The NetJets Middle East Programme, provided by National Air Services (NAS), is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the region’s leading provider of executive jet ownership programmes by taking delivery of a new Falcon 2000LX – the first Falcon 2000LX to be operated commercially in the Middle East.

The NetJets Middle East Programme, a favourite of some of the region’s most successful individuals, private companies and multinationals, already has a fleet comprising the Gulfstream 450 and Hawker 750 but sees the arrival of the new long-range Falcon 2000LX as a major step forward.

Graeme Deary, Executive Director – Business Development, explains:
“With its range of up to 4,000 nautical miles, the Falcon 2000LX can fly non-stop from Dubai to Paris and London. The Falcon 2000LX is the optimum aircraft to fly this route with a spacious cabin and good performance enabling it to get into some of the smaller airports in Europe. This, coupled with its large baggage compartment, allows our guests to travel with all their home comforts.”

The aircraft has been chosen for the fleet not just for its ideal range, but also because of its reliability.

Deary added: “All of our aircraft receive the very highest attention in terms of service and maintenance, an area in which we continue to invest heavily. The safety and security of our passengers is a priority. With the new aircraft, we have the additional assurance of knowing that it is designed as much for high cycle use as high performance, precisely the kind of performance and reliability that premium operators such as The NetJets Middle East Programme demands.”

The NetJets Middle East Programme brought fractional aircraft ownership programmes to the Middle East to offer all of the advantages of private jet travel but at a fraction of the cost. Owners buy or lease a fractional interest in an executive aircraft based on the number of hours they are likely to fly in a year.

Deary said: “The NetJets Middle East Programme then provides them with an aircraft to suit their flight profile taking into consideration passenger comfort, range requirements and frequency of flights and will take care of the operational aspects of aircraft ownership. Fractional Ownership was invented by NetJets in the US, and through our affiliation with them our owners have access to the world’s largest fleet of executive aircraft.”

Importantly, while clients take a fractional ownership share in a specific aircraft, the freedom is there to interchange between aircraft types in accordance with their specific usage requirements, per booking. Ownership costs are guaranteed for five years.

“‘Most of our clients can afford their own aircraft,” Deary concludes. “They just appreciate that the intelligent, cost-effective alternative is not to.”

Announced today, The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, an equity-based, luxury destination club, and Marquis Jet(SM)*, the leader in private jet cards, have forged a new partnership.

For the benefit of the Club Members and Jet Card Owners, this alliance presents the opportunity to blend the very best in the world of private jet cards with the foremost purveyor of inspiring vacation home experiences.

“Our discerning Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members value the many conveniences Club membership provides,” said Peter J. Watzka, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Ritz-Carlton Development Company, Inc. (an affiliate of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC). “Now, they can also enjoy simplicity and peace of mind when they join the Marquis Jet Card(SM) program, backed by the NetJets fleet.”
“The two brands are a natural complement to one another providing ease in air travel and vacation home living,” continued Watzka.

“We look forward to introducing The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club to Marquis Jet Card Owners.” “The Marquis Jet Card program will change the way Club Members travel,” said Mark Sage, executive vice president, business development for Marquis Jet. “Members will be able to fly on their own schedule and remain in control. With consistent, high-quality service and guaranteed availability, the Marquis Jet Card program will enable a new level of efficiency and productivity in Club Members’ personal and professional lives. It’s the perfect program to enable Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Members to travel to and from their favorite properties with ease.”

Marquis Jet Card Owners value having access to the convenience, quality and safety of the world’s premier fractional aircraft ownership program, NetJets, 25 hours at a time with no long-term commitment. Furthermore, Marquis Jet Card Owners select from 10 different aircraft types to meet a broad range of aviation needs. Club Members who contact Marquis Jet will receive a complimentary aviation consultation that will assist in matching their individual needs to the ideal aviation solution.

The Marquis Jet fleet is provided by NetJets through an exclusive alliance between the two companies. NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. company, is the worldwide leader in fractional jet ownership. NetJets owns the world’s largest and most diversified fleet of more than 800 aircraft, staffs the most highly trained and experienced pilots, and provides the world’s safest and most secure private travel solutions.

Depending on a Ritz-Carlton Destination Club Member’s vacation aspirations, they may select a Home Club Membership which provides a one- to four-bedroom, titled residence and guaranteed usage at their favorite resort every year, or a deeded Portfolio Membership which affords the opportunity to discover a wide variety of locations, accommodations and experiences around the globe through the use of Club points.

The new Hotel Exchange Program also enables Members who enroll in a Portfolio Membership to utilize a portion of their Club points at more than 70 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts. Club Members benefit from an exceptional level of service as they are paired with their very own member experience manager who serves as their primary travel liaison. The member experience manager coordinates everything from airport pick-up and pre-arrival provisioning of the residence, to unpacking and pressing pre-sent garments and arranging a complete vacation itinerary.

