Janet Fitzgerald Sipe - Carmel Monthly Magazine

May/June 2023 Say farewell to the airlines! Your private jet awaits, with a "Beyond First-Class" experience provided by Indy’s premier private flight club, Member Wings. Avoid lengthy TSA and boarding lines and learn how Member Wings can make your entire flying experience fun again! REIMAGINING THE AIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE Member Wings is an exclusive private club that provides its members with access to hidden aviation services and facilities. Member Wings offers its many benefits and amenities only to its members, allowing them to enjoy the privileges of private flights without the costs and responsibilities of aircraft ownership. Although commercial air travel can be a fast and efficient means of transportation, it also comes with many inconveniences. You probably have experienced some of these, such as flight delays, missed connections, cancellations, intrusive security measures, and baggage issues. These unnecessarily add to your overall travel time, cause extra expenses and delays, and disrupt your travel plans. In-flight comfort or the lack thereof is almost always a problem, with small seats lacking legroom and too close to your neighbor. And don’t forget airline customer service … enough said. As a Member Wings Club Member, you can choose to enjoy the luxury and comfort of having the entire plane to yourself and your family or travel partners, or to share the plane and fly at bargain rates with other members. Onboard beverages, customized snacks, meals and beverages, and flight attendant services are available upon request. Our corporate members are able to work with their teams and/or clients while we fly them to their meetings, all while surfing the clouds in a first-class, confidential, and secure boardroom-like setting. Our individual members can enjoy the comfort and convenience of flying first-class with their family and friends without airport hassles, in-flight discomfort, and missed connections. With Member Wings, you just arrive at a beautiful private terminal, board your jet and fly. We park your car and handle your luggage. At your destination, we handle your baggage and work with your ground transportation provider to get you quickly on your way. SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY Member Wings prides itself on prioritizing the safety of its members and their guests. Member Wings flights are sourced and operated through an exclusive network of FAA Part 135 licensed charter operators and certified by Aviation Research Group US (ARGUS) and/or Wyvern, a standard-setter in flight safety audits. We rely upon them to audit their compliance with Federal Aviation Administration Regulations for FAR Part 135 operations to ensure that properly maintained aircraft and qualified pilots and crews are utilized for our flights. PRIVATE JET SHARING Our members are able to significantly reduce their flight costs by sharing their itinerary and aircraft with their families, associates, guests, and other members. For example, in winter months Florida is a popular destination. We avoid the usual larger Florida airports. Our members can choose to land at over 300 secondary airports in Florida. Usually, one is available close to your destination Member Wings’ future plans include member-shared flights from Indianapolis. Shared private jet aircraft seating from 4 to 20 passengers are available. Current plans are for members to share a seven- or eight-seat luxurious mid-sized jet, or a larger jet aircraft based on passenger count. For most Florida destinations, your flight time can be as little as two hours and fifteen minutes. Pricing for our member-shared flights will be determined by the trip length, aircraft type used for the flight, and the number of members and guests sharing the flight. Members can propose their own dates and destinations, and their own group of members and guests sharing their flights. Other shared flight opportunities are planned for sporting events, Las Vegas, Arizona, and popular snow skiing destinations, and members can travel to their personal favorites as well. Planned sports trips include IU, Purdue, and Notre Dame college games, as well as IndyCar races, Indianapolis Colts games, PGA Tour events, and other major sporting events. Member Wings members also enjoy the benefits of reciprocal club memberships! Member Wings is affiliated with exclusive clubs such as The Columbia Club and SILO Auto Club and Conservancy, and these affiliations extend Member Wings’ offerings far beyond our member aviation services. Member Wings is also proud to be affiliated with and was the title sponsor of the Concours d’Elegance Car Show in support of The Columbia Club Foundation and is a supporter of Folds of Honor and Indy Concerts for a Cause. A PASSION FOR THE INDUSTRY Member Wings President Janet Fitzgerald Sipe is a former 30-year telecommunications executive with a passion for the aviation industry. “I was with AT&T for 30 years, and the last 10 years of my career, I worked exclusively with United Airlines,” Sipe shared. “I was responsible for all of their voice and data services, coast to coast, including Hawaii. The concept behind Member Wings came after viewing what was happening in the airline industry. We want to provide beyond first-class service to our customers and avoid the hassles and pitfalls of commercial flying.” Airline crew and pilot shortages, plus a decrease in the airline industry’s workforce, continue to plague the industry, post-COVID-19. Sipe spoke about how these issues and other pain points that are inherent to the commercial airline industry not only impact the quality of the flight itself but also dictate how many flights are available because of the workforce shortage. “Just look at the news, and you can see the impacts that are happening in this industry, and the pilot shortage is a really big component,” Sipe stated. “As a result, we are seeing a lot of flight training schools in operation. But if you’re a private pilot for a charter company, you have more flexibility in your work-life balance, which I think is very important. If you have happy pilots, you’ll have a happy and safe flight.” Additionally, reducing the chance of missed flights or missed connections is another major component of the Member Wings model. “Yes, you may book a very cheap flight, but you get what you pay for,” Sipe said. “You may have one or two stops to get to your destination, or maybe you never get to your destination . Member Wings, for the most part, can get you to where you need to be nonstop and avoid the hassles of the larger airports and commercial airlines. Member Wings nonstop flights are determined by the size of the aircraft and are dependent on the factors of the members’ travel itineraries, but flights from the Indianapolis area to Florida are nonstop.” Member Wings currently offers flightservices to and from anywhere in the Continental U.S. and international destinations are planned to be available in 2024. “Our members can book their flights via our mobile app for Google or iPhone, online via our website, or by email or phone,” Sipe said. “Our members pay a one-time membership fee and reasonable monthly dues thereafter. The cost of each flight is set according to the members’ preferences. It’s not a cookie cutter situation. All flights are customized based on the person or people wanting to take the trip and what their needs are.” Member Wings can fly out of many Indianapolis airports, including Indianapolis Executive Airport in Zionsville, Indiana, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers, Indiana, as well as other Indiana airports and cities. Sipe added, “We are in the process of onboarding our flight coordinator, to care for inquiries regarding our services. I get all of the support@memberwings.vip emails along with our flight coordinator. We want to make certain we respond in a timely manner to our clients. We also have a unique URL for people to inquire about Membership online: MemberWings.vip/inquire.” Don’t miss another connecting flight or endure another miserable air travel experience! Visit Memberwings.com and learn about our corporate and individual private flight club benefits today! Make flying fun again and experience Beyond First-Class luxury with a Member Wings membership! Also, be sure to follow Member Wings on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Member Wings Is Indy’s Premier Private Flight Club

Member Wings Is Indy’s Premier Private Flight Club