Since its founding in 2004, global aviation company VistaJet has focused on providing businesses and individuals with a better business model for private jet travel.
However, even while he concentrated on making a strong business case for VistaJet and pioneering a new way to fly, Founder and Chairman Thomas Flohr also put a focus on offering unparalleled service to clients around the world.
That commitment to evolving and expanding what the aviation company offers clients is apparent in VistaJet’s latest initiative: the VistaJet Wellness program. The extensive program adds a new facet to private jet travel, ranging from in-flight services such as customized meal plans designed by nutritionists to special deals on wellness-focused destinations that include the Andes in Peru and Buddhist temples in Nepal.
VistaJet markets its Wellness program as another in a series of firsts. Starting in Europe, VistaJet now is a global aviation company, the only of its kind in the world. To date, VistaJet aircraft have flown to 1,900 airports in 96% of the world’s countries. McKinsey & Co. ranks Thomas Flohr among its modern list of Travel Disruptors who have changed how companies and individuals access and use private jets.
But as Flohr said in an interview with CNBC, one of the secrets of his business success is to never stop searching for an edge on the competition or a better way to serve his clients. He said, “The minute that you become satisfied with your success is the beginning of the end.”
The VistaJet Wellness program reflects this type of thinking. The program goes beyond offering flight services that makes financial sense to clients and into setting a standard for preflight, in-flight, and post-flight health and wellness-focused services.
“Flying better means living better, and the advantage of flying private should not be limited to the speed of the flight alone. In VistaJet’s aim for excellence, we researched all the ways to benefit the minds and bodies of the people who fly with us,” Matteo Atti, VistaJet’s Chief Marketing Officer, said in a news release. “Using our resources, knowledge, and network, we can really support our members, particularly those who spend a lot of time in the air. When flying is part of your life or business routine, we want to make sure it is a moment that adds value.”
What Does the VistaJet Wellness Program Offer?
With the VistaJet Wellness program, Thomas Flohr is seeking to follow through on the idea of finding new facets of the private charter jet business to improve. VistaJet created the program after listening to the requests of clients who voiced a desire for greater meaning in travel and impactful life experiences.
The program is the first of its kind, according to Elite Traveler. According to VistaJet, the wellness experience offered before and during a flight, as well as at certain destinations, are geared toward creating memorable experiences and improving the health of the company’s clients. The program offers “a solution suited to their particular perspective and needs — whether a performance athlete seeking faster regeneration, business leaders seeking greater clarity, focus, and relaxation, or families wanting to broaden their personal and spiritual connection or discover new ways to live better,” according to the VistaJet news release.
The services include a preflight consultation with a VistaJet nutritionist on the best foods to eat before and during the flight. On board, flight experiences are designed to reduce jet lag and promote health through a variety of means, including ergonomic seating, as well as meditation and breathing apps. Flights on VistaJet’s Global 7500 aircraft also can provide daylight simulation to sync with the destination time zone.
Flights also have carefully curated menus, designed with the input of nutritionists and leading athletes like racing driver Charles Leclerc, as well as health and wellness products on board that include brands such as Guerlain and Jing teas.
For after the flight, wellness guides created by Dr. Jordan Shlain and his team at Private Medical provide tips and guidance for maintaining optimal well-being after landing. These include information on how to best manage jet lag and hydrating effectively.
Thomas Flohr and VistaJet Offer Wellness Destinations
The Wellness program also offers experiences at special destinations that are part of the exclusive Private World partnerships created with VistaJet. For the Wellness program, these experiences focus on “a truly global experience of well-being,” according to the news release.
The destinations include a 21-day “spiritual expedition” that takes clients on a trip through the heart of Buddhism in Nepal and Bhutan. The trip includes prayer sessions, a helicopter ride to a Mount Everest base camp, monastery visits, hiking, and traditional rituals focused on body health. Clients can also choose to meet experts on herbalism and Andean medicinal traditions in Sacred Valley, Peru, while staying in a private casita in the Andean highlands.
Another option is the Abercrombie & Kent journey in the United States and Mexico that includes “soul-stirring adventures in the wild balanced with rejuvenating rituals and practices that reconnect you with Earth and self,” according to the news release. Other locations for the many different wellness destination options include Switzerland, Maldives, Qatar, Sweden, Costa Rica, Ibiza, and India.
Thomas Flohr Changed Private Jet Travel With a Subscription Model
Thomas Flohr founded VistaJet after seeing the shortcomings of past private jet services firsthand. In his previous work in asset finance, he experienced difficulty dealing with inefficient private charter jet services when trying to book flights for clients. He also saw the money companies spent maintaining their owned private jets that were seldom used.
He created VistaJet to offer travelers guaranteed access to a full fleet of aircraft, a membership tailored to their needs and only paying for the flight hours used. Membership with VistaJet gives clients access to private jets from wherever and whenever needed, but without the burdens of private jet ownership.
It’s become extremely popular. The company invests across operations, technology and service to ensure its clients enjoy unparalleled experience on every flight. It also has key partnerships with a wide range of other leading brands. For example, VistaJet flies the Ferrari racing teams to their Formula One and World Endurance racing destinations. Not everything is focused on business travel. Through its Private World program, VistaJet has over 600 partners who provide curated travel experiences at destination, such as a three-week trip across Spain and France to experience the world of artist Pablo Picasso and masterclasses with some of the world’s best winemakers.
“In today’s world, to build a brand is extremely difficult. And you’ll see us advancing and accelerating because we’ve built a strong brand,” Thomas Flohr told McKinsey & Co. “I don’t think there is any revolutionary action needed other than providing service at the highest level and doing it consistently over a very long period of time.”