you can always have a look at safer payment options. Nobody wants to take off into the cool blue skies only to land a poor human being due to the loss of sensitive credit card data during the payment process.

Membership options?

Unfortunately, those looking for membership options will have to look elsewhere, since this company does not offer membership options. Membership programs and jet cards, as I’ve known them to offer quite significant benefits for regular travelers. By regular I mean not less than 2 trips each month throughout the year (or 25+ trips per year). If you travel very few times annually, then the presence or absence of a membership program is not something to worry much about.

The quality of the support?support

Support comes down to the treatment of customers, and how well they’re handled from the time they book their flight. From the official website, I could tell that customers can reach out to the customer support staff through any of the following avenues:

  • Phone
  • Fax
  • Email
  • In-office consultations
  • Facebook & Instagram messengers

There’s very limited activity on its socials, which consequently leaves us with insufficient data to deduce whether the quality of support is excellent. That said, as we shall see in the customer reviews section of this review, the only feedback given by a customer about this company highlights that the staff members delivered quality services.

In what countries are their service available?

This company’s headquarters are at Danbury, Connecticut, USA, from where it mainly serves customers headed to Nantucket and White Plains. Anyone headed to any other destination may therefore have to look for an alternative (not forgetting that this company has such a limited number of aircraft on its fleet).

Reliant Air Reviews (What their customers say)

We can use the feedback given by customers in the past to deduce the nature of service delivery by a given company. If customers are pleased with the services they received, then chances are that you’ll also be smiling after getting the service. On the other hand, if the customers are not happy with what they’re getting, you’d better run fast, since you can end up being the next victim. What are customers saying about Reliant Air? Let’s have a look at the reviews on Facebook.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5) (out of 1 customer reviews) click here  for details (opens in new window)

There’s only one customer review on this platform, but good thing is that it’s a positive one. If Reliant Air is to make it to the top of the industry (if they plan to), then social proof is something that they really have to do something about, since potential customers flock to companies with which they’re sure that quality services will be delivered. Reliant Air’s competitors have mastered this secret of trade, and are big on the provision of social proof.

**You might, for instance, want to look at the company I have given the highest rating on this page instead

PROs & CONs

Where is Reliant Air excelling and where is it performing dismally? Here’s a summary of the pros and cons:

Pros

  • Well-defined shuttle flight chart
  • Reveals prices of flights
  • Genuine (has been around for a long time)

Cons

  • Does not accept Bitcoin
  • Small fleet
  • Only one customer review (as of May 2021), despite being around for long.
  • Does not offer flight-sharing services
  • Lacks a membership program/jet card program

Do You Own or Represent Reliant Air?

If you are a representative, or associate of Reliant Air and have found something that isn’t accurate in today’s review please, feel free to reach out to me and I will update the information on this post. You can do this by leaving your feedback in the comments section below or simply by sending me an e-mail to contact@goldretired.com.

Final words and verdict

Verdict: Legit!

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Omni Air International, as it seems, has a few areas to polish on, before it can take on the companies that are dominating the air transportation industry. Most of its competitors are companies that have a wide variety of aircraft, and that has access to thousands of airports all across the world. Omni Air’s scope of service provision may be quite limited due to the limited size of its fleet, but it’s still been operational for more than 2 decades which goes a long way to prove that it still has some pretty decent reception from its customers. Omni Air may be worth the salt for you, but if it’s not, you can opt for other alternatives in the industry.

REcommended

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That will be all for this review about Omni Air International and what it is about. Hopefully, you enjoyed it and gained some information that will help you decide whether to rely on it as you book your next flight. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

I wish you well,

Eric, Investor and Team Member at Gold Retired!

What is CSI Aviation? Read This Before Booking Your Flight!

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What is CSI Aviation? Welcome to today’s review in which we shall be going through what this company has to offer. Most of us are used to seeing or thinking about the term CSI when it’s used in reference to “Crime Scene Investigators”, which makes today’s review even more interesting because we shall find out whether CSI aviation has anything to do with crime scene investigation. If not, we shall then find out whether what it has to offer to us is worth the salt. Read on to discover what’s in store for you.

Company: CSI AviationWhat is CSI Aviation?

Website: https://www.csiaviation.com/

Years in business: 41

Wide variety of aircraft: Yes

Overall rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (4.2 / 5)

P.S.

See my #1 recommended private jet company on this page

What is CSI Aviation? 

CSI Aviation exists as one seasoned air transportation and air charter firm that came to birth back in 1979. It is, without a doubt, one of the oldest firms in this industry. Since its establishment, this company has been offering passenger charter, air cargo, and medical flight services. Beyond making mobility for a wide variety of customers a reality, CSI Aviation also offers its very unique aviation program management. This service caters to the needs of firms that own large aircraft operating under Part 121, air ambulance companies, as well as aviation logistics firms.

