George Mattson travel tips

Flying with private charter airline Wheels Up just got more rewarding, as members have an enhanced shortcut to achieving top-tier elite status with Delta Air Lines. With this limited-time promotion, Wheels Up members can receive Diamond Medallion status through reduced spending requirements:

New York City may be a global destination for business and tourism, but its track record of seeing airlines depart, at least when it comes to their headquarters, continued last week.

This past weekend’s Super Bowl LVIII was a star-studded event which attracted guests from around the world with as many as 1000 private jets arriving in Las Vegas. From Beyoncé to Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber, everyone wanted to see the Chiefs play the 49ers, and, of course, witness Usher’s mesmerizing halftime performance. People planning to attend huge sports and social events like the Super Bowl via private plane can face a unique, high net-worth problem — no inventory left unless you’ve booked far in advance. That’s where Wheels Up’s new partnership with Delta offers its members an alternative; flying commercial in first class with additional exclusive perks. Alternatively, members who fly commercial most of the time may charter a private plane for short and medium range flights to smaller airports or for a special occasion. The partnership offers flexibility and ensures that members won’t have to miss out on popular sports and social events with several options to choose from.

Five weeks after announcing a rescue package led by Delta Air Lines, Wheels Up said the deal has closed. It comes after continued losses, deteriorating cash and reports by CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters over the past several months that the New York-based private jet flight provider would need to seek bankruptcy protection.

Wheels Up is again turning to Delta Air Lines for C-suite leadership. After appointing the Atlanta-based airline’s CFO Dan Janki as Chairman last month, the New York-based private jet flight provider is tapping Delta Board Member George Mattson as CEO.