July 22, 2008 2:05PM

Airline Earnings: A Pleasant Surprise

By Alexis Glick

Much to our surprise many of the airlines have reported better-than-anticipated numbers. Now that’s not to say that they haven’t been awful or reported multi-year losses, but there have been some upside surprises.

One great surprise has been the private jet companies who have been a beneficiary of all of the disgruntled travelers. One beneficiary has been JetSuite, a private plane company where you can buy a share with a down payment and an asset-secured note so that you are guaranteed a certain amount of hours per year.

The CEO of JetSuite Alex Wilcox joined me this morning on The Opening Bell. He is a 20-year veteran in the industry and one of the original founders of Jet Blue.

We talked about everything from the realities facing the industry and what he believes needs to change in the future to what he is doing to differentiate himself in this market. One tip…purchasing the most fuel efficient airplanes on the market and offering much bigger discounts on hourly rates compared to his competitors. It’s a great story. Take a look.