The company takes pride in supporting aviation requirements worldwide through the construction and management of rather complex aviation operations. This is made possible, largely because it’s a holder of an FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate that grants its worldwide operating authority. Not forgetting that it has a well-established network of qualified and thoroughly screened partners who offer flight and support services from different corners of the world.

Much of what you’d expect from CSI Aviation is the result of its refined experience that has taken more than 4 decades to define. Later on in this review, we shall find out whether all this experience is making a difference in the mode of customer service delivery, or it is simply another hype to get you to believe that it’s a legit and reliable company.

Do they have a wide variety of aircraft?

I looked at the range of aircraft offered by this company, and I must say I was impressed, in the least. CSI Aviation’s experience in the aviation industry enables it to serve customers who need aircraft that can travel globally. It can, as such, offer on-demand air transportation services by arranging for aircraft in one of the following categories:

  • Executive aircraft
  • Commercial aircraft
  • Cargo aircraft
  • Helicopters

All the aircraft in these categories come with a wide variety of performance capabilities, as CSI Aviation claims. Let’s have a look at some examples you can find under each category:

Executive Aircraft

  • Turboprop Aircraft – carries up to 30 passengers, the range is 1,000 to 1,950 miles.
  • Small and Midsize Jet Aircraft –carry up to 9 passengers, the range is 1,000 to 2,500 miles.
  • Large Jet Aircraft- carry up to 30 passengers, the range is 2,500 to 4,000 miles.
  • Air Ambulance Aircraft – carry 1-2 patients (and 2 family members), the range is 4,000 miles.

Commercial Aircraft

  • Dornier 328- carry up to 30 passengers
  • Regional Jets –carry 50 to 70 passengers
  • Narrow Body Jet Aircraft – carry 140 to 270 passengers
  • Wide Body Jet Aircraft – carry 270 to 400 passengers
  • First Class/ VIP Aircraft – number of seats differ.

Cargo aircraft

  • Small cargo aircraft – carry up to 3190 lbs., the volume of up to 350 cu ft.
  • Medium Cargo Aircraft – carry up to 125,000 lbs., the volume of up to 14,000 cu ft.
  • Large Cargo Aircraft – carry up to 245,000 lbs., the volume of up to 22,000 cu ft.

Helicopters

The helicopters offered by this company vary in size and can be used for different purposes, including:

  • Emergency evacuations
  • Site inspections
  • Transportation to off-shore facilities
  • Cargo airlifts
  • Special events and aerial photography

Do they have a wide variety of pricing options for different budgets?

Generally, not much is known of this company’s pricing model. This could largely be as a result of the fact that its services vary quite significantly. To know whether this company’s pricing is compatible with your budget, you can contact them using the phone number on the official website or simply fill in a form to request a quote. On the form, you’ll be required to provide the following details:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Pick up location
  • Destination location
  • Any additional information to help with the determination of the most accurate price.

Upon filling in the form, the support staff at CSI Aviation will get back to you with a custom-tailored quote, after which you decide whether or not to utilize its services.

Does CSI Aviation offer Flight sharing services?

Flight sharing services are meant to make private air charter services affordable for those who’d otherwise not be in a position to charter an entire aircraft. With such a service, everyone who boards the aircraft can meet the cost per seat for the entire trip. This is commonly seen in empty legs flights or return leg flights. CSI Aviation hasn’t indicated that it offers flight-sharing services on its website, but it offers air charter services that you can utilize as a group. It is hard to tell whether every customer has to pay for their seat. To get a more definitive response, you should contact their support staff to see whether they’ll allow you to pay for your seat individually as your colleagues do the same. That said, however, it doesn’t offer the very popular empty legs service, which should help you save up to 40% of your travel costs per trip.

Does CSI Aviation accept Bitcoin Payments?

Unfortunately, this company is yet to catch up with the trend that has become quite popular in the private air charter (and air transportation) industry- the acceptance of Bitcoin payments. This is a major downside since a significant number of customers have reaped the benefits of privacy that comes from paying for their trips in Bitcoin. I hope the senior level management staff at CSI Aviation are seriously considering adding Bitcoin payments into their list of acceptable payments, for the sake of those who want to travel without having to risk their financial details falling in the wrong hands.

P.S: Hackers do not spare private air travel companies. You can read about this EasyJet data breach in which credit card details of more than 9 million customers were affected in a successful highly sophisticated cyber-attack. This is why I highly recommend switching to Bitcoin payments whenever possible, moreso when using other conventional payment methods would expose you to huge losses in the event of the theft of your confidential details (such as PINS, passwords, etc.)

Membership options?

There are currently no membership options to choose from with CSI aviation. Again, this may be a deal-breaker for some customers who are big on membership programs and jet card programs, more so those who are frequent travelers. With such programs, customers can lock in price rates for up to 1 year. This can come in as such a perfect money-saving option, more so when there are huge price fluctuations. On the other hand, if you travel less frequently, then having a jet card or participating in a membership program may have zero benefits.

