Getting insider access to the Super Bowl can be a nightmarish prospect for any diehard fan, especially with so many last-minute arrangements following the playoffs just weeks before the big event. No matter which teams emerge from the playoffs, San Francisco-based XOJet has the local knowledge and infrastructure to fly clients into the area, while coordinating other needs on the ground.
For ten years, the leader in private aviation has been servicing clients all over the country with world-class flights that include its own modern business-jet fleet and select aircraft partners.
But the aviation experts have also adopted a concierge role that handles every facet of client travel, from custom in-flight menus to luxury ground transportation. XOJet intends to reach even greater heights for the Super Bowl weekend.
“For every Super Bowl, we figure out which airports in the area can service private-aviation traffic,” says Gregg Slow, Executive Vice President of Sales and Client Services. “Then we come up with our top destinations, the ones that are logistically friendly in terms of the location, the FBO [fixed base operator, an aviation term for a private terminal], and services—catering and ground transportation, and de-icing equipment, etc., with a cold-weather location.”
XOJet has access to more than 1,000 jets, from light business jets to large-cabin transoceanic liners like the Gulfstream V. It owns a fleet of super mid-sized jets and works through a preferred partner network for other sizes.
“Minneapolis-St. Paul has sold out its slots,” said Slow, “so if you want to go to the Super Bowl and go in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul, you’ll have to get lucky; somebody has to cancel, and you have to be able to figure out how to get that slot.”
Slow said that St. Paul Downtown would likely fill its slots by the start of Super Bowl week.
There’s a chance you might still be able to fly into that airport early in the week, he said, but you probably won’t be able to fly out until the Monday after the game at the earliest. He also said that Rochester International Airport (a roughly 90-minute drive from Minneapolis) was completely booked. That leaves St. Cloud Regional Airport, which is an hour by car (or train) from Minneapolis. “So, it’s not too late if you have a little bit of flexibility,” said Slow.