Sometimes in life, validation that we’re on the right path comes when we least expect it. For Bernie Burns, co-founder of the Black-owned travel design company B2 Aviation, his validation came when he captured one of the last joyful moments a family of passengers shared together.
“The family was going to the Super Bowl,” Burns recalls. “I asked them what kind of catering they would like, and we made sure to add a lot of special touches that made them feel they were going to get away from it all.”
Burns knew the dad had terminal cancer and wanted to make their luxury experience something they would never forget. Unbeknownst to the family, he called up a team of creatives to have them capture the moment for the family on video.
“Now, instead of it just simply being a flight, it’s something the family can go back to years from now to remember that amazing moment with their loved one,” he says.
It’s a story that still gives Burns chills and serves as proof Burns and his now business partner, Jason Benson, were made to create their luxury travel design company, B2 Aviation. It’s one of the few Black-owned companies providing an elevated travel experience. While money can get you a private charter, the priceless joy they create for their guests uniquely comes from their two decades of understanding their customers.
The B2 Aviation Difference
The co-founders wouldn’t pigeonhole themselves by describing B2 Aviation as a company solely supplying private charters. Both agree private planes are just one facet of their model. What makes them a travel design company is how they created a space where they design every aspect of travel by personalizing every client’s experience.
They consider themselves a boutique luxury firm, which they say creates a unique experience, unlike their competition.
“We’re able to fly to each city and meet our clients,” says Benson. “We generate different experiences and can offer different culinary menus, for example, because we’re not based in one location.”
Both co-founders pride themselves on being a company that provides a service from getting from Point A to Point B and itineraries that give travelers a list of activities and events to attend in a city.
B2 Aviation’s Mission To Make Private Charters Inclusive and Accessible
Traveling on a private plane is a night-and-day experience compared to traveling commercially, and the most significant luxury is the time factor.
“When you come to us, you’re saving time,” Benson says. “You don’t arrive at the airport two or three hours ahead. You’ll park and be inside the plane within five minutes.”
Travelers on private planes don’t go through long security lines and are not waiting for their bags at the end of the trip, which the co-founders say can save at least four hours compared to commercial travel.
Another benefit of flying private is the air circulation. The cabins are pressured differently because they are smaller, which creates a more comfortable experience for passengers and helps to reduce the jet lag feeling.
Benson and Burns don’t shy away from the fact they occupy a space where not many people look like them as Black men. Their clientele list and inquiries are impressive as the men have serviced private companies flying hundreds of employees, the American rock band, The Rolling Stones, Grammy-award winning artists to get to award shows, famous comedians, politicians, and even people they can’t name to protect their identity.
“That’s what keeps things exciting. You never know who is going to call,” Benson says.
Even with an impressive clientele, they serve everyday people who want a luxurious experience, whether for business or a girls’ trip. No matter who they serve, they have humble beginnings and want people of color to know they, too, can enjoy luxury travel experiences. It’s a mission they don’t take lightly.
“We want to position ourselves for our people,” says Benson. “We want to plant the seeds […] that’s why I post us a lot on places like Instagram. The inspiration is there. If someone can’t do it today, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to do it six months or a few years from now.”
As far as what’s next, the co-founders plan to take the luxury brand to new heights by creating a physical space that will serve more clients near and far.
“We want people to have a space they can physically walk into and know how our services will benefit them,” says Burns. “We also hope in the next 10 to 15 years to inspire another generation of people who follow their dreams … even if it’s beyond aviation. When they see us, I hope they recognize that nothing can limit them.”