JetBetter targets $50 million in sales as jet card focus drives growth

JetBetter Aviation, a Boca Raton-based jet card broker, has expanded to over a dozen brokers and support staff in just over two years, according to Private Jet Card Comparisons. Founder and CEO Robert G. Nelson expects the company to grow to around $50 million in sales over the next year.

Nelson, a career charter broker, founded the company with Connor Cecil, a fellow Jets.com alum who serves as a sourcing specialist. The company recently moved into a new 3,500-square-foot office with open floor planning.

The jet card model

Jet cards account for approximately 90 per cent of JetBetter's business, though the company also handles individual charter bookings. BetterCard jet cards start at 25 flight hours. The programme offers one free hour when you buy 25 hours, two free hours at 50 hours, and five free hours for a 100-hour card.

Nelson says jet cards drive customer loyalty and allow the company to establish longer-term relationships rather than compete for one-off bookings. He frequently tries to convert repeat charter customers into jet card members after their second or third flight.

Smaller commitments can create challenges when customers use a significant portion of their hours on unprofitable trips, a downside Nelson identifies for sellers of guaranteed-rate jet cards. He points to one customer who initially expected to spend about $1 million annually but is ultimately spending $6 million through the BetterCard programme. That customer also generated additional business through referrals.

Company background and strategy

The company was initially branded Boca Jets before changing its name to JetBetter approximately 18 months ago. Nelson says prospective customers assumed the original name served only the South Florida market, whereas BetterCard offers a national primary service area.

Nelson's background in private aviation dates to 2007, when he began arranging charter flights. He describes his management style as hands-on, preferring to sit alongside his brokers and sourcing team rather than work from a private office. "It's impossible to train somebody if you don't know what they're saying," he told Private Jet Card Comparisons. The open office layout, he says, is an investment in training and communications.

Nelson's strategy relies on what he describes as personal relationships, experienced brokers, and hands-on flight sourcing. He says the formula appeals to clients who prefer to think in hours rather than dollars.