How to Brief a Ground Service for an Aspen Trip
An assistant's checklist for booking ground transportation that actually works the way private aviation works — including what to specify, what to confirm, and what to ignore.
Start with the tail number
The single most important detail to provide is the aircraft tail number. Not the schedule. Not the FBO. Not the expected ETA. The tail number.
A ground service that operates on schedule rather than aircraft tracking will fail you the moment the aircraft is rerouted, delayed, or repositioned to a different FBO. A ground service that monitors the tail number knows where the aircraft is going before the crew tells you. The vehicle repositions automatically. You don't make any phone calls.
If the booking system you're using doesn't ask for the tail number, you're using the wrong booking system.
Specify the FBO and the alternate
Each Aspen-area airport handles private aviation through specific FBOs. Confirm both the primary and the alternate at booking:
At Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (KASE): Atlantic Aviation. This is the sole FBO at KASE — Pitkin County signed a 30-year lease with Atlantic Aviation in 2024, and every private jet at Aspen is handled there.
At Eagle County Regional Airport (KEGE): Signature Flight Support (formerly Vail Valley Jet Center) or NetJets, which operates a dedicated terminal for owner and fractional flights.
At Rifle Garfield County Airport (KRIL): Atlantic Aviation. The same operator as KASE — useful for crews already familiar with Atlantic.
Give your ground coordinator both the planned FBO and the airport-level alternate. If KASE reroutes to KRIL, you want to know that the same provider already has credentials at Atlantic Aviation Rifle and the vehicle will reposition without further intervention.
Specify the vehicle and ride composition
Tell your coordinator: how many passengers, how much luggage, whether ski or golf equipment is included, and whether the principal has a vehicle preference. This sounds basic, but it determines whether the right vehicle shows up.
For groups with ski or gear, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van is standard — full-height storage, captain's chairs, 9-passenger capacity. For principal-only or small-party arrivals, the Cadillac Escalade ESV is appropriate. Vehicles should be swappable with 24-hour notice if the trip composition changes.
If the principal has child seat requirements, allergies, or specific refreshment preferences, those go in the brief — not in a phone call from the ramp.
Confirm the contact protocol
Ask explicitly: who is my single point of contact? What is the direct mobile line? Is dispatch staffed 24/7?
A serious operator assigns one named coordinator to your account. That person has your calendar context, knows the principal's preferences, and is reachable at any hour. Generic dispatch lines, intake forms, and tier-one customer service routing are not appropriate for premium private aviation operations.
The right answer to 'how do I reach you on travel day' is a mobile number with a name attached, not a 1-800 with hold music. JetSet Mountain FBO Ground Transportation operates this way: a named coordinator, a direct mobile line, dispatch staffed 24/7 at 970.742.0200 or support@jetsetaspen.com.
Verify the cost structure before travel day
Confirm the rate is flat. Confirm there are no alternate-airport fees, no surge pricing, no fuel surcharges, no off-hour multipliers, and no equipment charges. If any of these exist, get them in writing in advance — not after a billing surprise.
A flat-rate block reservation should be a single line item that covers the full window: airport pickup, transfer to the destination, and any contingency repositioning if the airport changes. If the contract has variable components, ask why before agreeing to the booking.
What you don't need to confirm
You do not need to confirm the route, the timing of the drive, the chauffeur's specific identity (you'll receive that closer to travel day), or contingency planning for I-70 closures or weather. Those are operational details that belong to your ground service, not your office.
If you're being asked to confirm operational details that should be the operator's responsibility, that's a signal the operator isn't doing the job.
The 90-second briefing template
For your records and your dispatch contact:
1. Tail number 2. Date and approximate ETA window 3. Primary FBO at planned airport 4. Number of passengers + luggage profile 5. Vehicle preference (or 'operator's discretion') 6. Special requirements (child seats, refreshments, allergies) 7. Final destination address 8. Single mobile contact for travel day (yours or the principal's chief of staff)
That's the brief. Anything else is the operator's job to handle.