Depending on what you’re looking for, therefore, CSI’s lack of a membership program may have no impact on your decision-making process, or maybe the ultimate deal-breaker.

The quality of the support?support

CSI Aviation’s support is actually very excellent. Being a company that’s heavily invested in offering emergency evacuation and medical flight services, it would be quite unfortunate if its support staff were not quick to respond to your requests. Good, this is that beyond having an active telephone number, CSI Aviation also has very active social media profiles (one of the most active ones in this industry, in my opinion), which you can also turn to if you want to enquire about something (perhaps not a medical request, since that would mostly be an emergency that would warrant a phone call). You can have a look at how frequently they’re posting content on platforms such as Facebook, and responding to the comments made by the audience.

In what countries are their service available?

Currently, this company’s head offices are at Rio Grande BLVD, New Mexico, in the U.S. It, however, enables its customers to access different global destinations with its long-range aircraft.

CSI Aviation Reviews (What their customers say)

A brief look at customer reviews can give you the general feel of what other customers have and are experiencing with a particular company. What, therefore, are customers saying about CSI Aviation’s services? I went through several consumer trust sites, combing for customer feedback, and found some convincing evidence that CSI Aviation is indeed one that can be trusted. Let’s have a look at what the reviews on Facebook look like.

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (4.2 / 5) (out of 5 customer reviews) click here for details (opens in new window)

The reviews on Facebook paint the picture of a very consumer-centric and reliable firm. There’s one review that caught my eyes and appealed to me, which I will present to you right away:

“Thank you so much for transporting my nephew yesterday to PolyTrauma in Minneapolis. My family cannot thank you enough. We have been dealing with so much and you made it possible for him to get to the care he needs. The Hoffer Family.”

Such is genuine feedback that builds our faith in this company, for having the ability to deliver reliable medical services. Overall, I’d say that CSI Aviation is performing well so far, and is one that you can turn to if you find that it offers services that would interest you.

**You might also want to look at the company I have given the highest rating on this page instead

PROs & CONs

As we get closer to the end of this review, we can now summarize the strengths and drawbacks of CSI Aviation. Here are some that you shouldn’t forget:

Pros

  • Genuine
  • Excellent customer support
  • Offers reliable medical flight services
  • Wide range of aircraft

Cons

  • They don’t accept Bitcoin
  • Does not offer flight-sharing services
  • No membership options/jet card program  offered

Do You Own or Represent CSI Aviation?

If you are a representative, or associate of CSI Aviation and have found something that isn’t accurate in today’s review please, feel free to reach out to me and I will update the information on this post. You can do this by leaving your feedback in the comments section below or simply by sending me an e-mail to contact@goldretired.com.

Final words and verdict

Verdict: Legit!

Overall rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (4.2 / 5)

CSI Aviation is definitely one of the most reliable firms in the air transportation industry. From the look of things, this company’s good reputation has much to do with the excellent performance in the delivery of medical flight services. Not to say that it’s not performing well with the delivery of the other services, but it has definitely received a great deal of attention from the world for shinning for collaborating with the medics to transport patients safely. If you’re currently simply looking for a company to help you and your family members or colleagues travel to a given destination, you might want to have a look at what this recommended alternative has to offer.

REcommended

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That’s all for this review on what CSI Aviation is all about. I hope it was helpful, and that the information presented in here will help you decide on whether to turn to it for its services. Don’t forget to check out the recommended alternative to see if you’ll get a better deal for the service you want to be delivered.

I wish you well,

Eric, Investor and Team Member at Gold Retired!

What is National Airlines? | Are Its Services Good Enough?

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What is National Airlines? Which services does it offer and how does it compare to most of its competitors? If you’re here to get answers to such and more questions, read on to discover what this company is all about, as I also help you identify any outstanding pros and cons that you should definitely not miss out on. Let’s get right into it.

Company: National AirlinesWhat is National Airlines?

Website: https://www.nationalairlines.com/

Years in business: 35

Wide variety of aircraft: No

Overall rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars (3.4 / 5)

P.S.

See my #1 recommended private jet company on this page

What is National Airlines? 

National Airlines is a company that seeks to offers its customers premier air charter services, which they can rely on as they’re traveling to their intended destination by air. Those who choose to fly with this company are usually promised high quality, excellent services, and unmatched agility which the owners of this company believe is responsible for setting it apart from other firms in this industry. The company also lures its customers by promising them world-class flight experience.

You can also expect to receive dedicated service for each flight, as the in-flight crew is under instructions to focus on the details. With an expansive global network, National Airlines claims that it’s capable of delivering global air travel services on demand, even on short notice.

How true are these claims? Is this company simply out to hype up potential customers and then under-deliver? Walk with me into the next section and the rest of the review, as we dissect each component of this company’s services and features, in a bid to pinpoint its strong points and weak points.

