Despite an unrelated aviation disaster at another local airport the same morning, 17 undaunted press folks took to the Van Nuys airport on Wednesday for what you might call a fully experiential event. JetSuite—a fleet of private jets from a former JetBlue executive and a group of its former pilots—took passengers up in small groups for tours of Los Angeles. The quick, low-flying flights included sightseeing passes over the Hollywood Hills and sign and the Malibu coastline in the luxe, fuel- and cost-efficient, four-passenger Embraer Phenom 100 jets.
JetSuite C.E.O. Alex Wilcox was on hand for interviews regarding the company, which has been flying passengers for about a year, and hosted the event to build buzz and promote the brand's low pricing, including a $999 per-flight rate between Van Nuys and Las Vegas. Brandlink Communications produced the homespun-feeling, low-key event—which was primarily about the flight experience—where JetSuite marketing manager Sara DeLowe brought out bubbly for jittery guests, as well as takeaway materials on the brand. Among the takeaways were JetSuite ball caps and logoed foam fingers, a playful touch that suggests a lightheartedness for which JetBlue is also well known.
Tender Greens catered a light lunch, and Cookies by Design created cookies in the likeness of the plane.
The Brandlink team brought along a camera to take some candid snapshots of guests getting on and off the plane, which they will distribute to the event's participants, giving them each a memento of what Brandlink director of events Erica Krupicka called "that Jackie O. moment.”
