What if helicopter operators and brokers could use the Internet to streamline the helicopter charter business, providing operators with more opportunities to rent their aircraft and brokers with more options for booking them?
That’s the idea behind GetHeli, an exciting new business-to-business (B2B) service that does for helicopter charters what Avinode has done for private jet charters.
“Our goal is to bring aviation brokers and helicopter operators together, to make it simple for brokers to source the best quotes for their clients quickly, and for operators to manage operations effectively,” said James Pié, GetHeli’s chief executive officer.
“We are streamlining and enhancing the broker/operator model that already works well,” he explained. “This is why we are providing GetHeli’s B2B services strictly to brokers and operators, with travelers enjoying the benefits of faster bookings, competitive prices, and more access to flight options.”
A better way to fly
Here’s the concept. Currently, people wanting to charter helicopters go to a broker. In turn, the broker canvasses helicopter operators to see which aircraft are available and find out how much each operator would charge for the flight.
“Today, brokers search for helicopters available for charter via telephone and email,” said Patrick Wills, a private helicopter pilot and co-founder of Earlymarket, GetHeli’s lead investor.
“They then manage these bookings using notepads and whiteboards. The result is a charter helicopter booking system that is fragmented, inefficient, and lacks transparency to everyone involved.”
GetHeli brings charter helicopter booking into the 21st century. After creating a free account on getheli.com, a broker can post the specific flight they need seats for, including the date, time, locations, and number of passengers to be carried.
Interested operators can monitor getheli.com for such postings, and place bids on the ones that they can fulfill. Both sides can access this information anytime on their web-connected computers, smartphones, and tablets.
“The only time any money changes hands is when a broker closes a deal with an operator, at which time GetHeli receives a small fee for processing the booking,” said Pié. “Otherwise, the GetHeli system is completely free to use.”
“We have partnered with Helipaddy, the world’s largest landing site database, which has over 10,000 sites globally–including hotels, B&Bs, and restaurants — to provide visibility of private and public landing sites,” Pié added. “This data is essential in streamlining the booking process for brokers and operators.”
Unbeatable reach
The benefits of the GetHeli B2B booking system are numerous. For instance, GetHeli brings the speed and access of online communications and e-commerce to the charter helicopter business.
No longer do brokers have to waste time drafting emails and making phone calls, searching for an aircraft on a one-to-one basis. GetHeli allows them to adopt an efficient one-to-many approach, by making one post for many operators to see.
GetHeli expands the range of operators an aviation broker can reach, going beyond their personal contacts and into a wider marketplace that provides more options and lower prices for customers. By submitting a request through getheli.com, a broker can reach an extensive number of operators in just a few seconds. That’s less time than it takes to make a single phone call.
Better access also means more opportunities for operators to book their helicopters to a wider range of customers, increasing revenue while reducing the number of hours a money-making aircraft sits idle. And when it comes time to bid on a charter request, operators can set their own prices while reinforcing their brands to interested brokers.
As well, helicopter operators who monitor getheli.com will get a better sense of demand within their regional charter market. This is valuable market intelligence that can help operators better adapt their fleets and operations to seize opportunities more effectively — and it is all free.
New markets on the horizon
GetHeli is launching in the U.K. market in early 2018.
“Without using the Internet, the U.K. charter helicopter market is worth an estimated 70 million pounds annually,” said Pié. “We are excited by the significant potential for growth in the charter market arising from the efficiency and speed of service provided by GetHeli.”
Once the website has had its initial “shakedown flight,” moving into North American markets would be a natural progression.
“We are interested in hearing from brokers and operators who want to sign up for GetHeli,” said Pié. “It’s a system built from the ground up to be simple, efficient, and easy to use–we are building an asset for the global helicopter community which through collaboration with operators and brokers can make a good industry even better.”
