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Sentient Jet

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av8tortype

Registered Cowbell User
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Posts
89
My company is looking at various options including fractional and outright ownership. However, the jet membership program offered by Sentient Jets looks like a good alternative until requirements dictate ownership and wonder if any of you have any experience providing lift for Sentient. Any feedback is appreciated.
 
We do some Sentient flying fairly regularly so I can tell you first hand that they are are a good group to do business with. They are very picky about the aircraft they use as well as requiring at least a Gold rating from ARGUS for the operator. We are constantly updating crew records, flight experience, etc... with them to keep on their list of approved providers. They pay quickly, don't haggle much, and will even pay us to keep an airplane available for a block of several days even if they don't use the aircraft. You can't beat getting paid for two hours of aircraft use per day while it sits in the hangar for free! All in all I've been impressed with them and the way they take care of their clients. My company certainly appreciates their business.
 
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Wouldn't touch outfits like Sentient or any of the so-called brokers with a ten foot pole. They don't own a damn thing, and only low ball legitimate charter companies for their dead head legs. The worst of the bunch is Blue Star Jet. Don't get me started about these s@@m bags. You're far better off chartering with a top quality audited charter company, it will cost you far less for most charter needs than going through the likes of Blue Star, Sentient etc.


BTW, Sentient bought Atlantic Aviation's charter department trying to show that they've gone legitimate. Funny how Scott Galdi, head of Atlantic charter, who always spoke ill of these brokers, SOLD OUT to them. Guess the numbers of almighty dollars must have been quite large for him to do an about face and kiss those he used to curse out.
 
I'm not suprised by the two responses. I believe Sentient is a pretty good provider if your concern is from a customers point of view. I think they try harder than most actual charter companies to provide exceptional customer service. The customer knows they are paying a premium and, for the level of service provided, apparently they don't mind. Now, perhaps the prudent traveler would use a regular charter company for a round trip of no more then perhaps one RON and Sentient for the one way drop offs.
As a pilot for a charter company that provides Sentient lift I realize that dealing with the dispachers there can be trying at times. But I realize it IS ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. One problem I think happens more than it should is the customer asks for a midsize and gets a light or requests a large and gets a midsize.

We have gotten customers to call us for the out and backs but I doubt they would call us for a drop off.

Other providers you might look at are CitationShares Vector program. You will know exactly what type of plane you will be on as with NetJet's Marquis card.

One nice thing about Sentient. I was on day 4 or 5 of a 7 or 8 day trip and it was my birthday. They had a cake waiting for me @ PVD.
 
I'll second CaptHuff in that finding a well reputed charter operator with a diverse fleet of aircraft is an efficient way to provide long term lift for your people. We go out of our way to acquire this type of business and will work a block charter deal that caters to the clients needs. The option to purchase a share of or an entire aircraft at anytime can be worked into the deal as well so the arrangement can grow with the clients activity. All the frax providers are after this demographic too in the form of jet membership cards which I'm sure are a good way to travel if you don't mind the expense involved with flying on brand-new aircraft. Sentient et al offer a lower priced alternative but the aircraft selection is much more diverse and inconsistent in terms of aircraft type and provider. As I stated earlier though, Sentient will not do business with just anyone so rest assured that a Sentient aircraft is being provided by a reputable provider with a well established history of safety and customer service.

If you're in the Mid-Atlantic region and need some more info PM me and I'll hook you up. Commission free of course......
 
If you're looking foe one ways there are bidding sites on the web where you can find them, and you will probably save by cutting out the middleman.
 
The only cool thing about sentient is the nice free pens we get! From a pilot standpoint its no Fun!!! As far as aircraft is concerned they use are 1980 Citation 2 all the time! It looks like a beat down old freight plane!
 
They seem to take ok care of there customers, but there dispatch team is a little full of themselves. I once had a weather concern and called to give them heads up that I would go look at it, but might have to divert. They put some "flight specialist" on line who simply told me that I would be fine... Needless to say, that left a mark when I was done :D.

We only accept scheduled trips from them. Out and back, otherwise they think they own your aircraft and you do not know when you will come home. They only worry about Sentients bottom line, not yours. We flew a drop off for them, and when the dispatcher said let me see if I can release you to go home, all he heard when he came back to the phone was a dial tone, or maybe it was a pair of JT-15D-5's at 98% .
 
Thanks for the feedback ... both positive and not. FlexJet is also offering a jet membership program similar to Sentient but I don't have the details yet. The plan is to fly a group of 3 execs down from PDX to SJC on Tues am and return them back Thurs pm. This would be a weekly evolution. Could be something an Oregon charter company might be interested in. Cost with Sentient ~$14K week.
 
The problem with Sentient and the like is they own absolutely NOTHING! IF they actually owned something they might garnish a little respect. Instead they poach charters off under funded and under staffed charter outfits at a reduced price and up charge the customer at the same rate they would if they were to deal with the charter operater directly. The result ..... NOTHING but another layer of BS.

Sentient has sucessfully poached away business from charter operaters and forced them to accept less money or lose the charter. The result of this is a lower bottom line for the operater, lower wages, second rate training, and crappy life. If Sentient really cared that a pilot was flying on his B-Day they would send you home.

Brokers in genreal are scumbags. Just say NO! Go with Flex or NetJets. With them you can be assured that their airplanes are maintained by the operator and their pilots are trained to IS-BAO standards. They may cost a bit more, but there is a reason.

Why would you want to put your executives on anything less than the best?
 
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