Have you ever seen a Cessna Citation X, from up close?

If you decide to become a client with XOJET, you’ll be seeing a whole lot of them since that’s the only plane model the private aviator has (although it’s planning to buy the ultra-spacious Bombardier Challenger 300 model, starting next year).

Why would a private aviation service that’s the talk of the industry operate a single class of aircraft? To cut down costs — and it works, big time!

So you’re tired of waiting for hours on end for your plane to arrive and then take off? If you fly over 100 hours a year, XOJET may be the answer to the commercial airlines’ colossal time wasting habits.

Furthermore, flying with up to 11 other clients per aircraft is a whole different experiences than being crammed into a commercial flight with hundreds of other strangers. One could say it’s a lot more fun and the in-flight service is much easier to get a hold of.

While fractionals are inherently restrictive because they link users with a specific number of hours corresponding to the size of their share, if you’re still looking for more thoughful alternatives, you’ll be happy to learn that XOJET doesn’t sell shares, at all -and- they don’t allow more than 3 clients per jet (which yields more flexibility).

XOJET clients get a 20% overflight allowance built into their contracts and in the event they need more hours, they simply pay for them (extra) as they go along.

To this day, XOJET boasts an on-time departure rate that’s north of 99% which exemplifies, once more, the proverbial “other end of the rainbow” compared to commercial airlines. Clients are garanteed aircraft on just a 12 hours notice and top clients (flying 400 hours of more per year) are garanteed multiple aircrafts on a single day which comes in handy when, for instance, the CEO goes to New York and the CTO goes to San Francisco.

So all this brings us back to XOJET cutting down the cost, up to 40% compared to the runners up, because, over and above the aforementioned strategies, the private aviator charters unused flights so this brings in revenue to pay for ground and crew costs while significantly driving down the cost of “membership” for clients.

Apparently, a lot of people like the way XOJET thinks about the whole private aviation value proposition since the company is expected to double its 2006 revenues of 36M$.

Furthermore, the company recently announced the purchase of 2,5 billion dollars worth of new aircraft, which will bring its fleet to 127 planes, by 2012.

XOJET is proof that innovation in the air travel industry can make a huge difference, in this particular case, equally beneficial for the private aviator -and- its clients.

Tags: xojet, private aviation, charters, jets, airlines, aircraft, fractionals

Wireless connectivity meets the highway, in a major way.

Acura dubs its RDX model to be “technocharged” so it’s very clear the intended customer is expected to be familiar with technology to fully appreciate all this SUV has to offer, especially for young families who wish to drive around in style.

Perhaps trying to curb the gas cravings usually associated with SUVs, the RDX is notably smaller than other crossovers like the Mazda CX-7 and the Ford Edge. Although it’s officially an SUV, it drives like a car, hence the “crossover” tag applied to it.

Featuring a 240-hp i-VTEC turbo engine, Super Handling AWD and a Technology Package including Bluetooth-enabled phone connectivity, the Acura RDX hits all the right buttons for the tech-savvy crowd. As such, the occupants are both firmly connected to the road -and- to the outside world.

Overall, this nicely designed vehicle makes for a fun drive. The engine is peppy, the handling is excellent and the sound system is probably one of the most impressive you’ll get to hear in a long time (even considering it’s in a car).

The 650 voice command and on-board navigation screen (including live traffic reporting) add the the futuristic feature set but perhaps a little more integration between all these “things” would’ve helped. Perhaps that’ll get fixed in version 2.0.

Your kids, assuming you have any, will be delighted by the practical use of interior space, in the Acura RDX. Even parents will be amazed how much useful storage space has been packed in this SUV.

Expect to see more “tech-savvy cars” coming to the market, in the months to come as all major car makers are “gearing up”.

Acura did a great job with this one… even if it’s still at version 1.0.

Tags: acura rdx, suv, crossover, cars, trucks, family, driving, turbo engine