Do they have a wide variety of aircraft?

Currently, this company’s fleet is quite limited in nature. By this, I mean that it has a small number of aircraft, which are not of varied sizes and capacities. If you decided to book a flight with National Airlines today, you’d only have the choice of the following aircraft:

  • Airbus A330-200 – 1 Aircraft Available
  • Boeing 747-400BCF – 5 Aircraft Available for booking
  • Boeing 757-200 – 1 Aircraft Available

This company previously operated the following aircraft:

  • Saab 340A
  • Douglas DC-8-60AF
  • A Douglas DC-8-70CF
  • The Douglas DC-8-70F
  • CASA C-212 Aviocar
  • Mitsubishi MU-2
  • British Aerospace Jetstream 31
  • Lockheed L-100 Hercules
  • Tupolev Tu-204-100C

I gathered from some sources online that this company has been facing issues with aircraft, such as in March 2016, when it was slated to begin 757 services from New York to Puerto Rico. The service was unfortunately delayed and eventually canceled, as a result of the lack of aircraft.

Do they have a wide variety of pricing options for different budgets?

Pricing is everything in the air travel industry. If anything, all customers are always out to derive maximum value and utility by paying a given amount of money to access a certain product or service. In this industry, the flight fares can get quite high owing to all underlying expenses that the private air charter companies have to meet as they deliver the services to their customers. Having a wide variety of pricing options can facilitate the accommodation of different customers’ budgetary limits. I checked through National Airlines’ official website for information about whether it offers a wide variety of pricing options, but only discovered that it mainly strives to offer the lowest fares for every route. Does this mean that this company accommodates all customers’ budgets? To answer this question, unfortunately, you’ll have to contact the customer support staff with the question, “how low can you go?” If you’re lucky enough, you’ll get a deal that favors you, else you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Does National Airlines offer Flight sharing services?

No. National Airlines does not have defined flight-sharing services, such as those offered to enable customers who want to travel with their family members, friends, or business partners, to cost-share the flight fares. Whereas this company offers private air charter services, you’re not guaranteed that you can book one air aircraft with your friends and family and pay for it jointly.

Does National Airlines accept Bitcoin Payments?

No. This company only accepts MasterCard and Visa credit card payments. Those who’d like to make their payments using crypto wallets are unfortunately locked out, at least for now. I’m not aware of this company has any plans to add Bitcoin to its list of accepted methods of payment, but I’ll be sure to update this review if that happens. “Why bring up crypto payments in this review?” Well, the rate of cyberattacks has been on the rapid increase. In fact, cyberattacks are projected to cost the world more than $10.5 annually by 2025. Did you know that the main risk of these attacks is the loss of very sensitive information which includes financial details? To make matters worse, cybercriminals are not sparing the private air charter industry. Whereas successful cyberattacks are not very common in this industry, they expose customers to significant monetary losses. If you’re not very confident about making your payments using your credit card, you can always switch to cryptocurrency alternatives, which offer more privacy.

Membership options?

National Airlines does not have membership options, jet card programs, or even frequent flier programs. The small size of its fleet may inconvenience its clients, in the event that multiple bookings are done at the same time. Frequent travelers who’d want to benefit from massive price discounts (resulting from the capability to lock in a certain price rate for an entire year) should definitely consider other alternative firms in this industry. Those who only make trips to certain destinations from time to time (very few times) can contact the support staff at National Airlines to book their flight if they are satisfied with what this company is offering.

The quality of the support?support

When it comes to the quality of support, we can think of it as every single element of customer handling, that goes into ensuring that they’re satisfied during the trip. From the time you request a quote to the time you land at your destination, you should get value for the money you pay. For starters, customers can communicate with the support staff at National Airlines through any of the following avenues:

  • Telephone numbers (different ones for the different airports in different countries)
  • A contact form on the “Contact Us” page on the official website.
  • Fax

This company does not have any social media platforms, so if you’re used to contacting companies or making inquiries via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you’ll have to check the alternative companies in this industry.

In what countries are their service available?

National Airlines is currently operational in three main regions in the world:

  • Americas – Florida, New York, and California
  • Middle East/Pacrim – Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Japan
  • Europe – Frankfurt, Schiphol, Madrid

In each of the above-mentioned countries and states, National Airlines has at least one airport that serves customers in that region.

National Airlines Reviews (What their customers say)

After all the promises of effective service delivery by National Airlines, it’s now time to check whether they’re upholding their promises or not. We can do this by checking through customer reviews to identify patterns in customer satisfaction and complaints. I combed through the internet for reviews pertaining to this company’s service delivery and practices, but I didn’t come across any, except those of its employees on a platform known as Indeed. Generally, the employees seemed to not be anything close to happy with the management’s mode of operation. Even without any educational background in staff management, I know you can agree with me that things do not run very smoothly whenever employees are unhappy (in most cases). I think National Airlines has not taken sufficient time to work on building solid social proof to create for itself a good reputation in this industry.

