Press Resources for Stratos Jets

Stratos Jets is an industry-leading private jet charter brokerage and franchisor focused on continuously raising the bar for professionalism in the private aviation industry. Underpinned by its sophisticated on-demand Stratos flight management system, it builds long-term client relationships by creating a best-in-class customer experience.

Since 2007 it has led the industry with its focus on delivering value through its rigorous safety program, network of verified partners, convenient and personalized booking, and honest, transparent advice.

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PRESS RELEASES
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STRATOS IN THE NEWS
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OUR STORY
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OUR LEADERSHIP

LATEST PRESS RELEASES

OUR STORY

Stratos Jets leads the way in shifting the industry’s focus from existing profit margins to improving the customer experience. We’ve invested in technology and developed processes that allow for seamless and efficient coordination, for even the most complex itineraries, making our travel experience hassle-free.

The founding vision of Stratos Jet Charters is to provide an educational air charter service that allows consumers to make informed buying decisions. We exist to serve our clients, to be their educational resource and to provide fair pricing and honest advice. Our goal is to building long-term client relationships by continually representing their best interests.

Here’s how Stratos has continued to meet that challenge while providing clients with exceptional jet charter experiences.

A focus on client education & safety

Each time you rent a private jet, there is an element of risk involved. We mitigate that risk by promoting a culture of air charter safety throughout our entire organization, right down to our operational processes. These standards are based on some of the most rigorous standards in the industry.

We believe that inviting our clients into the aircraft and air carrier selection process expands the margin of safety. By providing transparency into the operational history of each air carrier and sharing insights into aircraft appropriateness based on its performance capabilities, we help our clients make an informed buying decision

Investing in personal & trip support

At other charter companies, the sales person is responsible for aircraft sourcing and trip coordination. This can lead to errors and reduced customer support. We created our Trip Support team to support our private flight advisors, so we can consistently deliver the best possible travel experience.

Our Trip Support team is responsible for the coordination and organization of each flight booked. They also ensure all the safety elements are in place

Use of best-in-class technology

The proprietary technology our team leverages has been designed to eliminate transcription error between our clients requirements and the air carriers scheduling system. This ensures the proper coordination and organization of every trip we manage—allowing us to departmentalize tasks and deliver a high-touch customer experience in every phase of your flight.

Leveraging industry relationships

At Stratos, we believe that true value lies in the strength of the relationship between the broker and the air carrier. Though different brokers can access the same carriers, we believe that the stronger the relationship between the two, the better the value and customer experience. These relationships are built through long-term mutually beneficial partnerships, providing years of business, millions of dollars of revenue, and working together to resolve conflicts.

We’ve developed strong relationships with the world’s most reputable air carriers over the past 15 years, and by leveraging our buying power along with the relationships we’ve forged over the years, our clients reap the benefits. These partnerships also give our clients access to any size or type of private plane with as little as four hours’ notice.

Maintaining our own insurance coverage

In addition to the high minimum liability insurance Stratos requires of our air carriers, we also maintain our own $50 million non-owned liability policy. We do this to provide our clients with added protection so they can soar higher while enjoying peace of mind.

As Joel Thomas, president and CEO of Stratos Jet Charters, once said, “The best insurance is through a proactive approach to safety, and we take every precaution possible to ensure a safe flight every time our clients fly. We don’t like to think about the value that our insurance policy provides, but we do know one thing about insurance — it is better to have it and not need it than the other way around.”

A commitment to aviation excellence

At Stratos, we know the value of a well-trained team. It’s why we only hire team members with a passion for excellence in the aviation industry. Every trip we arrange is an opportunity to pass along our expertise and passion, so to ensure our clients enjoy an outstanding jet charter travel experience, we’re committed to investing in our team in every way possible.

By providing our team with a complete toolkit and the skills they need to excel in their position, they can help our clients soar higher with a first-class jet charter experience not found anywhere else.

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OUR LEADERSHIP

When Stratos was founded in 2006, we challenged ourselves to build a better jet charter company. Since that day, our focus has been to deliver an exceptional customer experience through education, personal relationships, and customer advocacy.

Joel Thomas, President & CEO

Joel Thomas still remembers the day he fell in love with aviation: His dad, who had just earned his private pilot’s license, picked Joel up from school, took him to the Orlando Executive Airport and told him they were going for a burger—in the Bahamas. Soaring above the barrier islands in his dad’s 1960 V-tail Bonanza M35 for the first time, Joel was hooked.

After attending the University of Central Florida where he worked toward a finance degree, Joel went on to work as an investment advisor at a large investment firm. His passion for aviation led him back to the local airport where he spent so many boyhood summers, and to a chance encounter in which Joel’s dad hinted he would make a great jet charter broker.

In 2006, Joel founded Stratos Jet Charters. Since then, Joel has focused on guiding his company by a vision to always do what’s best for the customer, to help them make informed buying decisions, and to always recommend only the safest options. Through his advocacy for safety in the private jet charter services industry, he has served as president and chairman of the Air Charters Association of North America (ACANA), and Stratos was one of the first jet charter companies to become an ARGUS Certified Broker.

Joel has led Stratos toward a number of significant firsts, including the Marketplace platform that gives travelers unrivaled access to aircraft availability and quotes, and the SOAR program that combines the guaranteed availability of membership with the flexibility and savings of on-demand jet charters. More than 15 years into the business and now with his own pilot’s license, Joel is still as passionate about flying and providing a private flying experience that raises the bar for safety, service and client education.

David Borgerding, CFO

David has extensive operational and finance experience working with companies to accelerate growth by developing comprehensive plans and strategies across a broad range of categories and business models. He has worked within a wide range of industries over the past 10 years, assessing and implementing transformative processes, financial models, and systems. Before this, David held a variety of positions for 17 years with Charles Schwab. As a Managing Director at Schwab, he had responsibility for multiple revenue products, including Initial Public Offerings & Secondary Offerings, Load Mutual Fund trading, Options & Futures trading and East Coast High Net Worth active trading clients.

David is involved in the Orlando Community. David is a past Treasury and Board Member of Habitat of Humanity Seminole and Apopka and is currently the chair of the Investment Committee. He was also on the Board of Directors for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Central Florida and has chaired a number of Fundraising events. David was the community liaison for Charles Schwab in Orlando and directed employee volunteer efforts at Ronald McDonald House, Second Harvest, and Green-Up Orlando.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from Southern Illinois University and a master’s in business administration from the Crummer Graduate School at Rollins College.

Darren Engle, COO

A visionary executive with demonstrated success in highly competitive markets. Darren Engle has over twenty years of industry experience in the technology sector with a focus on high-growth. He’s held executive-level titles in both product and service-based organizations from start-up to mid-cap and is considered by cohorts and peers to be a results-oriented serial entrepreneur with a tenacious drive for securing customer loyalty, building intellectual capital, increasing brand recognition, and maximizing earning potential in team-centric environments.

Dedicated to solving social and business problems with industrial analytics, data science, and servant leadership. With a wealth of industry knowledge, business acumen, strategic prowess, and financial acuity, Mr. Engle is uniquely qualified for his role as COSIO at Stratos Jet Charters.  When not in the office, Mr. Engle enjoys adventurous outdoor activities and supporting philanthropic endeavors.

Are you ready to book your best charter flight yet?

Our friendly, expert air charter agents are here to answer questions or start your quote today. Don`t wait, call now and we'll get you on your way to your destination!

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