Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Wheels Up is streamlining its various private aviation products under a single brand to be delivered through what the company referred to as “a seamless, concierge-level customer engagement model.” Under the change announced today, the company pledges to provide individual travel solutions for any trip worldwide, encompassing options previously offered through its various separate flight offerings.
Its unified team will manage the delivery of private aviation membership, private ad hoc charters, group charters, and “hybrid private-commercial” itineraries through its strategic partnership with the company’s main shareholder, Delta Air Lines. Wheels Up called the move “a break from the industry standard.”
Each customer will be allocated to regionally-focused sales and service teams that will handle all travel needs. They will handle the booking process, as well as trip support and service coordination from the beginning to the end of each journey.
According to Wheels Up, the reorganization matches the regional and industry sector structure used by Delta Air Lines. The intention is that the companies’ sales teams will increasingly be co-located and work together.
Today's announcement did not address recent reports that Wheels Up laid off part of its sales force earlier this month. Last year, the company said it was aiming to achieve $70 million in operational savings as part of efforts to achieve profitability.
In the U.S., the Wheels Up and Air Partner brands now operate through a combined sales, marketing, account management, and sales delivery organization with common back-end platforms and processes. All flights will be branded under the Wheels Up name, and this consolidation will extend to the rest of the world in the coming months. In 2022, Wheels Up acquired UK-based charter brokering group Air Partner, which will continue to handle cargo charter flights separately.
“By unifying our global membership and charter sales teams and our customer service functions, we will provide a consistent experience through the customer journey,” commented Wheels Up CEO George Mattson, who was formerly a senior executive with Delta. “The integrated, high-touch, service-driven model reflects our commitment to delivering an elevated and tailored experience on every trip, providing access to our full range of programmatic and global charter offerings and enabling customers to choose the right aviation solution and aircraft for every journey through a single point of contact.”
By the end of 2026, Wheels Up aims to complete a <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-11-05/wheels-stays-course-fleet-modernization-plan">fleet modernization</a> process based on a mix of Bombardier Challenger 300s and Embraer Phenom 300s. Part of the Wheels Up fleet is now operated under a <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-12-23/wheels-modernization-plan-gains-momentum">sale-and-leaseback arrangement</a> that is in part intended to reduce the group’s debts.

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