Most of the time, business aviation makes air travel painless and trouble-free. That’s what you’re paying for and that’s why you love it.
But once in a while, things go wrong. Perhaps your charter flight left two hours late, causing you to miss a key meeting, and now you want your money back. Or maybe your jet card operator is double-billing you for catering or consistently failing to deliver the promised level of service. Or your fractional provider is refusing to buy back your share according to the terms in your contract.
In such cases, you have three options. The first is to deal with the situation yourself (good luck). The second is to hire a business aviation attorney/consultant to represent you, which can be effective but expensive. The third way–a new option–is to contact Aviation International News’ sister publication, Business Jet Traveler, which I edit.
As part of BJT’s ongoing effort to help maximize readers’ investment in private air transport, we’ll go to bat for you with charter brokers and operators, aircraft manufacturers, FBOs, caterers and virtually anyone else in business aviation with whom you have a problem or dispute. We’ll keep your name confidential if you’d prefer (though we may publish a report about the matter that lacks identifying details). Best of all, we won’t charge you a penny.
Just send us a letter or e-mail describing the issue in as much detail as possible and telling us what resolution you seek. Be sure to provide contact information for people and companies involved and, if necessary, copies of supporting documents.
We can't promise that we'll see things your way: There are at least two sides to every story (and sometimes three or four) and the consumer isn't always right. But we can promise to investigate and objectively analyze the situation and then do what we can to help resolve it.
You can reach us at ombudsman@bjtonline.com or at Ombudsman, Business Jet Traveler, 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432. We’ll acknowledge receipt of your communication and get right on the case.
Jeff Burger joined Business Jet Traveler in March 2004, a few months after the publication’s launch. Besides editing the magazine, he has written many articles for it and conducted its interviews with such luminaries as Sir Richard Branson, James Carville, Suze Orman, Donald Trump, F. Lee Bailey, and Steve Van Zandt. Burger helped to oversee the introduction of BJT’s annual Readers' Choice surveys and Buyers’ Guide.
During his years with the magazine, it has won well over a hundred editorial awards. In 2011, Burger received the Gold Wing Award for Reporting Excellence from the National Business Aviation Association and the Aviation Journalism Award from the National Air Transportation Association. He has also won writing and editing awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. BJT, meanwhile, was named Best International Publication in 2017 in the Aerospace Media Awards. It was also a Magazine of the Year finalist in 2011, 2013, and 2016 and an Overall Excellence winner in 2018 in competitions sponsored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Before coming to BJT, Burger spent 14 years at Medical Economics, the nation’s leading business magazine for doctors, where he served on the editorial board; directed staff recruiting; oversaw a $2 million annual budget; and was financial editor, news editor, and director of special projects. He has been editor of several publications, including Phoenix Magazine in Arizona, and has been a consulting editor at Time Inc. His articles have appeared in more than 75 magazines and newspapers, among them The Los Angeles Times, Barron’s, Reader’s Digest, Gentlemen’s Quarterly , and Family Circle. Chicago Review Press published his books, Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: Interviews and Encounter, Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon, and Dylan on Dylan: Interviews and Encounters. His music writing appears on multiple websites, including his own byjeffburger.com.
Burger, a summa cum laude graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, lives in Ridgewood, N.J. He and his wife, Madeleine, have two grown children. His off-hours passions include cooking, travel, technology, movies, and music.
