Flexjet Announces New Red Label Training Academy, to Bring the Best of High-End Hospitality to the Skies
November 13, 2023
LONDON, 13th November 2023 – Global private aviation leader Flexjet has set the standard for service experience in its field for over 25 years, and the company is now raising the bar higher still, with a new training programme for its global Cabin Servers officially launching this month. The ‘finishing school’ style training will take place in The Red Label Academy, a new, dedicated facility at Flexjet’s Farnborough Airport location in Hampshire, UK, adding to its existing operations facilities on the same site.
Red Label is Flexjet’s exceptional and unique service and hospitality ethos and includes several differentiators in experience for its aircraft Owners. In addition to unrivalled cabin service (and in Europe every Flexjet flight includes at least one Cabin Server), this includes its boutique hotel-style LXi cabin interiors, crew dedicated to each individual aircraft, and a range of invitations to curated private and VIP events.
The Red Label Training Academy will act as a centre for excellence globally, with both U.S. and European Flexjet Cabin Servers trained by experts in their fields to deliver five-star hospitality in the skies. All Flexjet Cabin Servers come into the role with prior private aviation experience, but the new Flexjet Red Label Academy is designed to add a level of service mastery and a polish that is unrivalled in the industry. Flexjet’s existing team of 130+ Cabin Servers will undertake advanced training focused on refinement, with new recruits taking a longer course that also covers the key fundamentals.
The programme is led by Flexjet’s Vice President of Customer Experience, Francesco Vanerio, who brings his extensive five-star hotel experience to the private aviation sector, including from the award-winning Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy. Dedicated experts in other fields will deliver masterclasses in specific skills such as mixology, wine serving, floristry and sushi presentation, alongside scenario-based service training and how to prepare and style the cabin to meet Flexjet’s exacting standards.
“Our fantastic Cabin Servers embody our unique Red Label ethos and are the frontline of our aircraft Owners’ experience of Flexjet,” said Megan Wolf, Chief Experience Officer at Flexjet. “We are proud and delighted to open this world-class training facility and programme, which sets us apart in the industry in terms of refinement and attention-to-detail. The new standards in cabin experience have now been elevated to match that of a top European five-star hotel.”
Part of the programme will be delivered by The Dorchester Collection Academy, whose excellence in hospitality training is renowned throughout the world. This additional instruction is designed to immerse the Cabin Servers in a world of luxury hospitality firsthand, and to experience for themselves how it feels to receive exceptional service – with each Cabin Server enjoying an afternoon tea and a night’s stay at The Dorchester in London.
The focus on the emotional impact of great service is also continued back at the Red Label Academy, with modules on how to make passengers feel special and cared for via highly personalised attention-to-detail; assessing their needs on any given occasion using body language and behaviour; and through observing cultural differences. Cabin Servers are also trained in specific skills to serve children and pets onboard flights.
The Academy incorporates individual workspaces, cabin and galley mock-ups, meaning Cabin Servers can be conveniently trained to work in Flexjet’s different aircraft types, all from the state-of-the-art facilities at the Farnborough base. The same training programme will be provided to all Flexjet Cabin Servers, regardless of location, ensuring a consistently memorable service experience for Owners when flying anywhere in the world.
Mike Silvestro, co-CEO of Flexjet said: “Our company continues to grow considerably, with over 270 fixed wing aircraft now in our global fleet and many more to be added next year and beyond. As we expand our global team of Cabin Servers, this impressive new facility will ensure that we continue to deliver and refine the extraordinary cabin experience that Flexjet Owners enjoy and expect.”
About Flexjet
Flexjet is a global leader in private aviation. Long-established in the U.S. fractional jet ownership market since 1995, its European operation launched in 2019 based in London’s Mayfair, with a Tactical Control Centre at Farnborough Airport, and an Operational Centre in Malta.
In Europe, Flexjet offers shared ownership of its premium fleet of business jets, including the Embraer Praetor 600 and Gulfstream G650. Internationally the exclusive fleet includes the Embraer Phenom 300, Praetor 500, Praetor 600, Bombardier Challenger 350 and 3500, the Gulfstream G450 and G650. Flexjet is the first shared ownership provider of the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600. Red Label by Flexjet, a market differentiator, features the most modern fleet in the industry, flight crews dedicated to a single aircraft and the LXi Cabin Collection of interiors.
Flexjet’s European operation is compliant with the International Standard for Business Aviation Operators (IS-BAO) and is a Wyvern Wingman Certified Operator. In the U.S. its fractional aircraft programme was the first in the world to be recognised as achieving the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s Industry Audit Standard, is the first and only company to be honoured with 24 FAA Diamond Awards for Excellence, upholds an ARG/US Platinum Safety Rating, and is IS-BAO compliant at Level 2.
Flexjet’s helicopter division offers flying programmes and on-demand charter access to its fleet of owned and operated helicopters, including the Sikorsky S-76, Agusta AW109 and AW169, serving locations in the United Kingdom, northeastern United States, and southern Florida.
In Europe Flexjet holds a 4AIR Silver Rating, recognising its leading approach to sustainability. This includes offsetting 300% of carbon emissions for every flight, with Owners also able to commit to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF); and invest in the Aviation Climate Fund (ACF) to support future flight research and development projects.
Flexjet is a member of the Directional Aviation family of companies. Visit www.flexjet.com or follow us on Instagram @FlexjetInc.