**You might, therefore, want to look at the company I have given the highest rating on this page instead

PROs & CONs

If with all the information presented above you’re still not sure whether to rely on National Airlines’ services, you can check out these major pros and cons to get a more refined way forward with regards to whether or not you’ll rely on the services it’s offering.

Pros

  • Several airports in different regions of the world
  • Large-capacity aircraft

Cons

  • It does not accept Bitcoin
  • Small fleet size
  • Lack of customer reviews
  • Does not offer flight-sharing services
  • Lacks a membership program/jet card program

Do You Own or Represent National Airlines?

If you are a representative, or associate of National Airlines and have found something that isn’t accurate in today’s review please, feel free to reach out to me and I will update the information on this post. You can do this by leaving your feedback in the comments section below or simply by sending me an e-mail to contact@goldretired.com.

Final words and verdict

Verdict: Legit!

Overall rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars (3.4 / 5)

National Airlines initially seemed like a company with a lot of promise, but it’s regretfully one that I’d not be very confident about turning to for the services that it offers. Besides its very small fleet (despite being one that should operate globally), this company does not grant its customers access to a wide variety of payment methods. It doesn’t also offer flight-sharing services which I’m sure you’d be glad to utilize when traveling with your friends or family members. I don’t know about you, but if I’m to book a flight, I cannot afford to take chances with my life by settling for a company whose quality and standards I’m not very pleased about. Check out the alternative below to have a clear understanding of how the high flyers in this industry are going about their business.

REcommended

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There you have it – our very own review on what National Airlines is about. I hope you’re now well aware of its services, and you’re in a position to decide whether it’s one for you or not. Do not forget to have a look at the recommended alternative as well, so that you can get a better perception of what the value for money in this industry looks like.

I wish you well,

Eric, Investor and Team Member at Gold Retired!

What is Million Air? Fleet Size, Pricing, Customer Reviews

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What is Million Air? The name “Million” suggests that there’s value, or that its services are worth the salt. In today’s review, I’ll be going through this company’s offerings in a bid to determine whether there’s the actual value to be obtained from utilizing its services and not those of its competitors?

Company: Million AirWhat is Million Air?

Website: https://www.millionair.com/

Years in business: 36

Wide variety of aircraft: No

Overall rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (4.3 / 5)

P.S.

See my #1 recommended private jet company on this page

What is Million Air? 

To get you started with what Million Air is about, I’ll present a brief history about it then ease myself into what it’s out to achieve in its industry. For starters, this company was established in 1984 by the very famous Mary Kay Cosmetics family. Well, this is quite interesting to find out that a cosmetics company would be interested in venturing into the aviation services industry. The big question would then be why they decided to create this company. Turns out that Mary Kay, the company, was in need of a luxurious single site FBO that would not only deliver outstanding services to its customers, but also to the sales representatives. They went ahead and did just that, by setting up shop in Dallas, Texas.

If you know Mary Kay, you can definitely relate to its expertise when it comes to the delivery of excellent products and services. Forming Million Air was such an opportunity for them to present a “Disney Like Experience” to their customers, that would not only enable them to bring unmatched services to the industry, but also to maintain a consistent corporate image.

To date, Million Air remains a premier FBO network that owns a system that enables it to serve customers in the USA, Canada, as well as the Caribbean. More than 1000 employees are employed by this company to see to it that the day-to-day services are delivered effectively. Having gained experience for more than 3 decades, the staff at Million Air know that they are competent enough to deliver exceptional services to their customers, in this highly competitive industry.

Do they have a wide variety of aircraft?

“Size matters!”. Yes, it definitely matters. When I talk about size, I mean the size of the fleet. You do not want to book a flight then receive a call that it has been canceled or will experience delays due to technical difficulties. You also don’t want to keep returning to a company’s website to check whether its aircraft are available for booking. If anything, having a wide variety of aircraft allows you to book your preferred aircraft and to be on your way to your preferred destination in a matter of hours. Million Air has a fleet of 800 aircraft, which in my honest opinion is a modest size. Despite knowing that there’s a company that has access to more than 10,000 aircraft, I cannot fail to appreciate the fact that putting together a fleet of 800 aircraft can is such a major stride in the right direction. From the official website, this company has invested more than $300,000,000 into the acquisition of aircraft (with annual returns of $500,000,000)

Whereas Million Air may not compete with the companies that have thousands of aircraft quite well, it can deliver its services to many customers on a given day, without availability being a problem to be dealt with.

Do they have a wide variety of pricing options for different budgets?

