Signature Reaches to Customers. They Ask for Lower
Fuel Prices
Signature Flight Support, with more than 40 locations in the U.S.
and Europe, claims to be the world's largest dedicated flight
support operation. Last year the Florida-based FBO chain asked
customers what they wanted, and the resounding answer was, "Cheaper
fuel."
This year the line service specialist is implementing two programs
aimed at delivering just that, one targeted at regular customers
(to save them money while bringing more work to Signature), and
the other focused on one-time fuel buyers, featuring an exponential
formula to deliver deep discounts for big fill-ups.
The new programs replace Signature's "Prime Rate Savings"
plan. They yield "substantially greater discounts given the
same amount of volume," says operations vp Cy Farmer.
Signature's new NetPower program, aimed at large flight departments, is "based
on the amount of business that the flight department will bring
to Signature." Signature evaluates such factors as aircraft
size, typical flight plans, and frequently visited cities, and makes
fuel pricing proposals on a custom, case-by-case basis.
HyperPower, available even to one-time fuel buyers, involves lowering
the per gallon price according to the size of the fuel purchase.
A pilot taking on 200 gallons of fuel gets a discount of a quarter
a gallon, rising to 35 cents at 500 gallons. At Signature's "hyper"
level of 700 gallons, savings are increased to "a whopping
65 cents."
"At the very top level," says Farmer, "you get a very deep
discount. You get an exponential discount. Hence the term 'hyper.'"
