Costco Selling Wheels Up Memberships

Buying in bulk seems to be a thing these days and private aviation has become part of the inventory at the store chain that first mastered the concept. Costco and…

Buying in bulk seems to be a thing these days and private aviation has become part of the inventory at the store chain that first mastered the concept. Costco and Wheels Up have teamed up to offer a one-year membership providing access to the fleet of more than 1500 jets and turboprops available for on-demand charter throughout the U.S. for $17,499. Costco customers also get an extra $4,000 flight credit. They also get a one-year Costco membership with a $3,500 gift card so those who stock up on paper towels and toilet paper and apply the flight credit will get their flights at about 60 cents on the dollar.

Of course, they’ll also be added to the charter company’s list of 9,000 clients who have access to luxury holidays and special events hosted in conjunction with major sporting and entertainment events. Wheels Up says it’s engaged a COVID-19 protocol it calls Safe Passage that ensures the highest sanitation standards on the aircraft and all crew are screened and trained to minimize the chance of transmission.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.