Whenever I see the name “Luxury”, I’m usually very eager to find out what the cost of that luxury is. It’s not much about having a scarcity mindset, but about being aware that booking with the right customer can save you a significant amount of money that you can then channel into making your stay at your destination even better. Looking at the Million Air official website, I do not see any price chart. This is quite disappointing because “hey man! I just want to know the services and the pricing so that I can plan for my next trip without having to guess or cook figures.” I’m sure you also feel the same about the lack of information about pricing (unless you’re a big fan of custom packages).

Does Million Air offer Flight sharing services?

Again, Million Air is quite stingy with the details. Nothing is said about the availability of flight-sharing services, which as we have seen, comes in quite handy for those who’re trying to save on flight costs. Imagine saving about 40% of your fare simply by booking an empty legs flight instead of the regular private air charter flight? Well, that would be such a great way to enjoy a luxurious flight, without having to break your bank. Also, there are flight-sharing services that allow you to share the costs of your flight with your friends or family members (such as with the recommended alternative to Million Air).

Does Million Air accept Bitcoin Payments?

No. There is no proof that this company has already joined the wave of companies that are taking privacy quite seriously. Whereas most customers who are okay with using other payment methods would not be bothered as such, the lack of crypto payment alternatives makes Million Air less capable of outshining its competitors who allow Bitcoin payments. This arises from the fact that such companies can accommodate the needs of all customers, without locking out those who’d like to ensure that providing their financial details during payment does not come with the risk of exposure to cybercriminals. Using your credit card may be safe if the company you’re making the payment to is not a target for cybercriminals. Once the determined cybercriminals have decided to attack a given firm, chances are that some or all of the sensitive data will fall into the wrong hands, which is something that you’d want to never be a victim of.

P.S: Hackers do not spare private air travel companies. You can read about this EasyJet data breach in which credit card details of more than 9 million customers were affected in a successful highly sophisticated cyber-attack . This is why I highly recommend switching to Bitcoin payments whenever possible, moreso when using other conventional payment methods would expose you to huge losses in the event of the theft of your confidential details (such as PINS, passwords, etc.)

Membership options?

Million Air does not offer any membership options at the moment. Membership options are only necessary whenever a customer is planning to travel 25+ times a year using aircraft. If you’re planning to travel about 4 times a year, then a membership program may not pose any significant benefits (you’ll only end up spending a huge amount of money to pay for the membership option that you’ve selected, when you do not really need it).

The quality of the support?support

Excellent customer support looks a lot like quick responses from the customer support staff, active social media platforms, and a significant number of positive reviews about the nature of customer service from the first call that customers make. With Million Air, I could tell that there’s a healthy level of social media activity (mostly on Facebook), which is unlike some companies whose accounts are usually updated after several months or a year. From the comments in the social media posts, you can tell that customers are pleased with the quality of support offered at all stages of the booking and flight process.

You can contact the support staff at Million Air using any of the following channels;

  • Telephone number – the best option for those who want to reach out to the customer support staff faster.
  • Fax
  • Social media messengers – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

In what countries are their service available?

At the start of this review, we established that Million Air’s services are delivered through a system that serves customers in the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean. To facilitate the efficient delivery of services, Million Air’s offices are located in the following locations:

  • Albany
  • Alexandria
  • Austin
  • Hollywood Burbank
  • Calgary
  • Cartagena
  • Dallas
  • El Paso
  • Gulfport-Biloxi
  • Houston
  • Indianapolis
  • Lake Charles
  • Medford
  • Moses Lake
  • Orlando
  • Richmond
  • Riverside
  • Rome, NY
  • San Antonia
  • San Juan
  • Louis
  • Stennis
  • Syracuse
  • Tallahassee
  • Topeka
  • Toronto
  • Tucson
  • Vancouver
  • Victorville
  • White plains
  • Yuma

Million Air Reviews (What their customers say)

Customer reviews help with setting the bar for the nature of service delivery to be expected with a particular company. If you find out that most of the feedback given about a company paints the picture of a firm that’s not customer-centric, then it’d be good to check out what the alternatives have to offer. What do the customer reviews given about Million Air suggest about the nature of its service offerings? Well, let’s see what the reviews on Birdeye are like.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (4.8 / 5) (out of 174 customer reviews) click here for details (opens in new window)

A (4.8/5) star rating is simply very impressive. From the look of things, Million Air has managed to create a culture of excellent customer service delivery, which I gather has helped it become a highly profitable firm. Have a look at the feedback given by one customer, for instance:

“ After visiting many FBOs I can tell you Million Air is the absolute cream of the crop. Not only in amenities such as their Mercedes and Escalade crew cars but they also lead in service. Elizabeth at the front counter was the friendliest and most accommodating of any associate anywhere! She definitely made the experience top-notch. Thank you!”

With such (and more) reviews, you’d definitely agree with me that customers are happy with what this company has to offer. That said, you’d also want to have a look at what other alternatives to Million Air have to offer before picking up your phone to book your next flight.

