Having our team return to the Magellan Jets office last month felt a bit like the grand opening of a restaurant or a red carpet premiere for a big blockbuster movie. There’s a ton of hard work and preparation that goes into making opening day perfect, and while you’re excited and confident everything will go smoothly, you can’t help but feel a few nervous jitters.
As soon as I heard the happy voices of colleagues catching up from a safe social distance in our halls, though, those nervous feelings instantly turned to joy. There’s something special about face-to-face interactions in an office environment that lead to sparks of connection and creative collaboration, even if those faces have to be behind masks.
In the days and weeks since we’ve returned, I’ve only grown more confident in our ability to weather this storm, thanks in large part to the commitment by all on the Magellan Jets team in adhering to new health and safety procedures that go above and beyond what’s required. As part of our return to office guidelines, mandatory daily health check-in forms are filled out by all employees and any guests before entering our office. Also upon entry, everyone must wear masks and wash their hands, as well as keep at least a 6-foot distance from their fellow colleagues. In order to further facilitate best practices, we’ve doubled our office space to provide safe and personalized work environments for every colleague, plus we’re utilizing one-way lanes to control the flow movement and have installed touch-less water and hand sanitizer dispensers.
While we’ve conquered this hill of safety, admittedly, the process of fully revitalizing our office culture after months apart has been somewhat harder. Any business considering a return to the office must take into consideration the effects all these changes have on their employees’ health and happiness, and must do their best to ensure everyone’s voices are heard. As leaders, we must continually work to restore that culture of camaraderie.
Although there’s no playbook for a pandemic, these uncertain times have served as a crash course in the art of adaptability. From transitioning to work from home on short notice to coming back to an entirely new office environment, the last few months have shown just how important it is to be comfortable with change, especially when it happens quickly.
MONTH IN REVIEW
Beyond returning to the office, we’ve adapted in others ways in order to further providing guests consistent, excellent service and the safest experiences, with new additions to our portfolio built to fit their needs.
Following the successful launch of our Membership program, we’ve continued to grow our new customer base, serving more and more newcomers to private aviation as travelers seek safer options to commercial travel. This trend is in line with what we’re experiencing as an industry, with interest in private jet flights rising. Even on a week-to-week basis, industry data shows that air charter flight volume is up 4.56%. With no end in sight to the current health crisis, private aviation is increasingly becoming a critical resource for those in need of safe and secure travel.
From executives and corporations returning to road shows and person-to-person meetings, to amazing summer getaways like the Bahamas implementing safe reopening plans, I’m encouraged to see the world get back to business. It’s important for people to feel safe, not only when the fly, but also when they arrive at their destination. As IYC sales consultant Matthew Stone discussed with Magellan Jets Vice President of Membership John Amato on our podcast last month, it’s critical to find experienced providers to work with in order to ensure that every aspect of your journey is safe.
A LOOK AHEAD
As we kick off August, I’m truly inspired by the new innovations Magellan Jets has in store for our guests. We’ve invested heavily in our stellar tech team, which has turned us into not only a powerhouse of private aviation, but also a technology business force to be reckoned with.
This month sees the launch of our new mobile app for charter clients and jet card owners, which make booking flights and requesting trips with Magellan Jets even easier. I’m so proud of our team for all their hard work on this project, which simplifies the process and securely stores all your preferences, ensuring you have a purely private experience every time.
Expect even more exciting news on the digital front in the coming months as we further refine the Magellan Jets experience for our guests. Recently, we’ve expanded our technology department with the addition of a pair of experts with a wealth of industry knowledge. Our new user experience lead Jonathon brings years of UX e-commerce experience from his time at Carnival Cruise Line, while our new developer Joshua joins us after years of working with billion dollar companies like Walt Disney.
Adapting to this new normal, I couldn’t ask for a better team behind me, as I know each and every member of the Magellan Jets family is focused, dedicated and driven to succeed, no matter what the future holds.
