Fuel Discount Programs
One of the few areas a business or a flight department has some control over in their budget is jet fuel. Generally, jet fuel accounts for over 50 percent of the direct operating cost of your aircraft. A majority of the FBOs throughout the United States offer some type of discount. This may be a volume discount per purchase that usually starts around 200 gallons, or a monthly volume from your home base FBO or a FBO that you frequently visit. Another alternative is to purchase a truckload of fuel from your FBO and pay a fee to pump that fuel into the aircraft, which generally runs around 25 cents per gallon. Still another alternative is to use any number of the discount programs listed below. In some cases you may need to talk directly to the General Manager of the FBO and negotiate a price. Usually, this is the best method if there are no other program(s) offered or the discount runs 10 cents per gallon or less.
If you receive a minimum discount of .25 cents per gallon, with a fuel burn of 120 gallons per hour and fly an average of 300 hours per year, the savings comes to $9,000 annually.
1. Air Routing International
(800) 987-5680, Houston, Texas
www.ar-group.com
Comments: Strong in International Operations. They are working to increase the number of Domestic locations and discounts.
2. AVCARD (Contract Fuel Discount Program)
(410) 771-2701, Hunt Valley, Maryland
www.avcard.com
Comments: Good program with many U.S. and International locations.
3. AVFUEL- (Commercial Contract Fuel)
(800) 283-8354, Ann Arbor, Minnesota
www.avfuel.com/home/home.asp
4. Baseops- World Fuel
(800) 333-3563, Houston, Texas
www.baseops.com
Comments: With World Fuel purchasing Baseops
5. Colt International
(800) 626-0577, Houston, Texas
www.coltinternational.com
Comments: A very good program with strong domestic presents and with increasing international acceptances.
6. Corporate Aviation Association
(775) 882-9300, Fred Fitts, Dayton, Nevada
www.corpaa.org
Comments: Open to Business to Operators under FAR Part 91 with requirement to be an NBAA member non fractional operator.
7. Mercury Aviation Group, Inc.
800-233-5382, Houston, Texas
www.mercfuel.com
Comments: Have not used this program at this time.
8. Million Air
(800) 856-8805, Sandy Nelson, Addison, Texas
www.millionair.com
9. UVAIR-Universal Weather & Aviation, Inc.
(800) 231-5600, Houston, Texas
www.univ-wea.com
Comments: Strong internationally but weak domestically in pricing. Generally offers a 10 cent discount over the posted fuel price. There is no charge for having their card and I would suggest applying. They offer many other services your department may need domestically.
11. Western Petroleum Company
(800) 972-3835, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
www.westernpetro.com
Additional Aviation Business Credit Cards
The following is a list of credit cards available that you may also find useful:
Multi Service (877) MSC-CARD or 913-451-2400
Overland, Kansas
www.multiservice.com
Chevron/ Texaco (877) 839-4090
http://chevronglobalaviation.com/tx/tx_credit_card_prog.asp
Galaxy International Card
Phillips 66 @ 1-800-362-7759
www.phillips66aviation.com
Exxon (800) 438-3990
Roswell, Georgia
Air BP (800) 692-4727
Prepared by:
JB Aviation, LLC- 08 Feb. 2010