**You might, for instance, want to look at the company I have given the highest rating on this page instead

PROs & CONs

What are the main pros and cons of this company that you should not forget as you cross-compare it with its competitors? Here are a few to keep in mind:

Pros

  • Excellent customer support
  • Genuine
  • Also offers services such as hangar space, aircraft sales, aircraft management, aircraft maintenance, events, advertisement services.
  • Fairly large fleet
  • Impressive complementary services

Cons

  • Bitcoin not accepted
  • No info on payment methods
  • Does not offer flight-sharing services
  • Lacks a membership program/jet card program

Do You Own or Represent Million Air?

If you are a representative, or associate of Million Air and have found something that isn’t accurate in today’s review please, feel free to reach out to me and I will update the information on this post. You can do this by leaving your feedback in the comments section below or simply by sending me an e-mail to contact@goldretired.com.

Final words and verdict

Verdict: Legit!

Overall rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (4.3 / 5)

Having taken a look at this company’s strengths and weaknesses, I’d say it’s one whose good reputation may to a great extent have something to do with the fact that it’s owned by Mary Kay Cosmetics, which is a well-established brand. Customer reviews also reveal that the staff members have been trained to uphold brand image consistency, which has actually worked to make this company one that earns hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Overall, if Million Air has what you’re looking for, then you can make that call to book your flight. Before you do that though, have a look at what this high-ranking alternative to Million Air has to offer.

REcommended

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And there you have it- a comprehensive review about what Million Air is about! Did you gain enough insights to help you decide whether you’ll book your next flight by contacting its support staff? Do you intend to use the alternative company instead? Are you still not sure which option is best for you? Kindly let me know in the comments section.

I wish you well,

Eric, Investor and Team Member at Gold Retired!

What is Berry Aviation? | Does It Accept Bitcoin Payments?

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What is Berry Aviation? Today we explore what this company has to offer its customers. If you’ve searched for this company’s reviews, I’m sure you’re looking for facts about it that will help you decide whether you’ll be reaching out to its staff to book your next flight, or you’ll simply give it a hard pass and look for other alternatives. Join me as we have a look at the main elements about Berry Aviation that you should definitely know about. What is berry aviation?

Company: Berry Aviation

Website: https://www.berryaviation.com/

Years in business: 37

Wide variety of aircraft: No

Overall rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars (3.7 / 5)

P.S.

See my #1 recommended private jet company on this page

What is Berry Aviation? 

Berry Aviation exists as a private aviation firm that has a vast portfolio of service offerings including the USA government, scheduled as well as on-demand cargo, MRO/ CRO & FBO operations.  The company was formed back in 1983, in Austin Texas, making it one of the oldest firms in this industry. In 1987, this company managed to expand its customer base and its services by taking up the role of the United States Department of Defense (DOD) approved air carrier. This role came with worldwide operating authority, to mean that it could ferry both its customers and cargo to their respective destinations all over the world. Fast forward to 1993, this company relocated to the now popular San Marcos Regional Airport, where its corporate headquarters are currently located at.

Since this company took on its role as the DOD-approved carrier in 1986, it embarked on a mission to consistently provide both unique and innovative services that made it possible to serve other branches, both in DOD and several non-defense government agencies.

CONUS and OCONUS operations

Berry aviation also conducts CONUS and OCONUS operations, by leveraging the efficiency of its fleet of more than 30 aircraft, which are controlled from 7 satellite locations distributed on three continents as well as the Pacific Islands. Most of the customers served through these operations lie in one of the following categories:

  • S. Military
  • Fortune 500 Companies
  • NCAA Athletic teams
  • NASCAR teams

The fulfillment of the above services is made possible by a team of more than 250 staff members, who have on two occasions made this company receive the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Award for Excellence.

Do they have a wide variety of aircraft?

If I was to give an honest answer to this question, I’d say that this company’s fleet is quite small, in comparison to the top-ranking firms that have more than 10,000 aircraft that are operated from sophisticated networks of airports distributed all over the world. Berry Aviation Inc.  (BAI) has since its creation operated more than 20 different turboprop and turbine airframes in the process of delivering extensive services to both its private and government customer.

Being a provider of specialty aviation services, BAI’s fleet’s composition is determined by the market and customer-driven capability needs, and it, therefore, changes continually (in terms of the airframe type and the number of aircraft).

This company takes pride in having internal resources as well as the capability to very efficiently acquire and operate a wide range of aircraft, depending on the needs of the organization at hand.

To answer this question, therefore, this company does not have a wide variety of aircraft, but it can accommodate your needs as a client, depending on your travel requirements. Currently, its fleet comprises of:

  • Bombardier DHC-8(DASH 8)
  • Viking Air Limited DHC-6 (TWIN OTTER)
  • M7 Aerospace SA-227 (Metro III)
  • Embraer EMB-120ER (BRASILIA)
  • EADS UH-72A(Lakota) – Government-owned, contractor-operated
  • MIL MI-8T

Do they have a wide variety of pricing options for different budgets?

