Page 5 - Elite AirMail Fall 2021

COMPANY SNAPSHOTS
CEO LETTER: A HOLIDAY ODE TO OUR PERSONNEL
Elite Air recently started working with a new charter client who made a delightful happy accident come together for some of our crewmembers.
The new client chartered two Elite Air- managed heavy jets to take a large family to Hawaii for the Thanksgiving holiday. And while we can’t divulge names or dis- cuss our clients publicly, allow me to say that this unnamed client’s family-focused actions warmed my heart.
Now, there are two sides to every sto-
ry. Because of the length of the trip and
size of the party, Elite Air was forced to
send eight total crewmembers to the middle of the Pa- cific Ocean during a time when most folks want to be with their families on the mainland. Two of the pilots— the third cockpit-minders needed to ferry the jets all the way to Oahu—were able to return home in time for Feast Day. Six of us, though, stayed behind. And while our clients’ gesture warmed my heart, it never makes me feel great to have crew on the road for a major holiday.
My family, God bless them every one, has unfortu- nately grown accustomed to my being on the road for the holidays. From Thanksgiving to early January is Elite Air’s busiest time of year. But I had an idea this time around. What if I could find a way to bring my wife, two grown kids, and their children to me for Thanksgiving?
Spoiler alert: I found a way. All 11 mem- bers of my expanding family boarded a com- mercial plane and flew to Hawaii the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We started planning for the big day. Would we do a Thanksgiving luau-style? Roast a pig instead of a turkey? Nope, the grandkids wanted the old fashioned Thanksgiving meal they’ve grown to love over the past several years.
We (well, everyone but me) sourced all our ingredients and readied our little AirBnB kitch- en. We were up early on Thursday—Hawaii is five hours behind eastern time—to watch foot- ball and the parade. The cooks got to cooking.
By 3:30 local time, we had it all: smoked turkey, sweet po- tato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean cas- serole, two kinds of cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, butter, three pies, and a few tasty beverages.
But we had something else that made our impromptu Kahuna-style Thanksgiving truly special. Most of the crew- members that stayed in Hawaii came over to our place, gath- ered around the dinner table, and enjoyed that traditional holiday feast while out on the sometimes-lonely road.
It’s easy to forget why we work as hard as we do at Elite Air. Yes, it’s for our customers, like the client who up and took her family to Honolulu for Thanksgiving. But most of all, we do it for our very own team of dedicated personnel and their families. Happy holidays, all.
Gray Gibbs, Elite Air CEO
ABOVE & BEYOND:
BROKERS, CUSTOMERS OFFER COMPLIMENTS
Elite Air personnel have received lots of kudos over the last quarter. In this installment of ABOVE & BEYOND, we offer a brief sample of the praise we’ve received.
Thanks to everyone who appreciated Elite Air’s service this quarter and took the time to say so.
“Thanks so much! I’m really looking forward to work- ing more with you and your team. I’m already impressed by your quickness in scheduling...a rarity in this industry.”
—Daniel Murray, Business Development Representative, Perio Inc.
“Spoke to the lead passenger, and he said everything was great. He took care of the cabinet attendant and crew again. It’s a pleasure to do business with you all. I appreciate the flight following and communications. It seems to be a lost art with a lot of operators. I look forward to getting more trips on the board with you all soon.”
—James Jones, PRVT Inc.
“All went well, thanks. And we like Ben Foster, too, by
the way. Very customer friendly.”
—Paul Rofe
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