Elevate becomes first Canadian ARGUS Registered Broker

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Toronto-headquartered Elevate has achieved ARGUS Registered Broker status, becoming the only independent broker in Canada with the rating. The company was founded in May of this year by Robert Rennert, a pilot and holder of an advanced aviation business degree. Before that he was director of network planning at Porter Airlines, a regional airline headquartered at Billy Bishop Toronto City airport in Ontario. There he managed the carrier's fleet of 29 aircraft and oversaw much of the company's expanding network of new destinations.

Elevate offers a full service within the Canadian marketplace, including hotel accommodations and all other travel needs. “We find increasingly that customers lack the time or energy to source these things themselves,” he says. “Having a single source to coordinate all aspects of one's journey helps to take a load off of the customer and ensures a single point of contact for almost all of their needs.”

Rennert is a planner at heart for whom attention to detail comes naturally. This extends particularly to safety: “We are particularly selective. We won’t just put a customer on any plane; we work with third party auditors that place even greater scrutiny on safety than the minimum demanded by government agencies.

“To become a Registered Broker requires a procedures manual, again something I was already quite familiar with from my time in the commercial airline world. ARGUS was rather complimentary when it saw the work we put in, which was nice feedback.” He adds that ARGUS has also been monitoring new legislation in the US governing brokers and it helped ensure that he was ready for what is coming in 2019. He also hopes to meet Certified Broker status in the next year.

Post-launch, things are taking off: “I am generating leads, sales and buzz through my website,” he says. “I have been focusing marketing efforts mainly in the digital arena, taking a larger presence on social media. I've seen particular return from sports and group charters. My background with the airlines and dealing with large parties certainly helps.”

Rennert thinks there is a certain amount of apathy in Canada to charter. Wealth studies have pointed out that Canadians with the financial means may have a lower propensity to spend on private air travel than their counterparts in other countries. He feels this is partly because people are simply not aware of their options and are loyal to the scheduled airlines. The market is still comparatively small but, he believes, is growing.

His goal, Rennert says, is to: “Shine a light on all facets of the business and the benefits it delivers. Overall, we want to demystify private charter and show potential customers how they can tap into the best aviation experience out there. No terminals, security lineups, or crowds. This is flying the way it was always intended.”