When it comes to the pricing, not much is revealed by this company, which is quite unfortunate since I’m sure you’re trying to cross-compare what different firms in this industry are charging. I highly suspect that this company’s lack of transparency in pricing is mostly due to the fact that it handles a wide variety of clients, who all have specific requirements. This essentially means that the prices charged here are subject to change based on the tabled requirements. Whether or not their pricing will suit your budgetary limits is a question that the support staff is best placed to respond to, after they listen to your needs.

Does Berry Aviation offer Flight sharing services?

BAI doesn’t offer flight-sharing services or at least does not reveal whether it is open to offering flight-sharing services. All we can tell is that is can help you with all your air travel needs as an institution or as a business, which may include group travel, but we are not told whether you can team up with your friends, family, and acquaintances to cost-share the fees charged for a given trip.

If you’re looking for a company that offers cost-sharing services and packages, then you’ll have to look elsewhere (such as my recommended alternative to Berry Aviation).

Does Berry Aviation accept Bitcoin Payments?

Unfortunately, there’s no information about the payment methods allowed by this company. If you decide to work with this company for whatever travel needs you may have, you’ll have to enquire about the possibility to pay for your trip in Bitcoin. I’ve so far seen a significant number of customers opt to pay using Bitcoin whenever possible, in a bid to guarantee the privacy of their personal details and whereabouts throughout their trips. Privacy, as I’ve known, is at the top of the list of requirements that those opting to use private jets demand to have. If you’re not bothered by the lack of privacy with other payment methods, then you can rely on them, but you now know that you can also guarantee your safety by switching to the Bitcoin-accepting counterparts.

Membership options?

Berry Aviation does not have any membership program. As you may have already seen by now, it’s mainly out to serve customers from specific industries by curating services that meet their needs. I think this is a pretty lucrative way of approaching business in the aviation industry. All factors held constant, however, you may want to compare the prices quoted by BAI, with those of its competitors, in a bid to ensure that you pay the fairest prices eventually.

The quality of the support?support

This company has two main communication lines open for customers to reach out to its support staff, namely:

  • Email
  • Toll-free lines

The communication options here are few in comparison to other companies that also have their social media messaging options such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, open. The good thing, however, is that BAI offers different contacts for the different services that it offers, which increases the chances of calling and having the call responded to.

In what countries are their services available?

BAI is mainly based in the USA, but its offers travel solutions that enable its customers to travel to different destinations globally.

Berry Aviation Reviews (What their customers say)

With customer feedback received from other clients, we can predict the nature of service offerings of a certain company. By taking a look at what customers are saying about BAI, we can either decide to rely on it for what it offers, or we can cross it off the list of companies to turn to in the future, for good. I tried looking for customer reviews about this company on different consumer trust sites, but I didn’t come across any. For a company that has been around since 1983, it’s quite unusual for there not to be a single review about it. This can, to a great extent be attributed to the fact that its services are mainly delivered to specific clients, who may have already established unique metrics to rate the performance.

PROs & CONs

Berry Aviation has its strengths and downsides which you should definitely consider as you decide whether you’ll rely on its services or not. Here are some worth keeping in mind:

Pros

  • Genuine
  • Industry-specific aviation services
  • FBO services offered
  • Quality aircraft

Cons

  • Does not accept Bitcoin
  • Doesn’t offer flight-sharing services
  • Does not have a wide variety of aircraft
  • Doesn’t reveal its pricing

Do You Own or Represent Berry Aviation?

If you’re a representative, or associate of Berry Aviation and have found something that isn’t accurate in today’s review please, feel free to reach out to me and I will update the information on this post. You can do this by leaving your feedback in the comments section below or simply by sending me an e-mail to contact@goldretired.com.

Final words and verdict

Verdict: Legit!

Overall rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars (3.7 / 5)

Berry Aviation may be a good fit for industry-specific customers who have unique air travel needs. A general outlook on this company shows that it’s one that’s not heavily invested in the delivery of services that target individual and group travel. The lack of flight-sharing services and a membership program are definitely deal-breakers to a significant number of potential customers. I don’t know if you’d prefer Berry Aviation Inc. to other firms in the industry, but I’d possibly only turn to it if I was the head of a large organization or institution. Otherwise, I’d rely on other alternatives in the industry, such as the one recommended below:REcommended

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Thank you for making it to the end of this review on what Berry Aviation is about. I hope you found it helpful, and that the information contained in here will help you make the right decision. If you’re still not sure which company to turn to for various aviation and air travel services, you can have a look at what the recommended alternative to Berry Aviation has to offer. Also, let me know if you have any questions to ask about Berry Aviation.

I wish you well,

Eric, Investor and Team Member at Gold Retired!