Membership pricing ranges from the low $100,000s – low $800,000s per membership. A typical membership is approximately $250,000.

About Marquis Jet
Marquis Jet is the leader in private jet cards. Through its exclusive alliance with NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. company, Marquis Jet provides the convenience, quality and safety of the world’s premier fractional aircraft ownership program 25 hours at a time. The Marquis Jet Card is available throughout North America, catering to businesses and individuals who desire access to the world’s best fleet and service.

Business Traveler Magazine, Executive Travel Magazine, Robb Report and Flight International have recognized the Marquis Jet Card as the number one private jet card program. The Marquis Jet Card program is operated by NetJets Aviation, Inc. or NetJets International, Inc. under their respective FAR Part 135 Air Carrier Certificates.
For additional information, visit the Company’s website at www.MarquisJet.com or call 1-866-JET-1400. Please refer to Marquis Program Documents for more complete details.

About The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club
Combining innovative membership options for luxury travel around the world with the legendary services of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club offers an inspirational vacation lifestyle tailored to each Member’s needs and expectations. This year, on its 10th anniversary, The Club was awarded Robb Report’s distinction of top fractional vacation home program for their 21st annual “Best of the Best” issue. For information, please visit www.ritzcarltondestinationclub.com. The Club can also be found on Facebook and Twitter (@RitzCarltonClub).

*Marquis Jet is an independent company not affiliated with NetJets and through its exclusive U.S. alliance sells the Marquis Jet Card

Sol Meliá, the 15th-largest hotel chain in the world and the leading Spanish hotel and resort company, has selected LRA Worldwide to assist with elements of its Strategic Plan presented to investors in Madrid last year.  LRA, a pioneer in the consulting discipline of Customer Experience Management, is working with Sol Meliá on the “brand equity” pillar of the plan, helping the company further define each brand offering and how that offering is delivered at the property level.

Sol Meliá currently operates a variety of hotel and resort brands including Gran Meliá, Meliá, ME, Innside, Tryp, Sol and Paradisus, as well as its vacation ownership offering, Sol Meliá Vacation Club. As part of Sol Melia’s plan for “enhancing the value of the brands [and] repositioning the brands on a higher level,” LRA has facilitated “brand standards boot camps” for corporate and property-level representatives of each brand. 

The boot camps are designed to:
• Identify the core elements of the guest experience expected of a hotel of that service sector;
• Identify and define the “differentiators” that enhance the guest experience delivered by each Sol Melia brand;
• Craft the service and operational standards that enable each hotel to “operationalize” the desired brand experience.

“This is an extremely important initiative for our company,” explained André Gerondeau, Executive Vice President, Hotels for Sol Meliá.  “Each of our brands has something unique and special to offer the guest; our ability to both articulate and deliver that distinct brand experience is crucial to our strategic plan.  The LRA team brings a unique mix of skills to the project that will help us both creatively and operationally.” 

“Sol Meliá is aware that current global economic conditions require an increased focus on value and quality,” said John Roberto, SVP of LRA Worldwide. “Brands that can better define the unique quality and value that they provide to the guest – and then deliver on that – will be well-positioned to thrive in these difficult times.”

LRA has worked on a variety of projects of this nature, helping them first define the elements of a branded customer experience and then translate that vision into a working, operational reality.  Most engagements have been within the hospitality industry with companies such as Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, but LRA has also worked with leaders in food service (ARAMARK Corporation), travel (NetJets), homebuilding (WCI Communities), entertainment (Live Nation) and sports (Churchill Downs Incorporated) on similar initiatives.

“The process is always equal parts art and science,” said Nancy Peel, Director of LRA’s Standards Development & Content Management practice. “For Sol Meliá, the riddle is how to cultivate and capture the style, flair and vision of each individual brand while ensuring that standards are in place to deliver on that brand vision at every hotel, for every associate, in every interaction, every day.”

The year-long project kicked off in March of 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the first “boot camp” for Gran Meliá and was subsequently followed by sessions for each of the other brands.  In 2009, the program will transition into a measurement and compliance phase, ensuring that the proper brand experience is being delivered consistently across the global portfolio.

About Sol Meliá:
Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Sol Meliá is the largest resort hotel chain in the world and market leader in Spain in both business and leisure travel. The company currently provides more than 300 hotels in 30 countries on four continents, and employs 35,000 people under its Gran Meliá, Meliá, ME, Innside, Tryp, Sol, Paradisus and Sol Meliá Vacation Club brands. For more information, visit www.solmelia.com.

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA’s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question – “How do we get better?” In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, the PGA TOUR, InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.