Heightened Terror Alert Drives Private Jet Travel; CharterAuction Cites 100% Rise in December Bookings

CharterAuction has announced that its sales activity for December 2003 was up 100%. The company attributed the jump to the U.S. government's elevation of the national threat level from Elevated to High risk of terrorist attack, among other factors.

"There are a number of factors that contributed to our high numbers for the end of the year. First and foremost, our clients' concerns about safety were intensified with the raising of the national threat level from yellow to orange. Our clients want more control over their travel plans, their timing and their comfort," said Nate McKelvey, CEO of CharterAuction.

"At CharterAuction, we make - and always will make - safety a first priority. Before each trip, we conduct a complete safety background check on the operator, the aircraft and the pilots using FAA and DOT databases. We only use very high quality planes. And, they leave and arrive on our clients' schedules, not the other way around. Other factors contributing to our numbers include the popularity of our Titanium Program and the professionalism of our world-class sales team and customer care group. As heightened terror alerts become more commonplace, the use of private planes will emerge as a mainstream option for any trip - business or pleasure -- where safety is a concern."

CharterAuction provides point-to-point, private jet travel services anywhere in the world, at anytime through its Titanium Club, a private jet membership program, and through individual private jet charter services. CharterAuction also provides in-flight gourmet catering and door-to-door ground transportation services. Before each trip, the company conducts a thorough background check on its clients' operators, aircraft, and pilots. It searches FAA and DOT databases for any prior incidents or accidents involving the operator or aircraft and then confirms that the pilots' stated number of hours flown matches FAA database records. Additionally, prior to every flight, CharterAuction certifies that each operator has a valid insurance policy.

FMI: www.charterauction.com